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WHITE HAT MANAGEMENT LLC EXPANDS PARTNERSHIP WITH PLATO LEARNING TO REACH AT-RISK YOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS - September 7, 2004 - PLATO Learning, Inc. (NASDAQ:TUTR), a leading provider of K-adult computer-based and e-learning solutions, announced it was awarded a $695,000 agreement in their third fiscal quarter to enhance current offerings for the 12,000 students served at White Hat Management's 23 Life Skills Centers across the states of Ohio, Arizona, Michigan, and Colorado.
The Life Skills Centers are alternative high schools designed to help high school dropouts or at-risk students, ages 16-22, earn a high school degree and valuable on-the-job experience. The Centers feature a proprietary curriculum that combines academics, life skills preparation, and workplace training. PLATO Learning computer-based instruction serves as the core of the curriculum with state-certified teachers acting as facilitators to help students learn at their own pace.
"Our Life Skills Centers have graduated 4,700 students with diplomas that are recognized by employers, universities, and the Armed Forces, enabling our graduates to pursue successful employment, academic, or military careers. PLATO Learning has played an integral part in ensuring that success for our students with the rigor of their curriculum, helping students build competency in core subjects and facilitate dropout prevention and remediation," said Mark Thimmig, CEO and president, White Hat Ventures. "This most recent agreement will complement and sustain the growth in our Life Skills Centers, where PLATO Learning software has already served students at all levels of academic proficiency--guiding them to achieve their full potential and reach grade level mastery."
The White Hat Management group is also working on developing mathematics and reading tutoring services in a distance learning capacity, using PLATO K-12 Learning Technologies as the basis for the tutoring instruction.
"PLATO Learning and White Hat Management Group have successfully partnered to give at-risk students a second chance at earning their diploma since 2001. We are proud that the faculties at the Life Skills Centers continue to choose PLATO Learning as the core provider of their computer-based academic curriculum. Together, we are able to make a significant difference in the academic success and career opportunities for many at-risk youth," said John Murray, PLATO Learning Chairman, President, and CEO.
This agreement between PLATO Learning and White Hat Management provides the Life Skills Centers with access to PLATO Learning's comprehensive middle school and high school curricula, including the company's newest products--PLATO(R) Advanced Writing Process and Practice, PLATO(R) Life Science, CyberEd Dissection Series, Model ChemLab Pro, and Worldview(R) Social Studies.
About White Hat Management
White Hat Management is Ohio's largest full-service education service
provider and the 4th largest education management service provider in
the country. White Hat Management, LLC is a complete Education
Management Organization offering a full complement of education
management and school operation services including general operations
management, human resources, financial reporting, student data reporting
to state education authorities, and many others. Their deep education
management background allows them to provide all the services a charter
school might need, or consult on an "asneeded" basis.
White Hat Management currently operates four unique school options: HOPE Academies for traditional elementary services; HOPE Academy High School, a high-tech high school; Life Skills Centers, alternative high schools for dropout and at-risk students; and OHDELA, an educational resource provider to home schools.
White Hat Ventures serves as the parent company for the White Hat Education companies.
About PLATO Learning
PLATO Learning, Inc. is a leading provider of computer-based and
e-learning instruction for kindergarten through adult learners, offering
award-winning curricula in reading, writing, mathematics, science,
social studies, and life and job skills. The company also offers
innovative online assessment and accountability solutions and
standards-based professional development services. With over 6,000 hours
of objectivebased, problem-solving courseware, plus assessment,
alignment, and curriculum management tools, we create standards-based
curricula that facilitate learning and school improvement.
With trailing 12-month revenues of approximately $126 million, PLATO Learning, Inc. is a publicly held company traded as TUTR on the NASDAQ. PLATO Learning educational software is marketed to K-12 schools, colleges, job training programs, correctional institutions, military education programs, corporations, and individuals and is delivered via networks, CD-ROM, the Internet, and private intranets.
PLATO Learning is headquartered at 10801 Nesbitt Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota 55437, 952.832.1000 or 800.869.2000. The Company has offices throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, as well as international distributors located in Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. For more information, please visit www.plato.com.
This announcement includes forward-looking statements. PLATO Learning has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations and projections about future events. Although PLATO Learning believes that its assumptions made in connection with the forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurances can be given that its assumptions and expectations will prove to have been correct. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions. PLATO Learning undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Any forward looking statements made are subject to the risks and uncertainties as those described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2003. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.
PLATO(R) is a registered trademark of PLATO Learning, Inc. PLATO Learning is a trademark of PLATO Learning, Inc.