That s why we focus so much time and effort on the development of our digital curriculum.

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1 APEX LEARNING Overview Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives. William A. Foster, PFC, United States Marine Corps From its inception, Apex Learning has sought to increase access to high quality educational alternatives for all students through online learning. And from the start we recognized that a successful online learning experience depends on the quality of the curriculum and its ability to meet the unique needs of each student. That s why we focus so much time and effort on the development of our digital curriculum. When we develop a new online course, we assemble an experienced educational team including curriculum experts, instructional designers, subject matter experts, assessment specialists, and teachers to author an original course. To ensure that we re meeting the requirements of our users, the scope and sequence of each course is created based on national and state content standards. The result is a complete course of study a digital curriculum that comprises standards-based instructional content specifically developed for online delivery, with assessment opportunities integrated throughout, scaffolding to support learning for all students, and resources to support effective teaching. We invite you to learn more about Apex Learning digital curriculum. Multiple Course Pathways Apex Learning offers a comprehensive digital curriculum to meet high school graduation requirements in math, science, English, social studies, world languages, and selected electives. The curriculum is designed to support academic success for all students, from those not prepared for grade-level academic challenges to those capable of accelerating their learning. Because students come to high school at varying levels of readiness, Apex Learning has designed its digital curriculum with multiple course pathways, each designed to meet specific needs of students as they transition from middle school to high school and progress toward graduation. Foundations Courses Foundations courses meet the needs of both high school students and transitioning middle school students who are not prepared for grade-level academic challenges. Specifically developed for students ages 13 and older, Foundations courses provide structured remediation in math, reading, and writing. General Studies Courses The Apex Learning general studies curriculum features three course pathways to prepare all high school

2 graduates for college and work. The courses in these three pathways share a common scope and sequence and cover the same rigorous, standards-based content. Literacy Advantage Courses Literacy Advantage courses support academic success in standards-based high school courses for students who are reading below proficient. Literacy Advantage courses assist students in mastering required math, science, English, and social studies content to earn credits toward graduation, while simultaneously developing reading skills. Core Courses Core courses meet the needs of a range of students as they endeavor to master rigorous content and earn credits toward graduation. While Core courses assume readiness for grade-level academic challenges, they also include targeted scaffolding for students who benefit from additional learning support. Honors Courses Honors courses meet the needs of motivated students seeking to accelerate their learning and deepen conceptual understanding. With many opportunities to apply, extend, and synthesize knowledge, Honors courses are ideally suited to prepare students for the rigors of Advanced Placement* courses. Advanced Placement Courses Authorized by the College Board, Apex Learning AP* courses meet higher-education expectations of college-level courses and prepare students to demonstrate achievement through success on the AP exams. Courses target highly motivated students who are reading at grade level or above and who have a track record of success in high school coursework. Exam Prep Courses Additionally, Apex Learning Exam Prep courses help students to prepare for success on high-stakes exams. *Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board.

3 Interactive Multimedia Instructional Content Comprehensive, Standards-Based Scope and Sequence Each Apex Learning online course provides a complete scope and sequence based on national and state standards. The curriculum is organized into semesters, units, lessons, and activities. A typical semester includes 5 to 7 units, each with 3 to 6 lessons. A typical lesson comprises a number of activities including studies, practices, readings, journals, labs, discussions, projects, explorations, reviews, and embedded assessments. Semester courses include an average of 750 pages, 1,000 images, 250 multimedia tutorials, 250 interactive exercises, and dozens of vetted web links. Active Learning Experiences Apex Learning digital curriculum takes advantage of the power of technology to create active learning experiences that keep students attentive and engaged as they read, watch, listen, inquire, write, discuss, and manipulate. Multimedia tutorials provide students with opportunities to explore and understand new concepts, allowing each student to move at his or her own pace. Information is presented in chunks consistent with the way students read successfully on the web. Students are required to make decisions as they progress through the material. Prompts and interactive exercises give students frequent opportunities to check their understanding and apply what they learn. Purposeful Use of Technology Technology is used in purposeful ways to enhance the learning process. Images, audio, video, animation, and interactive elements integrated throughout the text provide multiple representations and address different learning styles. Interactive exercises provide handson opportunities for students to master difficult concepts. Scaffolding such as rollover vocabulary definitions and the ability to listen to instructional text read aloud provide important assistance to students who may otherwise be held back in their learning due to their literacy level. Extensive Instructional Management Capabilities The learning management system by which Apex Learning delivers its digital curriculum was built to meet the unique needs of secondary education. Extensive instructional management capabilities allow educators to tailor programs to meet specific

4 requirements. Teachers are able to customize instruction for an individual student or an entire class to make the most effective use of the digital curriculum. Keep Students on Track Course calendars help ensure students stay on track for successful completion of their courses. Due dates for each course activity are automatically generated based on a specified course start date and duration. The default calendar can be easily modified for a single student or an entire class. Course calendars can accommodate traditional semesters, trimesters, block schedules, and individualized pacing. Mastery-Based Learning ensures students are learning as they progress through a course. Student access is limited to the material leading up to and including the next computer-scored assessment. Students are required to score at or above the specified "mastery" level on each computer-scored assessment before the next section of content is released. Up to three attempts are permitted on each computer-scored assessment before it is locked and teacher intervention is required. Assessments are randomized to present a different version on each attempt. Ensure Academic Integrity The learning management system provides capabilities to ensure each student's work is his or her own. Student access to any scored activity can be proctored, requiring assessments to be unlocked by an authorized adult. Closed-book exams prevent students from going back to review course material once they have started a scored activity. Computer-scored assessments can be randomized, and real-time assessment feedback can be suppressed to minimize opportunities for cheating. The amount of time it takes a student to complete computer-scored assessments is recorded, and if a student completes an assessment in an unreasonably short period of time, it is flagged to indicate the possibility of cheating. Tailor Course Delivery Using the Outline Manager, teachers can control which content within a course is presented to students. Specific scored activities can be excluded from the calculation of a student's overall score for a course. Teachers have the ability to add scores for additional activities, override a score, and reset a computer-scored activity. Facilitate Distance Learning The learning management system includes features specifically designed to foster a successful distance-learning experience for students and teachers. Online discussion boards support collaborative assignments and discussions. A sophisticated homework management system allows students to submit digital and handwritten homework and provides for easy review, grading, and feedback by teachers. The Message Center

5 facilitates student-teacher communication without requiring students to have access to an account. In addition, on-site mentors have access to data that allows them to effectively monitor the progress of students enrolled in distance-learning courses.