Kaplan Academy of California, San Diego and Kaplan Academy of California, Central California Offer Area Secondary Students an Online Education Option

Corcoran, CA, May 6, 2009 — California secondary students will benefit from a new education option this fall with the launch of two tuition-free online charter schools: Kaplan Academy of California, San Diego and Kaplan Academy of California, Central California. The schools will offer students in grades 6-12 a full suite of core, advanced placement and honors courses; one-on-one instruction from California-certified teachers, and an opportunity to customize their education to fit their individual needs.

California Virtual Education Partners, a non-profit organization focused on expanding education options for students statewide, is collaborating with Kaplan Virtual Education, a leading provider of online education offering curriculum, technology and management of schools.

“The growth of online education across the country is being fueled by parents’ and students’ desire for a high quality alternative to the traditional brick and mortar learning environment—these two academies will bring that alternative to tens of thousands of deserving California families,” Charles Thornburgh, president of Kaplan Virtual Education said. “Our schools are focused on expanding access to strong educational options that effectively prepare students to succeed in the twenty-first century.”

The central California school, authorized by the Corcoran Unified School District, will serve online students in Kings, Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. The San Diego school, authorized by the Mountain Empire Unified School District, will serve online students in San Diego, Imperial, Orange and Riverside counties. The launch of the two new Kaplan Academies follows the September 2008 launch of the Kaplan Academy of California Los Angeles, an online public charter school currently serving nearly 200 students.

“In addition to the access and convenience an online learning environment inherently offers, these schools will provide students with a rigorous curriculum and a high quality education,” Jonathan Zaff, president of California Virtual Education Partners said.

The teachers, employed by California Virtual Education Partners, will instruct students using Kaplan’s virtual learning platform and facilitate class discussions via telephone, instant message, email and online blackboards. Kaplan Academy of California students will be able to access their coursework from virtually anywhere at any time via the Internet. A parent portal allows families to access their child’s academic record and activity virtually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Laptops will be provided to any active student who does not have access to a computer.

The charter schools will be open to all qualified California students. To learn more about the Kaplan Academies, visit www.kaplanacademy.com.

California Virtual Education Partners is a California Nonprofit Corporation committed to expanding high-quality virtual education options for students statewide.

About Kaplan Virtual Education

Kaplan Virtual Education (KVE), a leading provider of online 6-12 education, offers flexible, individualized and high-quality curriculum and instruction to promote student success. KVE operates public and private schools that provide a wide variety of accredited learning options for middle and high school students, schools and school districts. KVE’s student body is as diverse as its course offerings, serving accelerated learners seeking advanced placement and college prep courses, adults seeking high school diplomas, homeschooled students, and at-risk teenagers who require an alternative to traditional high school. KVE is accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and The Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA). For more information, visit www.kaplanvirtualeducation.com.

Kaplan Virtual Education is part of Kaplan Higher Education, which serves nearly 100,000 students through 70-plus campus-based schools and online operations across the United States and abroad. It also has online programs through Kaplan Virtual Education and Concord Law School of Kaplan University. Kaplan Higher Education schools offer a spectrum of academic opportunities, from high school diplomas to graduate and professional degrees, including a juris doctor degree. Kaplan Higher Education is part of Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO). For more information, visit http://portal.kaplan.edu/.