POSITION OVERVIEW

Working from the company’s headquarters in Hunt Valley MD, just north of Baltimore, and reporting to the CEO, the Chief Learning Officer will lead the development and production of K-12 online curriculum, including core, elective, and enrichment courses, and will direct academic efficacy testing, analysis, reporting, improvement, teacher training, and sales support for these courses.  An important aspect of this role is its inclusion of the company’s special education curriculum.

THE COMPANY

Calvert Education Services began providing courses for home study in 1906 and has long had a reputation for high-quality curriculum development and support. In addition to its core home schooling products serving the pre-K through 8th grade market, CES offers distance learning programs to public, private and international schools. Through its joint venture with the Jemicy School, CES offers Verticy Learning, a complete curriculum for students who may have language based learning difficulties such as dyslexia, or who struggle to read for a variety of other reasons.

Calvert educates students in all 50 states and in over 60 countries, using a time-tested, accredited curriculum aligned to national standards and correlated to state standards. A pioneer in distance learning – in the late 1800s a student in Africa explained her lessons were late because the roaring of lions had distracted her – Calvert Education continually updates, refines, expands, and improves its curriculum based on the latest research and results.

The Calvert Curriculum provides—

•  A balance of subject matter that includes cultural literacy
•  Integration and application across content areas
•  Content mastery with balance of new and review
•  Strong foundation of basic skills and application of higher-order thinking
•  Oral and written expression
•  Clear expectations for highest quality
•  Development of character, curiosity and commitment
•  Specialized curriculum for students with dyslexia or other LLDs

A key strategic emphasis at Calvert is on providing everything a district school needs to run its own virtual school within a school (except for teachers and special education services).

Programs

→  The Calvert Homeschool Curriculum is the fundamental platform that supports homeschooling and serves as the educational foundation of Calvert Education. For over one hundred years, Calvert has helped families guide their children toward excellence and achievement through an integrated, classical homeschool curriculum developed by the company’s expert Curriculum staff and proven in class use.

The Calvert Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade homeschool curriculum is built on a rich foundation of reading, writing, and arithmetic. That foundation is then layered with history, science, music, geography, and the arts to ensure no gaps in instruction.

Homeschool Curriculum Development Specialists, all former classroom teachers, work on behalf of parents to find the finest curriculum material for children. They research textbook offerings from major educational publishers to find material that is most effective for homeschooling parents. If they do not find material that meets the company’s high standards, they develop their own.

Each course combines the best classroom-tested materials, teacher-created Lesson Manuals, and proven educational methodologies all in one complete, meticulously planned curriculum that guides users through each day of homeschooling with easy-to-use lesson plans.

→  The Calvert Virtual Academy (CVA), a dynamic program for Sixth through Eighth Grades, uses the latest instructional tools to provide an online environment that prepares students for high school. This program offers flexibility and many tiers of instructional support. The child can work at his or her own pace accommodating both the family’s schedule and the child’s learning style.

Students’ academic success is achieved through unparalleled support and a diversity of online resources. In the Calvert Virtual Academy, children receive the dedicated support and oversight of the Homeroom Teacher and Online Instructors, who each remain with the child all year long. They assist parents and students by reviewing checkpoints, assessment grades, and overall pacing.

→  For children who are dyslexic or who struggle with reading, writing or spelling, Verticy Learning is the solution. Verticy offers a comprehensive academic program in the home or classroom designed for struggling readers.

Verticy has two educational options: The first is a complete homeschool curriculum that includes all subjects. Don’t need a full curriculum? Verticy also offers intervention programs (supplemental curriculum) for reading, writing or math. Verticy improves academic confidence in children and rekindles a love of learning.

Calvert’s curriculum is based on both national and state’s standards, to better align with in-school programs.

Calvert Education Services is accredited by the Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary School.

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POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, this Managing Director will run day to day operations of the College Measures JV. He or she will work closely with founder Mark Schneider to provide overall strategic direction for the company, including creating and implementing a business plan for exploiting various markets for the company’s premier research, data management, and consulting services, including government, institutional, and consumer markets.

