Mississippi Virtual School, Cincinnati Virtual High School, and Apex Learning Join Forces to Fill the Gap for Students Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

Online Courses Offer Opportunity Where Traditional Classrooms No Longer Exist

SEATTLE, WA. October 20, 2005 - In the wake of the devastation left behind by hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi Department of Education is faced with the task of providing schooling for students for whom there currently are no classrooms and teachers. Seattle, WA-based Apex Learning® and Cincinnati Virtual High School are collaborating with the statewide Mississippi Online Learning Institute (MOLLI) to make online courses available to high school students affected by the storm.

Apex Learning is donating its online course curriculum in math, science, English, social studies, and world languages. Cincinnati Virtual High School and Apex Learning are each providing certified teachers to deliver online instruction.

"With online courses, we are able to immediately deliver a viable alternative for students so they can continue their education uninterrupted," said Nadine Gilbert of the Mississippi Department of Education.

MOLLI will identify students in the six counties hardest hit by Katrina who can benefit from this opportunity. Apex Learning will register and enroll those students in their online courses and provide user support. Each course will be taught by a certified teacher experienced in distance learning.

"We are delighted to be able to provide teachers from Cincinnati Public Schools to help Mississippi students in this time of need," said Scott Hornblower, principal of the Cincinnati Virtual High School. "With online courses, teachers from anywhere in the country can have an impact in the areas adversely affected by the hurricane."

"There are so many needs to be met in the aftermath of Katrina," said Cheryl Vedoe, CEO of Apex Learning. "As an education company, we hope to make at least a small difference by contributing what we know how to do - providing educational opportunities for students who don't have access to a classroom and teacher."

About Apex Learning Inc. (www.apexlearning.com)
Apex Learning® is a leading publisher of online instructional materials for secondary education. The company's standards-based curriculum in the core subjects - math, science, English, social studies, and world languages - and in Advanced Placement is offered as online courses, classroom resources, and test preparation tools. Educators are taking advantage of the range of online learning solutions from Apex Learning to address critical challenges and to raise achievement for all students - from those who are not succeeding in existing programs to students capable of accelerating their learning. Apex Learning is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools.

For more information, press only:

Nathan Fowler
Apex Learning
nathanf@apexlearning.com
206-381-5669