PLATO Learning Expands PLATO® Courses Product Line

PLATO Learning is pleased to announce the expansion of the PLATO® Courses product line for middle and high school students, and course management and reporting options for administrators and teachers.

PLATO Courses provide a rigorous, whole-course solution for granting credit in an online learning environment. These self-paced, semester-long courses (60—75 hours of instruction) allow students to rapidly complete courses, recover credits, accrue credits, and graduate. Aligned to national standards with state standards coverage reports, PLATO Courses provide engaging instruction that matches the rigor of traditional classroom instruction. They are designed to help schools provide credit recovery instruction, alternatives for students not succeeding in traditional classrooms, accelerated and advanced placement programs, distance learning programs, and home-bound and home-school curricula.

The inaugural release of PLATO Courses in January 2006 included two semester-length courses in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, English 9, English 10, Biology, Physical Science, Geography, and American History 1. This latest release has expanded the product line to 29 courses including new courses in English 7, English 8A, Life Science, Chemistry, U.S. Government A, Basic American History 1, Basic American History 2A, and American History 2. PLATO Courses are in a modular learning format, with multiple assessments that support flexible, self-paced learning. PLATO Courses come with Teacher Support Materials, Course editing and customization capabilities, and multiple reporting options.

Mike Morache, PLATO Learning President and CEO, said "Our courses provide a comprehensive core curriculum that allow schools to reach both middle and high school learners. We are rapidly expanding our courses line-up, and more are on the way for the 2006—07 school year."

PLATO Courses are available on the new PLATO Learning Environment™ (PLE™). The PLATO Learning Environment, licensed on a subscription basis via an Internet application service provider (ASP), integrates key aspects of the educational process—managing and delivering online courses and instructional content, assessing student progress, and reporting and analyzing data.

Districts, schools, and teachers can use PLATO Courses as an "out-of-the-box" solution, or when delivered via PLE, they can customize and supplement the Courses to their local program's needs. This includes re-sequencing the units, modules, and instructional activities within the Course to match district curriculum sequences; deleting items from the sequence; and adding activities and instructional resources from other licensed PLATO® content titles and local resources.

"PLATO Courses powered by PLE provide educators with rigorous, online instructional content coupled with state-of-the-art technology," said Morache. "Through Internet delivery, our clients can easily offer PLATO Courses to an even greater number of students, through distance learning, credit recovery programs, home school, community centers, and other learning environments outside of the traditional classroom."