Kaplan Test Prep Expands Beyond High-Stakes Exam Preparation Into Academic Help Programs
July 20 2017 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
Kaplan, the world leader in test prep, is branching beyond its
core business of preparing students for high-stakes exams,
expanding into academic support to help college students and high
school students who are taking college-level courses, such as AP®
courses, succeed in the areas they consider to be the most
challenging: science and math. The new services, which are
available online, including on mobile devices, offer students help
from Kaplan’s expert teachers right when and how they need it,
whether it’s working on challenging homework problems or preparing
for exams.
Kaplan’s expansion into the academic help space is a natural
move for the company, which has 50 years experience in preparing
students for the GMAT® and GRE®, which test students’ quantitative
skills, and the MCAT®, which has a major focus on basic
sciences.
This fall Kaplan will offer academic help in four subjects:
three science options—ChemHelp (General Chemistry), OrgoHelp
(Organic Chemistry), and PhysicsHelp—available to all students and
colleges and universities seeking to provide supplemental programs;
and AlgebraHelp, which is designed for colleges and universities to
use as a supplemental program in developmental courses.
The programs’ live, online “office hours” approach allows
students to get help from a Kaplan STEM teacher and learn from
their peers in real-time. This convenient format lets students
attend office hours from anywhere with an Internet connection.
Teachers will also be available outside of office hours via live
chat and email. Short instructional video clips and practice
questions allow students to get practice in areas where they are
most in need at any hour of the day.
Kaplan AlgebraHelp is an innovative new way for universities to
provide supplemental instructional support to help their
hardest-to-reach students succeed. The American Association of
Community Colleges recently bestowed AlgebraHelp with its AACC
Annual Convention Innovations Award, applauding its application of
live online and tutoring expertise that Kaplan has developed into
the critical area of developmental math.
“AlgebraHelp was created with the idea of helping algebra
students, some of whom have not taken a math class in several
years, improve their skills. Helping first year college students
succeed here may increase universities’ freshman retention rates,
an important indicator of a school’s academic success and a metric
that factors into a school’s rankings,” said Brandon Jones, vice
president, Kaplan Test Prep. “We have a team of dozens of
experienced academics and learning scientists working on these
courses to ensure maximum results for our students and partner
schools. We’re excited to complement the work of college faculty by
providing live help to students as they work through problem sets
and prepare for exams. Our math, chemistry, and physics experts can
help students in real-time during out-of-class hours. In addition,
targeted video clips and practice questions help students hone in
on their weak areas.”
In a Kaplan survey which asked over 200 undergraduate college
students which courses they found to be the most challenging*, Math
and Chemistry received the most responses, with 28 percent and 23
percent, respectively. Biology came in at 14 percent; Physics at 12
percent; Humanities at 10 percent; Social Sciences at 8 percent;
and “others” at 5 percent.
“Grades in science and math courses, often taken early in
college, can have long-term implications for students who want to
attend medical school or want a career in health sciences.
Performing poorly in these areas, especially in the first or second
year, can hurt students’ cumulative GPAs, set them behind, and even
discourage them from their chosen career paths — and with the
United States suffering from a major doctor shortage, we cannot
afford that,” added Jones.
According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, employment in STEM fields grew by 10.5 percent, or
817,260 jobs, between 2009 and May, compared to just 5.2 percent
net growth in non-STEM areas. The same report finds that national
average salary for all STEM occupations was $87,570, nearly double
the national average salary for non-STEM occupations, at
$45,700.
For more information about Kaplan’s new offerings in the
academic support space, contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or
russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.
*Kaplan surveyed 209 undergraduate students via email in April
2016.
All test names are registered trademarks of their respective
owners. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with
Kaplan.
About Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of
educational and career services for individuals, schools and
businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the
test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings
as well as a complete array of print books and digital products,
Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests,
including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate
school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys,
physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and
graduate admissions consulting services.
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings
Company (NYSE:GHC)
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170720005177/en/
Kaplan Test PrepRussell Schaffer,
212-453-7538russell.schaffer@kaplan.comTwitter: @KapTestNews
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