Sylvan Learning
Encyclopedia
Sylvan Learning consists of franchised
and corporate supplemental learning centers which provide personalized instruction in reading
, writing
, mathematics
, study skills, homework support, and test preparation
for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan provides personalized learning programs and primarily serves students of kindergarten age through high school. Sylvan Learning appears to be a trade name of Educate Inc.
Sylvan Learning began in Portland
in 1979 at the Sylvan Hill Medical Center Building. It was founded by former school teacher and California based, "The Reading Game," employee, W. Berry Fowler. By 1983, Sylvan had dozens of successful franchises and moved its headquarters to Bellevue, Washington
, near Seattle. In 1986, having over 500 franchises, Sylvan went public on the NASDAQ exchange and used funds to develop corporate learning centers in key cities. Shortly afterward, KinderCare Learning Centers
acquired the majority of stock and moved the franchise headquarters to Montgomery, Alabama
with mostly new staff.
Since its founding, Sylvan has served more than two million students. Currently, Sylvan Learning operates approximately 1,100 learning centers across North America – 49 US states and six provinces in Canada – as well as ten countries.
In 2009, Sylvan Learning was ranked number 67 in Franchise Times magazine's "Top 200 Systems" and has been ranked 25 times in Entrepreneur magazine's "Franchise 500 Ranking;" most recently, Sylvan was named one of the "25 Top Franchises for Hispanic American Ownership" by Poder Enterprise magazine and was ranked in Bond's "Top 100 Franchises."
Several franchised centers have closed in the 2008 to 2010 timeframe including three in Massachusetts and Connecticut (2008), three in Wisconsin (2008/9), two in Arkansas (2009), two in Missouri (2009) and three in northern Colorado (2010). Per the Sylvan spokesperson, Jennifer Gaegler, It appears that the corporate response is to send their students to an on-line solution and deny refunds.
As a franchisor Sylvan Corporate may not elect to support their franchisees during a bankruptcy. They have stated that “Sylvan Learning, Inc. is a separate entity which licensed to [franchisee] the right to operate a Sylvan Learning Center. Sylvan did not, and will not, assume any of the Franchisee's liabilities.”
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
and corporate supplemental learning centers which provide personalized instruction in reading
Reading (process)
Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning . It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas...
, writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
, 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...
, study skills, homework support, and test preparation
Test preparation
Test preparation or exam preparation primarily refers to educational courses, tutoring services, and educational materials/learning tools designed to increase students' performance on standardized tests, particularly entrance examinations used for admissions to institutions of higher education,...
for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan provides personalized learning programs and primarily serves students of kindergarten age through high school. Sylvan Learning appears to be a trade name of Educate Inc.
Sylvan Learning began in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in 1979 at the Sylvan Hill Medical Center Building. It was founded by former school teacher and California based, "The Reading Game," employee, W. Berry Fowler. By 1983, Sylvan had dozens of successful franchises and moved its headquarters to Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, near Seattle. In 1986, having over 500 franchises, Sylvan went public on the NASDAQ exchange and used funds to develop corporate learning centers in key cities. Shortly afterward, KinderCare Learning Centers
KinderCare Learning Centers
KinderCare Learning Centers is an American operator of for-profit child care facilities founded in 1969. The company provides educational programs for children from six weeks to 12 years old...
acquired the majority of stock and moved the franchise headquarters to Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
with mostly new staff.
Since its founding, Sylvan has served more than two million students. Currently, Sylvan Learning operates approximately 1,100 learning centers across North America – 49 US states and six provinces in Canada – as well as ten countries.
In 2009, Sylvan Learning was ranked number 67 in Franchise Times magazine's "Top 200 Systems" and has been ranked 25 times in Entrepreneur magazine's "Franchise 500 Ranking;" most recently, Sylvan was named one of the "25 Top Franchises for Hispanic American Ownership" by Poder Enterprise magazine and was ranked in Bond's "Top 100 Franchises."
Several franchised centers have closed in the 2008 to 2010 timeframe including three in Massachusetts and Connecticut (2008), three in Wisconsin (2008/9), two in Arkansas (2009), two in Missouri (2009) and three in northern Colorado (2010). Per the Sylvan spokesperson, Jennifer Gaegler, It appears that the corporate response is to send their students to an on-line solution and deny refunds.
As a franchisor Sylvan Corporate may not elect to support their franchisees during a bankruptcy. They have stated that “Sylvan Learning, Inc. is a separate entity which licensed to [franchisee] the right to operate a Sylvan Learning Center. Sylvan did not, and will not, assume any of the Franchisee's liabilities.”