News Details

Statewide public virtual school program now available for families across Virginia

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 2009-- K12 Inc.(NYSE:LRN) is announcing a new partnership with Carroll County Public Schools in Virginia. K^{12 ®} will be the curriculum and school services provider to the new Virginia Virtual Academy^SM (VAVA) – a new statewide public virtual school program for students in grades K-8.

The Board of Education of Carroll County approved the services agreement with K12 Inc. on Monday, October 12, 2009.

VAVA is open to families across Virginia and the program is accepting enrollments through October 26, 2009. Enrollment information can be found at www.K12.com/vava or by calling toll-free 877-654-8297.

“K¹² is extremely excited to partner with Carroll County Public Schools to offer our education program to students throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Ron Packard, Founder and CEO of K12 Inc. “Virginia is our home state. K¹² has been headquartered here since the Company was founded in 1999 and many of our employees are life-long residents of the Commonwealth. That is why we are especially pleased to be able to serve families through the Virginia Virtual Academy.”

The K¹² program combines a high quality curriculum – using engaging online lessons and hands-on education materials – with professional teachers, advisors, and state-of-the-art technology that connect students to their school program. This gives families the flexibility to school at home, on the road, or wherever an Internet connection can be found.

“Carroll County Public Schools is proud to take a leadership role in online learning in the Commonwealth of Virginia by working with K¹² to open the Virginia Virtual Academy,” said Dr. James Greg Smith, Superintendent of Carroll County Public Schools. “K¹² has the best product of its kind in the market. We seek to align ourselves with excellence and have done so through our partnership with K¹².”

Students who enroll in VAVA receive an individualized learning program using the award-winning K¹² curriculum. The K¹² curriculum was created by some of the finest minds in education, including teachers, reading specialists, biologists, mathematicians, and artists. Coupled with exceptional designers and writers, these experts have developed a curriculum that makes learning come alive by combining the best research with rich, engaging content. The K¹² curriculum can be customized for every child to provide differentiated instruction down to the individual level so that all children, regardless of their educational needs, receive an academic program that works best for them.

VAVA students access their daily lessons through the innovative K¹²Online School (OLS), which hosts more than 21,000 lessons, along with assessments and academic progress tools. The K¹² curriculum also includes off-line education materials such as textbooks, workbooks, math and science supplies that are shipped directly to each student’s home.

Parents who enroll their children in VAVA also benefit from support and guidance from certified teachers. Teachers regularly interact with students and parents via email, phone, web-based classrooms, and online discussions, and organize school activities and events for families.

VAVA families will also join the growing network of K¹² parents, students and teachers in the U.S. and across the world. K¹² recently launched “thebigthinK^{12 TM}” – a new state-of-the-art social networking platform exclusively for families using the K¹² program. Complete with blogs, message boards, and other exciting features, thebigthinK¹² gives families access to a safe and vibrant social community, and the opportunity to connect, share ideas, and provide support and encouragement.

In partnerships with school districts, charter schools, and state education agencies, K¹² operates virtual school programs in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington state, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

K¹² has delivered over 1.5 million courses to students worldwide. Last year, more than 50,000 students were enrolled in K¹² virtual schools. Students recently graduating from K¹² virtual schools have been accepted to over 150 post-secondary schools, including many top-ranked universities and colleges such as Cornell University, Middlebury College, and University of California at Berkeley.

About K12 Inc.

K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), a technology-based education company, is the nation’s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs to students in kindergarten through high school. K¹² provides high quality, customized education solutions to school districts, charter schools, and directly to families ranging from individual courses to classroom and hybrid programs to full-time virtual school programs. K12 Inc.also operates the K¹² International Academy^TM, an accredited, diploma-granting online private school serving students in over 35 countries.

K12 Inc. is accredited through the Commission on International Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA), which recently joined AdvancED, the world’s largest education community. K¹² is the largest national K-12 online school provider to be recognized by CITA.

K¹²’s mission is to provide any child the curriculum and tools to maximize success in life, regardless of geographic, financial, or demographic circumstances. More information can be found at www.K12.com.

© 2009 K12Inc. K¹² is a registered trademark, and the K¹² logo, thebigthinK¹², K¹² International Academy and Virginia Virtual Academy are trademarks or service marks of K12 Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: K12 Inc.

K12 Inc.
Jeff Kwitowski
Vice President, Public Relations
(703) 483-7281
jkwitowski@k12.com