Important considerations—

•  This Managing Director will report to the board comprising AIR and Matrix representatives. He or she will be working closely with Mark Schneider, the founder and President of the joint venture. Mark splits his time between his position at College Measures and his retained position as Senior Vice President at AIR. In addition to his vision and ideas for the future direction of the College Measures product suite, Mark has extensive connections to states and other public markets. The working relationship between Mark and the MD will be a critical factor in this appointment, and the board of College Measures is looking for the MD to complement and enhance the strengths of Mark by assuming day to day leadership of the business.
•  The position requires an entrepreneur—someone who is not looking to others for guidance but can build a business plan that takes College Measures from $1M to $20M and more. This is a prototypic builder/leader role.
Growth of the company will depend on leveraging the data that College Measures has generated or collated about public colleges. This is a Bloomberg/Zillow model—they are not in the business of generating data but in curating and displaying it for a variety of audiences, including states and agencies, vendors to colleges and universities, the colleges and universities themselves, and consumers (parents and students). The investor also sees a substantial revenue stream in providing wider advisory services to the higher education market, based on the company’s data and software platform.
•  Most likely, the individual hired will know the higher education market well. This might or might not come from having worked for a research and/or consulting firm. Brilliant thinking outweighs specific industry knowledge.
AIR brings research expertise; Matrix Knowledge brings its software platform and consulting expertise to the JV.
•  THERE ARE NO STAFF AT PRESENT – all support is provided by either Matrix or AIR. How quickly the company grows depends on how successful Mark and the MD are at (1) adding additional states to their list of customers and (2) leveraging these relationships and research data to sell to new markets.
•  The position can be based anywhere on the East Cast or in Chicago. The MD will need to be in DC for a few days weekly, however, for some period of time.
Compensation will be heavily weighted equity and bonus. This is not a salary-heavy role. Candidates who for very real reasons are not in a position to trade salary for equity and (attractive) bonus will probably not be satisfied.

ABOUT COLLEGE MEASURES

College Measures is a for-profit joint venture between the American Institutes for Research, one of the pre-eminent educational research organizations in the U.S., and TMKG Ltd (“Matrix”) a private equity-backed, U.K. based global software and advisory business focused on the health, education and justice sectors. This joint venture was created out of a pressing need to informing basis of the enormous human and financial capital investments made in higher education in the United States. At the core of the founding vision is the belief that important underlying data is underexposed and underutilized by students, parents, policymakers, and even by institutions themselves.

The founder and visionary behind the business is Mark Schneider, former U.S. Commissioner of Education Statistics in the US Department of Education.

JV Rationale

Troubling Outcomes

Far too many students enroll in college but never complete their education. On average, less than 60% of students seeking four-year bachelor degrees graduate within six years. Graduation rates for black and Hispanic students are far lower. Among students seeking associate degrees at community colleges, less than one-fourth earn these degrees within three years – with only about 14% of black students and 18% of Hispanic students doing so.

The human side of this failure is significant. The student who drops out after a year or two of college will benefit only slightly – at least economically – from having attended college but not having earned a degree. They will earn, on average, only 5% to 10% more than peers who never attended college. Many of these students will take on thousands of dollars of student loan debt which will be a significant financial burden for years to come. In addition to these personal costs, taxpayers spend billions of dollars each year subsidizing the education of students who fail to graduate and who, too often, don’t even make it through their first year of college.

Performance Measurement and Management

Stakeholders in the US higher education system – from students to administrators to legislators to employers – need to be able to accurately measure performance, understand what that performance means to them, and act upon the information presented. However, measuring and managing performance for colleges is not straight-forward. Important questions have to be addressed. What are the appropriate measures of performance? What data exist to support those measures? For any particular college, what are appropriate performance targets? Who should be held accountable for achieving those targets, by whom, and how?

