Dive Brief:
- Kaplan, Inc. Chairman and CEO Andrew Rosen received the Education Industry Association's 2014 "Friend of the Education Industry" Award at the organization's Education Industry Days Summit Thursday.
- During his 22 years in various roles with the company, he was involved in developing Kaplan University, creating new blended learning opportunities online and in the classroom, and founding the nation's first fully online law school, Concord Law School.
- The award is the highest and most prestigious given by the organization and previous recipients include Johns Hopkins School of Education Dean David Andrews, Center for Education Reform Founder and President Jeanne Allen, and former U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings.
Dive Insight:
The EIA is a trade organization representing private companies in the education industries that provide services, supplies, and more. Rosen's receipt of its most prestigious award is a validation of Kaplan's educational and career services, which include test preparation and other programs ranging from K-12 to higher ed. The award itself recognizes that an individual or organization has promoted education reform by demonstrating vision, entrepreneurship, quality, and a spirit of public-private partnership.
The company is possibly known to most for its test prep materials, which help students prepare for the ACT, SAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, and other exams. It's worth noting that Kaplan University is among for-profit schools that have fallen under federal scrutiny for high student loan default rates and that Concord Law School isn't currently accredited by the American Bar Association (its current standards don't allow a distance ed program to be approved). More on Rosen's vision for higher education reform in particular can be found in his book, Change.edu: Rebooting for the New Talent Economy.
