Kaplan Announces Kaplan Ventures
Investing in Apex Online, Apollo International, Blackboard and JobScience

New York, February 9, 2000 -- Kaplan, Inc. has launched Kaplan Ventures, a new unit that will make strategic investments in education and career services companies. Robert Greenberg, Kaplan executive vice president, has been named president of Kaplan Ventures.

In addition, Kaplan Ventures has announced investments in the following companies:

Apex Learning Inc., a leading online education company founded by Paul Allen, which provides Advanced Placement and Teacher Development courses on the Internet.
Apollo International, Inc., founded as a separate company by Apollo Group executives and other investors, works with Apollo Group, Inc. to take its educational products and services worldwide. Apollo Group is a leading provider of higher education for working adults through its subsidiaries, including the University of Phoenix.
Blackboard Inc., a leading online education company in higher ed and K-12, provides one of the world's most popular platforms for teaching and learning via the Internet. It is used in over 1,600 institutions in over 70 countries.
Jobscience, Inc., a company building the dominant e-Health employment center. Currently the company is providing thousands of job opportunities in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and drug discovery. The investment was made by BrassRing Inc., of which Kaplan presently owns 54%.
According to Mr. Greenberg, Kaplan Ventures will take minority interests in companies with high quality products and services, superior management and strong potential for growth. By involving executives from its various business units, Kaplan will leverage its resources, relationships and expertise to help accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies.

"The goal will be to invest in companies that offer strategic opportunities for Kaplan businesses as well as strong financial returns," said Mr. Greenberg. "These companies clearly match this profile. The synergistic nature of our businesses means that our relationships will be mutually beneficial on many fronts."

In 1997 Kaplan was the lead investor in Academic Systems, a leading provider of networked-based multimedia instructional materials for higher education; and is also an investor in Walden Media and Information Technology Fund.

APEX Learning is dedicated to using the Internet to expand access to learning opportunities. Founded in Seattle as a research project by Paul Allen, the company combines the interactivity and accessibility of the Internet with the experience of master teachers and content specialists to produce award-winning educational solutions. APEX's current programming includes Advanced Placement online courses in five subject areas, AP Exam review products and professional development courses for teachers.

Apollo International will open accredited University of Phoenix campuses around the world, beginning in Europe. The University of Phoenix has provided degree and certificate programs to more than 485,000 working professionals in the U.S., the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, British Columbia and, through its distance education Online Campus, to over 30 foreign countries.

Blackboard's software powers the online teaching and learning environments at more than 1,600 prestigious colleges, universities, K-12 schools and other organizations in every state and in more than 70 countries. The Blackboard CourseInfo product line, created for the Web, provides an easy-to use, flexible system for creating online courses and full campuses with education communities, course materials, collaboration and assessment tools for faculty and students. Kaplan will integrate Blackboard's platform into its test prep courses at www.kaptest.com, and is evaluating its use in other online programs.

JobScience.com is an online forum for healthcare employers and job seekers that provides an employment exchange in every segment of healthcare. The company currently hosts thousands of positions in nursing, allied health, and drug discovery. The company is building a community that will include 250,000 registered users within the next 18 months. The company hosts employment opportunities from industry leaders in healthcare services, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.

For more information about Kaplan Ventures, contact Robert Greenberg at 212-492-5862 or rgreenberg@kaplan.com

About Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc. (kaplan.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Its divisions include Test Preparation and Admissions; SCORE! Learning Corporation, offering after-school programs for kids and resources for parents and kids through eSCORE.com (www.escore.com); Kaplan Professional educational programs for adults; and KaplanCollege.com, a distance learning division which includes Concord University School of Law. Kaplan is the majority shareholder in BrassRing Inc. (BrassRing.com), which combines recruiting, career development and hiring management services for employers and employees. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company.

Press Contact: pubrel@kaplan.com, (212) 492-5965

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