Out of the Warehouse, into the Storefront

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent creating data warehouses that contain the information needed to assess the performance of our higher education system. These warehouses exist at the school, state and national levels, and hold a powerful amount of information that needs to be presented in ways that are compelling to users. The goal of College Measures is to move the information out of these data warehouses and into “data storefronts” in which performance metrics will be placed into the public square, allowing students, their families, and policy makers to get much better measures of the rate of return on their investment in higher education programs and institutions.

Company Mission

The mission of College Measures is to inform and improve the decision making process for students, parents, and policy makers. This is being achieved through the sale of software products and consultancy services that link together the economic benefits (including actual and projected earnings) and costs of higher education down to the major field and college level. College Measures provides stakeholders with tools they can use to analyze the performance of their college or system, and serves as the basis for productive discussions about outcomes relative to the dollars being spent to achieve those outcomes.

The business has achieved significant early traction and has rolled out its Economic Success Metrics Tool in a number of states, including Tennessee, Virginia and Arkansas. This tool will be rolled out in Texas, Colorado and Nevada in the new year. This tool, which for the first time makes available, in a usable form, detailed earnings data at the major field of study and campus level has created significant interest across the US and a number of significant sell-on and partnership opportunities. There is also a pipeline of future products include a Return on Investment calculator.

The business model of the company is evolving but at its heart is built around leveraging software and substantive expertise within the field of educational earnings and performance data. To date the business has been managed by staff on secondment from its two shareholders, both of which also provide significant logistical support. With the fundamentals of the business model now largely proven the board has decided to appoint a managing director to take ownership of day-to-day management of the business. This is a very hands-on business development led role. A significant proportion of the ultimate remuneration, which will include equity participation, will be results driven. It must be stressed that College Measures is an early stage business and the successful candidate must be comfortable with, and motivated by, such an environment.

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POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting to the CEO, the new CFO will be responsible for managing all finance, accounting and reporting functions for this industry leader in training for the aviation industry.

He or she will (1) work closely with the CEO and others to gather and leverage financial and other data to make critical decisions around programs, enrollment, expansion,  financial aid, technology,  partnerships, and other aspects of the school’s operations; (2) provide leadership and coordination of all company financial practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes, and audit functions; (3) assure compliance with all regulatory agencies, including working with outside auditors in preparation of annual financial and compliance audits; and (4) work with the VP of Administration and head of Financial Aid to oversee financial aid programs and all associated transfers of funds between the company and the federal government’s Title IV and other programs.

THE COMPANY

Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology is a for-profit postsecondary education institution that provides certificates, associate degrees and bachelor degrees in Aviation Maintenance Technology (“AMT”), Avionics, Professional Pilot Training and Quality Control / Non-destructive Testing (“QC” and “NDT”).  The Company also has contracts in place with the United States Air Force and private companies to provide aviation technician and pilot training.  Spartan is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma where its campus footprint spans 247,000 square feet of physical space.

Spartan is accredited by Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (“ACCSC”) and is eligible for Title IV funding. The Company was founded in 1929, has graduated 90,000 aviation technicians and pilots, is the oldest school of its kind in the country and is one of the best recognized brands in the sector known for its quality of instruction and positive outcomes for its students.

The mission of Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology is to provide a supportive educational environment for students to actively participate in learning and to provide quality career-oriented higher education programs to a diverse student population.

Key differentiated aspects of the institution include:

• Strong Student Value Proposition: Best in class student outcomes
• Academic Rigor: Employer recognized unique, rigorous and hands-on programs.
• Unique Non-Destructive Testing Program: Despite rapid growth of the NDT industry, Spartan is the largest and one of the only postsecondary institutions offering training for non-destructive technicians
• Outstanding Regulatory Compliance: Spartan has maintained strong regulatory compliance historically and is well positioned in light of recent changes in regulation
• Strong Brand and Large Alumni Base: Longest running aviation program in the U.S. with over 90,000 alumni

Spartan provides hands-on training in aviation maintenance, avionics, nondestructive testing and quality control. Students can graduate from Spartan’s programs in anywhere from 12 to 23 months with high-demand skills. They also gain the professional training and credentials necessary to work in some of the most exciting industries and in many parts of the world.

