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PLATO Announces Virtual Academy

PLATO Learning announced PLATO Virtual Academy at ISTE 2012 in San Diego this week.

PLATO Virtual Academy is a standards-based online program for students in grades 7 through 12. The company partners with school districts to provide virtual school solutions to help advance student achievement.

The academy is accredited through the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) as a distance education school. Students who complete courses through the academy will receive credit that can optionally be transferred back to their school district and placed on their transcript.

“Our goal is to help schools and districts to improve student achievement,” said Jamie Candee, vice president of product and marketing for PLATO Learning, in a prepared statement.. “We are here to partner--not compete--with educators to meet the needs of 21st century learners.”

PLATO Virtual Academy's online courses are delivered by certified teachers. The courses follow Common Core, state, and national standards, as well as iNACOL National Standards for Quality in Online Programs.

The academy will begin operating for summer school this year, offering more than 50 virtual courses over a range of subject areas. Beginning in the fall, the PLATO Virtual Academy will also offer its Global Languages curriculum in partnership with Middlebury Interactive Languages, including courses in Spanish, French, Latin, Chinese, and German. Advanced Placement courses will be available for Spanish and French.

Also announced at ISTE, PLATO Learning has partnered with eDynamic Learning to offer online electives courses in psychology, sociology, forensic science, music appreciation, and photography for students in grades 9 through 12. The Secondary Electives Library will become available in April.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

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