Expert in Learning and Assessment to Join Leader in Technology-Based
Learning to Help Drive Further Innovation in Instruction and Measurement
K12 to Release Annual Academic Report at Academic and Products Day on
February 7
HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2013--
K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's largest provider of proprietary
curriculum and online education programs for students in kindergarten
through high school, today announced the appointment of Margaret
Jorgensen, PhD., as its Chief Academic Officer. Dr. Jorgensen, an expert
in the use of educational assessment as a powerful instructional tool,
will join K12 from the position of CEO of Measure2Learn early next month.
In the newly created position, Dr. Jorgensen will help drive K12’s
ongoing efforts to develop state of the art curriculum, technology,
learning systems and teacher support; to improve performance for all
students, including advanced learners but especially among the growing
population of academically at-risk students in its network of managed
public schools; and to innovate with assessments that not only more
accurately reflect student progress but also can be used to improve
learning and accountability. K12 has invested more than $320 million in
curriculum, learning systems and research and development utilizing
cognitive science.
Ron Packard, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of K12, stated, “Margie
Jorgensen brings the credentials, credibility and unique capabilities to
spearhead K12’s efforts to address two challenging and intertwined
trends in the transformation to individualized online learning: a
growing academically at-risk population and appropriate measurement of
student achievement. Dr. Jorgensen’s expertise, record of achievement
and ability in both assessment and instructional practices will be
instrumental in the evolution of technology-based learning.”
Dr. Jorgensen added, “As online learning gains mainstream acceptance in
a wide variety of settings, the industry is encountering several
challenging trends. These trends include growing populations of children
who enroll behind grade level, high mobility, student engagement and in
particular, the appropriateness of current assessment schemes in the
individualized learning context. As an industry leader, K12 is
mobilizing its resources to address those challenges, and I look forward
to working with the company’s outstanding team of innovators to build on
its best-in-class program and help achieve its goal of maximizing all
students’ academic progress while they are enrolled in a K12-managed or
partner school.”
At K12, Dr. Jorgensen will work with a distinguished team of pioneers in
and contributors to new digital modes of education, including subject
matter directors, writers and instructional designers who have designed
the market-leading suite of K-12 online courses used in the nation’s
largest network of online and blended schools.
Inventor and Author with a Track Record of Innovation in Assessment
Research and Design
A recognized industry innovator and an inventor with a patent for
achievement test design, Dr. Jorgensen founded Measure2Learn in 2006 to
develop technology products combining assessment and instruction and to
provide psychometric consulting services to companies and educational
institutions. Measure2Learn’s products include formative assessments
aligned to the soon-to-be-implemented Common Core State Standards and
interactive academic tools that both instruct and assess students’
understanding of science and mathematics vocabulary.
Previously, Dr. Jorgensen served as Managing Director at Battelle for
Kids, a non-profit enterprise focusing on several aspects of educational
reform, including teacher effectiveness and strategies to transform
low-performing schools. The company’s clients included five of the 12
Race to the Top states as well as individual school districts, funded in
part by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
As Senior Vice President and before that Vice President, Product
Development, Psychometrics and Research for Harcourt Assessment, Inc.,
Dr. Jorgensen led the development of a series of innovative education
and assessment products and was responsible for expanding expertise in
assessment across the company’s business units. She designed and
developed the first internal content authoring system within Harcourt;
brought to market the 10th edition of the Stanford Achievement Test
Series and the Otis Lennon School Ability Test; launched the first
online writing product supported by artificial intelligence scoring; and
brought the Stanford Diagnostic Reading and Mathematics Tests online.
As Assistant Vice President for Development, ACT, Inc., Dr. Jorgensen
supervised test development programs, including the ACT Assessment,
PLAN, EXPLORE, COMPASS, ASSET, Collegiate Assessment of Academic
Proficiency (CAAP), the Career Planning Assessment (CPAt), the
Mathematics Placement Examination, the Proficiency Examination Program
(PEP) and the Career Planning Program. She also led pioneering research
in the areas of differential item performance, the administration of
tests by computer and item response theory.
Prior to joining ACT, Dr. Jorgensen served as a Senior Examiner for the
Educational Testing Service, supported the state-by-state roll-out of
the National Assessment of Educational Progress for the Southern
Regional Education Board and taught at Emory University.
Dr. Jorgensen, who earned her Ph.D. in Measurement, Evaluation and
Statistical Analysis at the University of Chicago, a Master of Science
degree in School Psychology at Miami University, an MBA at the
University of Texas at San Antonio and a B.A. in Political Science at
Wellesley College, is the author of two books and nearly two dozen
scholarly articles and book chapters.
Academic and Products Day and Release of Annual Academic Report
Scheduled
In conjunction with the announcement of Dr. Jorgensen’s appointment, K12
also indicated that the company will host an Academic and Products Day
on February 7, 2013 at which it will release its Academic Report
covering performance at K12-managed and partner schools and addressing
key issues facing the industry.
The Academic and Products Day will be held at the company’s corporate
offices in Herndon, Virginia from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Investors and
analysts who are interested in attending the event should contact
Christi Parker, VP Investor Relations by email at chparker@k12.com.
Special Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We
have tried, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking
statements using words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,”
“continues,” “likely,” “may,” “opportunity,” “potential,” “projects,”
“will,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends” and similar expressions to
identify forward looking statements, whether in the negative or the
affirmative. These statements reflect our current beliefs and are based
upon information currently available to us. Accordingly, such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which could cause our actual results,
performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed
in, or implied by, such statements. These risks, uncertainties, factors
and contingencies include, but are not limited to: our potential
inability to further develop, maintain and enhance our products and
brands; the reduction of per pupil funding amounts at the schools we
serve; reputation harm resulting from poor performance or misconduct by
operators in any school in our industry and in any school in which we
operate; challenges from virtual public school or hybrid school
opponents; failure of the schools we serve to comply with regulations
resulting in a loss of funding or an obligation to repay funds
previously received; discrepancies in interpretation of legislation by
regulatory agencies that may lead to payment or funding disputes;
termination of our contracts with schools due to a loss of authorizing
charter; failure to enter into new contracts or renew existing contracts
with schools; risks associated with entering into and executing mergers,
acquisitions and joint ventures; failure to successfully integrate
mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures; inability to recruit, train
and retain quality teachers and employees; uncertainty regarding our
ability to protect our proprietary technologies; risks of new, changing
and competitive technologies; increased competition in our industry; and
other risks and uncertainties associated with our business described in
the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can
give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any
deviation will not be material. All information in this release is as of
January 10, 2013, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or
changes in the Company’s expectations.
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 for students in kindergarten through high school. Using 21st
century tools to prepare 21st century students, K12 provides a new
choice for students to learn in a flexible and innovative way, at an
individualized pace. K12 provides curricula and academic services to
public and private online schools and districts, traditional classrooms,
blended school programs, and directly to families. K12 is accredited
through AdvancED, the world's largest education community. Additional
information on K12 can be found at www.K12.com.
Source: K12 Inc.
K12 Inc.
Investor Contact:
Christina L. Parker,
703-483-7077
VP Investor Relations
chparker@k12.com
or
Press
Contact:
Jeff Kwitowski, 703-483-7281
SVP Public Affairs
jkwitowski@k12.com