Apex Learning Appoints National Advisory Board of Education Leaders; Former U.S. Department of Education Leaders, School Reform and Virtual Learning Pioneers Form Group's Foundation

Business Wire, June 22, 2001

Business/High-Tech Editors

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 22, 2001

Apex Learning Inc., a builder and operator of virtual schools, today announced the formation of a national advisory board.

The four founding members -- Michael Cohen, Douglas Reeves, Linda G. Roberts and Mary Beth Susman -- will offer the company guidance based on their wide range of experiences as leaders in the education community.

"As a leader in the rapidly growing virtual schools movement, Apex Learning understands the importance of listening to the education community," said Keith Oelrich, president and CEO. "With the formation of this advisory board, we are excited to have access to insights from this respected group of educators as Apex Learning works with states and school districts to help them develop successful virtual schools."

Cohen and Roberts both served at the U.S. Department of Education during the Clinton administration; Cohen as assistant secretary and Roberts as director of education technology. Reeves and Susman have both been education pioneers; Reeves in the areas of assessment and accountability and Susman in virtual learning.

Oelrich continued, "This Advisory Board also brings a great mix of expertise and contacts to the company. Dr. Roberts is one of the leading figures in the country today on the role of technology in K-12 education. Mr. Cohen is a nationally known expert in standards-based school reform and federal and state education policy. Dr. Susman is a pioneer in creating virtual universities and Dr. Reeves has tremendous specialized experience in educational assessment, a critical element of successful virtual schools."

Other career highlights of the four members include:

-- Michael Cohen has devoted his 30-year career to creating effective schools.
In addition to serving as assistant secretary for elementary and secondary
education at the U.S. Department of Education, Cohen was a special assistant to
former President Clinton for education policy. At the National Center on
Education and the Economy and the National Governors Association, Cohen worked
on school reform issues from both a policy and practice perspective.

-- Douglas Reeves, Ph.D., is an expert in the areas of accountability,
assessment and standards. Reeves is the president and founder of the Center for
Performance Assessment and the International Center for Educational
Accountability. A former classroom teacher, Reeves has spoken and published
extensively, including 10 books, on the topics of performance assessment and
accountability.

-- Linda G. Roberts, Ed.D., is a leading expert in the use of technology to
improve education. Roberts served as senior adviser to the Secretary of
Education and director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S.
Department of Education, developed the national technology plan and directed
the new educational technology initiatives. At the Congressional Office of
Technology Assessment, Roberts was made senior associate for her direction of
the first series of national studies on technology and learning. She speaks
extensively on new technologies and learning in the U.S. and abroad and has
testified before Congress on numerous occasions.

-- Mary Beth Susman, Ed.D., is the first Chief Executive Officer of the
Kentucky Commonwealth Virtual University. A well-known speaker and published
author on distance education and virtual universities, Susman also founded and
directed the Colorado Electronic Community College, a statewide virtual
community college. Susman also founded the Lexington Group, a national
association of the presidents of virtual universities.

Since the fall, Apex Learning has announced agreements with states and school districts that comprise more than 6,000 of the nation's 22,000 high schools. Customers include California (University of California College Prep Initiative), Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan (Michigan Virtual High School), Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Washington state, as well as the Milwaukee School District and the Houston Independent School District, the fourth largest school district in the country.

About Apex Learning

Apex Learning, a builder and operator of virtual schools, partners with states and school districts to make education more accessible for their students and teachers. Apex Learning provides the infrastructure, online courses, and support services to build and operate virtual schools. Apex Learning's virtual schools address states' and school districts' need to cost-effectively bring quality instruction to more K-12 students and teachers. The company is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. Founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Apex Learning is a privately held company with investments from Vulcan Ventures, Warburg Pincus, Edison Schools, Maveron LLC, Kaplan Ventures and Michigan State University.