History

More than 80 years ago, Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology began as a place for individuals to learn how to take their passion for aviation and turn it into a career they loved. Founder W.G. Skelly was convinced that air transportation would come of age and bring with it a need for skilled aircraft technicians and pilots. He was right, and as a result, the Spartan aviation school, with its learn-by-doing teaching philosophy, quickly became a leader in aviation education, standing out from other aviation schools and programs.

The school motto, “Knowledge and Skill Overcome Superstition and Luck,” is exemplified by the Spartan Black Cat and the number 13. This insignia dates back to 1929 and the beginning of the Dawn Patrol. The Dawn Patrol name came about as a result of Spartan flight schedules that began at the crack of dawn. It was during these early morning flights that members of the aviation programs performed precision formation flying. Students knew that relying on superstition and luck was not an option and that the skill and knowledge gained at Spartan was paramount to their success.

Not only do Spartan College of Aeronautics graduates have the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a career in their chosen field of study, they have a respected worldwide reputation, a rich history that has helped shape the field of aviation and the success of thousands of its aviation school alumni who came before them. As the torch is passed on, it is the alumni of the school’s aeronautical school who can continue to influence the aviation industry and aviation colleges and help contribute to the success of Spartan’s future graduates. There is only one Spartan and its history truly lives on in the success of its alumni.

Programs

Spartan offers programs at its Tulsa campus in the following areas—

• Aviation Maintenance
• Avionics Technology
• Nondestructive Testing / Quality Control
• Aviation Management Technology
• Pilot Training
• Continuing Education

Spartan also offers select Associate Degree courses on-line.

Completion and Placement Rates

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Position Overview

Reporting to the COO, the new CFO will be responsible for managing all finance, accounting and reporting functions for this multi-campus school. He or she will (1) provide leadership and coordination of all company financial practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes and audit functions; (2) oversee all company accounting practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes and audit functions for the school’s five campuses; (3) assure compliance with all regulatory agencies, including working with outside auditors in preparation of annual financial and compliance audits; and (4) oversee financial aid programs and all associated transfers of funds between the company and the federal government’s Title IV and VA programs as well as the California CalGrant program.

About the Company

Founded in 1985, Platt College is an accredited, post-secondary school with locations in Alhambra, Riverside, and Ontario, CA. The school focuses on allied health, media and graphic arts, and paralegal studies. The school offers eight different course programs, including degree, diploma, certificate and bachelors programs.

In addition, the two campuses of Anderson Medical Career College provide quality training in the fields of nursing and allied health.

Platt College is accredited by Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), recognized by the US Department of Education to accredit institutions of higher education across the United States. The primary purpose of ACCSC and other accrediting agencies is to establish and maintain high educational standards and ethical business practices among its accredited institutions.

In August 2008, Caltius Equity Partners sponsored the acquisition of Platt College, Los Angeles, Inc. Caltius partnered with Anova Capital Management, LLC to finance the acquisition and support the company’s immediate and long-term growth initiatives. Anova was founded by two senior operating executives, Akeem Ayeni and Abraham Wu, both of whom joined Platt’s executive management team at closing and remain with the college.

About the Investors

Based in Los Angeles, Caltius Equity Partners has been making control and substantial minority equity investments in amounts ranging from $5 million to $20 million since 1999.

Anova Capital Management, LLC combines private equity investing with active engagement in the strategy and operations of its portfolio companies. Also LA based, Anova specializes in working with small and medium sized companies who desire an “on-the-ground” partner to jointly explore and realize value creation opportunities.

The Position

Reporting to the COO and working with the CEO and company’s investors, the new CFO will drive all financial management decisions for Platt College as it achieves healthy growth.

