Kaplan Acquires Online High School and Sister Company, Virtual Sage

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kaplan Inc., a global education leader, today announced the acquisition of Sagemont Virtual, which has been doing business as the University of Miami Online High School (UMOHS), and Virtual Sage, a developer of online high school courses. Sagemont Virtual is a leader in the growing field of online high school instruction. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Sagemont Virtual, based in South Florida, has been offering students an opportunity to earn their high school diplomas online since 2001. The school is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA). It offers both online high school diplomas for full-time students and individual high school courses for part-time students through a college prep program, an independent study version of the college prep program, and a high school completion program.

Virtual Sage has developed approximately 200 online high school courses designed to meet state and national education standards; these courses are used by online high school programs around the country. The firm is now also developing college-level courses to supplement its online high school courses.

Sagemont Virtual and Virtual Sage were founded by Dr. Richard Goldman, who served as dean of the Graduate School of Education at Nova Southeastern University for 20 years. Dr. Goldman will continue to be a consultant. The management team of Sagemont Virtual and Virtual Sage will remain in place under Kaplan’s ownership. Both businesses will be managed by Kaplan Higher Education.

Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO), is a leading international provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses.

About Kaplan Higher Education

Kaplan, Inc.’s Higher Education Division includes Kaplan University, Concord Law School and more than 70 campus-based locations in 21 states, serving approximately 68,000 students. Kaplan University (www.kaplanuniversitynews.com), which has been offering online courses since 2001 and has more than 26,000 students, is based in Davenport, IA, and is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Kaplan Higher Education offers master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees, as well as certificates designed to provide students with the skills necessary to qualify them for employment in fields such as business, criminal justice, education, fashion and design, health care, information technology, legal and paralegal studies.