Dive Brief:

• Earlier this summer, Amplify's online AP computer science package was sold and rebranded Edhesive, according to a press release from the company.
• The MOOC was launched in 2013 and expanded in 2014, offering a combination of online instruction and in-person coaching.
• It was administered to roughly 2,000 high schoolers this year and had lower attrition than most similar online courses.

Dive Insight:

Amplify is in the midst of an upheaval, thanks to an ill-fated investment in proprietary tablets for schools and the restructuring in its parent company, News Corp. According to Edhesive executives, the shifts Amplify is undergoing, which could include being sold off, restricted the otherwise successful MOOC.

"Amplify realized how much potential this uniquely structured course had, but couldn't give it the room to grow in the midst of other changes," said Emily Grad, CEO of Edhesive, in a press release. "Given the results we saw in our pilot year, it was clear that this was a valuable educational resource worth pursuing on a larger scale."

The course is intended to help districts fill the current need for computer science instruction without having to invest in instructors. Preliminary results suggest that, on average, students who took the AP exam during the MOOC's pilot year scored a 3 — high enough to qualify for college credit.