eClassroom Partners with Virtual Sage to Deliver Quality Online Courses
Partnership Provides Blueprint for States and Districts to Implement Cyber Charter Schools
DENVER – June 15, 2005 – eClassroom(SM), the K-12 Division of eCollege® [Nasdaq: ECLG] and a leading provider of complete solutions for virtual schools, today announced a partnership with Virtual Sage, an online curriculum development company that offers comprehensive, standards-based online courses. The two companies will provide schools, including Virtual Sage’s existing customers, with access to Virtual Sage’s online courses delivered through the eClassroom System. The partnership also sets the stage for districts and states to build cyber charter schools based on the successful model of the University of Miami Online High School (UMOHS).
“Virtual Sage’s high-quality online curriculum follows strict research-based methods and sound online pedagogies, and its engaging courses further enhance our complete solution for virtual school success,†said Oakleigh Thorne, chairman and CEO of eCollege. “This partnership extends the reach of our system in the K-12 market, and through the UMOHS Blueprint, we can help provide a more efficient and cost effective way to build cyber charter schools and other virtual schools.â€
Virtual Sage is the exclusive provider of online content to UMOHS, one of the nation’s first virtual schools in partnership with a major university. All UMOHS students will access their Virtual Sage online courses through the eClassroom System. UMOHS, which was developed five years ago, is a fully accredited college preparatory high school serving approximately 600 students worldwide.
The UMOHS Blueprint provides states and districts with a detailed process to create their own cyber charter schools. It is based on the success of the UMOHS program, and leverages the offerings from Virtual Sage and eClassroom. The UMOHS Blueprint includes the necessary components for a successful implementation, including a complete technology and service solution from eClassroom, comprehensive and interactive online curriculum from Virtual Sage, and planning and management consulting services from UMOHS.
“We always have strived to provide unparalleled learning opportunities by leveraging the best online instructional practices, and in eClassroom, we’ve found an eLearning partner equally as committed to serving the evolving needs of students today,†said Dr. Christopher Gentile, publisher and chief operating officer of Virtual Sage. “eClassroom’s unmatched system availability and 24×7 support give us peace of mind that students, teachers and administrators accessing our courses will have the highest quality experience.â€
eClassroom also will power the distance program for another Virtual Sage client, James Madison High School Online, which is operated by the Professional Career Development Institute (PCDI). Additionally, eClassroom will provide online supplements for other Virtual Sage clients to offer hybrid programs, including the Sagemont Upper School in Weston, Fla., as well as the Pendleton School, which is located on the IMG Academies’ campus and provides student athletes with a customized educational experience.
About Virtual Sage
Virtual Sage is a groundbreaking online educational publisher founded by lifetime educators. The publishing firm employs the most effective methods of pedagogy while consistently and effectively leveraging the technological advantages of the Internet. Its team of writers, editors and supervisors develop curriculum structured to strengthen online learning by providing multiple paths of learning, multimedia and proprietary graphics, linear lessons and online supplements. Virtual Sage supplies coursework to brick and mortar educational institutions using hybrid instructional models, as well as virtual schools with online instructors. Virtual Sage is the curriculum provider and partner with one of the nation’s largest distance learning organizations, James Madison High School Online. The publisher also provides cutting-edge products to the University of Miami Online High School, one of the nation’s first virtual schools in partnership with a major university.
About eClassroom
eClassroom, the K-12 division of eCollege [Nasdaq: ECLG], supports school districts and state departments of education in providing complete virtual schools. The eClassroom solution consists of the five key components to create and support virtual school success, including planning, course creation and delivery, teacher development, administrator support and student support. Customers include the Kentucky Virtual High School; Illinois Virtual High School; and Gwinnett County Public Schools, the largest school district in Georgia. For more information, please visit http://www.eClassroom.com.
This news release contains statements that are not historical in nature and that may be characterized as “forward-looking statements†within the meaning of the securities laws. Examples of these forward-looking statements would include statements about the expected benefits to customers of our products or services and any other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks. Actual results may differ materially. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from estimates or projections contained in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the difficulty in predicting future growth due to the early stage of and rapid changes in the market for our products and services; our eLearning customers’ ability to continue to build, grow and market their online programs; the difficulty in predicting changes in the marketing budgets and the mix of marketing products and services employed by customers of our Enrollment Division; substantial competition, including pricing competition, in the online education and enrollment and retentions services markets; technological developments, emerging industry standards and government regulations, and customer requirements, which continually require us to improve our software and services; a significant portion of our revenue is generated from a relatively small number of customers; our debt obligations could adversely affect our financial health and our ability to obtain financing and react to changes in our business; the possibility that we may not be able to achieve continued growth or profitability, or maintain current levels of revenue; our ability to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights from infringement; the impact of laws and regulations affecting education and the Internet; the ability of the Company to retain key executives at eCollege and Datamark; our lengthy sales cycle; our network infrastructure and computer systems failing; the vulnerability of our network to security risks; the possibility that we may not be able to raise additional capital on acceptable terms; Datamark’s ability to develop and sustain long-term customer relationships; the cost of marketing activities, including mailing lists, materials and postal rates; and such other factors as are discussed in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which you are encouraged to review in connection with this release. We believe that these forward-looking statements are reasonable; however, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations and speak only as of the date of this release. We are not obligated to publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.
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