Pearson to Support New Statewide K-12 Online Public School in Missouri

Enrollment underway at Missouri Connections Academy; new and expanded district partnerships increase access to quality online learning

News provided by

Pearson

Jun 30, 2020, 08:00 ET

COLUMBIA, Md., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearson, which delivers Connections Academy, the full-time online school program for grades K-12 and a new collection of K-12 online learning solutions for school districts, has announced today new partnerships that will expand access to quality K-12 online learning in the US.

"Schools and families are looking for quality online learning amid uncertainty around when and how schools will re-open in the fall. We're also seeing students who thrived online and who want a more permanent online education. In Missouri, an online public school is a great option for K-12 students who want to go to school online, all-the-time. We look forward to supporting Missouri Connections Academy and sharing our online school program with families across the state," said Tom ap Simon, managing director for Pearson's Online & Blended Learning division.

The new Missouri Connections Academy is a full-time online public school serving students statewide in grades K-12. Missouri Connections Academy is based in Springfield, MO and authorized by the Ozark School District. Missouri Connections Academy joins another new Connections Academy announced in 2020; Washington Connections Academy at Goldendale is a K-12 online public school in the state of Washington that launched in January. As public schools, both Connections Academy schools are tuition free. As of June 2020, 42 Connections Academy schools in 29 states will operate in the 2020-21 school year. In the 2019-20 school year, Connections Academy schools served over 75,000 K-12 students with full-time online school.

For students who reside in states without online public school options, or those who prefer private school, Pearson's online private school, Pearson Online Academy is currently enrolling students.

New and expanded school and district partnerships will be supported by Pearson's recently announced collection of online learning solutions -- which have quickly garnered interest and partnerships in states like Colorado, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

A new Parent Pulse Report revealed that 88% of parents believe online learning will become a long- lasting requirement for their child and 91% believe schools need to be better prepared to switch to virtual learning programs. In addition, 83% now support using virtual learning for smaller scale school disruptions.

Pearson's Connections Academy online school program and online learning solutions have been built from the ground up for the online environment; over a million students across the US have received all or part of their K-12 education from a Connections Academy school.

For more information on district programs, please email [email protected] or visit go.pearson.com/OnlineLearningEfficacy

For families, visit https://www.connectionsacademy.com or https://www.pearsononlineacademy.com

For Media Inquiries:

Allison Bazin, [email protected], (609) 247-0275

About Pearson

We are the world's learning company with more than 22,500 employees operating in 70 countries. We provide content, assessment and digital services to learners, educational institutions, employers, governments and other partners globally. We are committed to helping equip learners with the skills they need to enhance their employability prospects and to succeed in the changing world of work. We believe that wherever learning flourishes so do people. Visit www.Pearson.com for more.

SOURCE Pearson