Apex Learning
Encyclopedia
Apex Learning, Inc. is a privately-held provider of e-Learning
solutions for K-12 education, offering online courses in mathematics
, science
, English studies
, social studies
, Romance languages
, the fine arts, health and physical education, and Advanced Placement.
co-founder Paul Allen
on the idea that online courses and test prep, which were already succeeding in higher education, could be applied to K-12. The original focus of the company was providing online Advanced Placement courses and test prep, and AP remains a core part of Apex Learning's business. In the company’s first full year, Apex Learning served 200 students.
After a series of ups-and-downs during the dot-com bubble
, Apex Learning raised and spent $37 million from venture capital
investors, and the company had three different CEOs. In 2002, Cheryl Vedoe, formerly VP of Education Marketing at Apple Computer
, became the CEO of Apex Learning. Since then, Apex Learning stabilized its revenue and operations and introduced new web-based products addressing credit recovery, remediation, classroom teaching, and alternative schools.
Since its founding, the company claims to have served nearly four million student enrollments from over 4,700 school districts. Over the years, Apex Learning has acquired two other companies.
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
solutions for K-12 education, offering online courses in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, English studies
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
, Romance languages
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
, the fine arts, health and physical education, and Advanced Placement.
History
Apex Learning was started in 1997 by MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
co-founder Paul Allen
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
on the idea that online courses and test prep, which were already succeeding in higher education, could be applied to K-12. The original focus of the company was providing online Advanced Placement courses and test prep, and AP remains a core part of Apex Learning's business. In the company’s first full year, Apex Learning served 200 students.
After a series of ups-and-downs during the dot-com bubble
Dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
, Apex Learning raised and spent $37 million from venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
investors, and the company had three different CEOs. In 2002, Cheryl Vedoe, formerly VP of Education Marketing at Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
, became the CEO of Apex Learning. Since then, Apex Learning stabilized its revenue and operations and introduced new web-based products addressing credit recovery, remediation, classroom teaching, and alternative schools.
Since its founding, the company claims to have served nearly four million student enrollments from over 4,700 school districts. Over the years, Apex Learning has acquired two other companies.
- 2002: Beyond Books
- 2003: Boxer Math
Products
Apex Learning offers its online curriculum through four product lines, each designed to meet the needs of specific customers.- ClassTools Virtual for Distance Learning: Apex Learning offers more than 90 online courses, mostly for high school or Advanced Placement credit, in the areas of math, science, English, social studies, fine arts, health and physical education, and world languages. Online courses can be taught by either certified Apex Learning teachers or by local teachers, fitting into the blended learningBlended learningBlended learning refers to a mixing of different learning environments. It combines traditional face-to-face classroom methods with more modern computer-mediated activities. According to its proponents, the strategy creates a more integrated approach for both instructors and learners. Formerly,...
model. Apex Learning provides training for participating local teachers and administrators that covers the curriculum, learning management systemLearning management systemA learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
, and strategies for online instruction.
- ClassTools: ClassTools provides digital content and assessments that help classroom teachers address student learning and achievement. This product is primarily purchased by schools and districts, and is used as a supplement to in-classroom instruction, or as a remediation solutionSolutionIn chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of only one phase. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. The solvent does the dissolving.- Types of solutions :...
.
- ClassTools Achieve: ClassTools Achieve combines the online curriculum and assessments of ClassTools with instructional management and reporting features geared toward improving student achievement. Teachers can monitor the progress of each student and customize instruction to meet individual needs. The product is primarily purchased by alternative schools and districts for use in remediation, intervention, and credit recovery programs in middle and high schools.
- AP Exam Review: Apex Learning offers an online test preparation resource that prepares students for the Advanced Placement exams.
- Exam Prep: Apex Learning creates assessments specifically aligned to a state's test blueprint and mirrors the state-wide test in terminology, format, item types and weighting. Exam prep courses from Apex Learning incorporate powerful tools and serve a wide variety of implementation models.
See also
- E-LearningE-learningE-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
- Virtual learning environmentVirtual learning environmentDefined largely by usage, the term virtual learning environment has most, if not all, of the following salient properties:* It is Web-based* It uses Web 2.0 tools for rich 2-way interaction* It includes a content management system...
- History of virtual learning environmentsHistory of virtual learning environmentsA virtual learning environment is a system that creates an environment designed to facilitate teachers in the management of educational courses for their students, especially a system using computer hardware and software, which involves distance learning...
- Learning management systemLearning management systemA learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...