For an online education system provider like PLATO® Learning, the success of our solutions is ultimately defined by our technological foundation. By observing the way technology is adopted in education, and by continually monitoring how that technology evolves, we offer the right technological innovations at the right time.

For more than four decades, PLATO Learning’s courseware has continually evolved and changed to meet the needs of both learners and educators.

Today, PLATO Learning’s flexible, scalable technologies grow with the needs of learners and educators, supporting multiple implementation scenarios—whether one classroom or district-wide—and allow us to rapidly meet educational requirements.

Recent innovations include:

• 2011 – PLATO Support Services call center becomes the industry’s first to be certified as a Center of Excellence by BenchmarkPortal. Implemented advanced reader support functionality in the PLATO Learning Environment, including text-to-speech, dictionary lookup, and multi-language translation. Launched post-secondary test preparation courses for ACT, SAT, ACCUPLACER and COMPASS, as well as for key workforce readiness and certification exams.
• 2010 – Introduced PLATO Learning Environment (PLE) 2.0, featuring greater flexibility, an improved user interface, and more robust reporting and collaboration tools. Partnered with Middlebury Interactive to launch PLATO Global Languages courses in Spanish, French, Latin, Chinese, and German. Released Advanced Placement courses in English literature & composition, calculus, biology, chemistry, and U.S. history.
• 2009 – Expanded breadth of course offerings by introducing new electives, including computer applications, health, art history and appreciation, and consumer math.
• 2008 – Implemented a three-phase customer service and engagement model to further support strong, long-term customer partnerships. Implementation planning; on-site professional development and implementation consulting; and follow-on implementation review model ensures an effective, robust and scalable learning environment for students and teachers.
• 2007 – Released Academic Systems® Algebra, a series of three developmental algebra courses for students needing algebra remediation prior to taking college-level mathematics courses.
• 2006 – Introduced PLATO® Courses, a series of semester-long online courses for middle and high school learners; PLATO® Exam Interventions, learning paths aligned to state-specific high-stakes exit exams; Straight Curve™ Mathematics, the inaugural product in our new product line for supplemental, on-grade-level and advanced instruction; and the PLATO Learning Environment™, the Company’s new management system for delivering PLATO Learning content, assessment, and curriculum management via the Internet.
• 2005 – Introduced PLATO® Earth & Space Science, the third in our Middle School Science Series, and PLATO® Foundational Mathematics, which helps struggling students improve basic mathematics skills. Also released Todos a Leer con PLATO® Achieve Now, an early reading program for Spanish-speaking learners.
• 2004 – Released PLATO® Essential, Fundamental, and Advanced Writing Process and Practice, a four-part writing series that provides grammar and writing strategies instruction at remedial, basic, and advanced levels for middle school to adult learners. Launched PLATO® Life Science and PLATO® Physical Science to help teachers prepare students for science assessments mandated for grades 3–8 under NCLB.
• 2003 – Launched PLATO® Intermediate Writing Process and Practice. Developed in collaboration with a team of language arts teachers, the courseware balances the teaching of technical skills with higher order strategies through the use of immersive think-aloud modeling, integration of on- and offline materials, and state-of-the-art judging routines.
• 2002 – Introduced the first early reading product based on a nationally recognized compendium of reading research. The PLATO® Focus Reading and Language Program incorporates speech recognition and 3D animation technologies to help students acquire proficiency in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, and comprehension skills.
• 2002 – First to respond to the need for standards and accountability with an online, enterprise-wide software solution. Introduced a leading assessment and accountability system, PLATO® Orion Standards & Curriculum Integrator, which allows educators to align curriculum to standards, assess student skills, individualize academic assistance plans, and analyze and report student performance results.
• 2002 – Launched PLATO® Link, an interactive online assessment and diagnostic tool and PLATO® State Standards Toolkit, an interactive system for integrating standards and instruction, and PLATO® Standards Record Keeping and Reporting, that ties evaluation to standards.
• 2001 – Released PLATO® Reading Strategies, completing the comprehensive reading solution from K–adult that also includes PLATO® Essential Reading Skills and PLATO® Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension.
• 2000 – Launched PLATO® Beginning Reading, a K–3 early reading product
• 2000 – Debuted PLATO® Web Learning Network, browser-based system for delivery of PLATO Learning’s instructional products, and PLATO® Simulated Test, a web-based assessment system.
• 1999 – Launched PLATO® Math Expeditions, a comprehensive K–8 Math product.
• 1999 – Launched PLATO® Educational Titles, CD-ROM versions of PLATO Learning courseware.
• 1998 – Released PLATO® Math Problem Solving, math courseware that integrates problem-solving skills and coaching.
• 1997 – Created first product for the Microsoft® Windows® operating system.
• 1996 – Launched access to PLATO® courseware on the Internet.