Specific responsibilities and expectations include the following:

•  Oversee all company accounting practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes and audit functions for all campus locations.
•  Assure compliance with all regulatory agencies, including working with outside auditors in preparation of annual financial and compliance audits.
•  Oversee financial aid programs and all associated transfers of funds between the company and the federal government’s Title IV and VA programs as well as the California CalGrant program.
•  Assist with financial strategy, planning and forecasting.
•  Synthesize and generate financial reporting for outside accounting firm(s), ownership, CEO, COO and department heads.
•  Prepare financial analysis for contract negotiations and corporate investment decisions. Manage procurement process for meaningful equipment acquisition or major contracts.
•  Assist in refining and/or establishing policies, procedures, internal controls, and analytical processes to ensure timely and efficient execution of finance, accounting and financial aid related objectives.
•  Refine and execute expense monitoring and control procedures.
•  Supervise a Controller and other junior accounting staff members.

The Career Opportunity

To an experienced CFO with relevant Title IV experience, this opportunity offers several attractive features:

•  The opportunity to join a small executive team and have “a seat at the table” as the college and investors chart its future
•  The opportunity to work with the current investors in evaluating growth options, including acquisitions
•  The opportunity to be the principal financial decision maker in a company capable of growing to $60MM or more within 3-5 years
•  The opportunity to attain significant equity in the company
•  The opportunity to work in an attractive LA location

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is working as Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of Finance for an accredited for-profit college that enrolls students eligible for federal financial aid funds under Title IV legislation. He or she has worked with Campus Presidents to oversee all company accounting practices, including accounting, budgeting, financial reports, taxes and audit functions for these campus locations. S/he has also helped to maintain accreditation and Title IV compliance, and together with a COO/CEO and investors to secure additional funding and/or in an M&A capacity as opportunity presents.

This individual is a “player/coach”—strategic enough to handle critical financial management issues but also hands-on enough to manage day-to-day cash flow at the campus level.

Specifically, this individual has –

•  Specific experience with Title IV and other financial aid programs, regulatory compliance, revenue recognition, reviewing account reconciliations, and pro-forma analyses, all within a for-profit college that grew from less than $20MM to more than $50MM within three years
•  An extensive background in financial management with particular strengths in the areas of financial statement preparation, budgeting/forecasting, financial analysis, internal controls, process improvement, and cash management
•  Experience working with external parties, e.g. private equity investors, bankers, consultants, and independent accountants; experience reporting on, and monitoring compliance with, bank covenants; M&A and/or IPO experience would be valuable
•  A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field; a Master of Business Administration degree and/or designation as a Certified Public Accountant would be a plus
•  A management style that is decisive and entrepreneurial; strong conceptual, creative, and problem-solving skills; a self-starter who is capable of managing his/her time and priorities effectively while successfully accomplishing planned objectives
•  A track record of exerting strong fiscal control (appropriately managing/conserving cash) and driving EBIT bottom-line growth
•  Experience developing and implementing financial processes and procedures that are scalable as an organization grows
•  Experience managing finances for a multi-location organization
•  Experience bringing a strategic level of leadership to the finance function, serving as financial strategist while managing a the day-to-day requirements of a finance department
•  Superior business and financial analytical skills–success with timely monthly financial reporting, detailed financial analysis, and the preparation of ad-hoc reports and analyses, cash flow planning, and management

Culturally and temperamentally, the ideal candidate is a team player who believes that individual success flows from the overall success of the organization.

This involves a range of personal attributes– flexibility and adaptability; a great work ethic; leadership with minimal supervision; an ability to analyze and evaluate one’s own (and other’s) performance and to develop plans to improve performance; excellent presentation skills; willingness to take responsibility for both success and failure—a thick skin; self-confidence and a positive attitude about self, company, and marketplace; consistent, effective prospecting skills—knowing how to reach decision maker; effective listening and questioning; sincerity, trust, believability and warmth; and a strong desire for success.

Compensation

Compensation will include salary, bonus, and equity in line with the individual’s experience.

Travel

Travel is unlikely to be more than 10%. .

BSG Team Ventures is proud to announce the successful completion of the CEO search for Renaissance Learning (www.renlearn.com).

BSG worked with Permira Advisors to recruit John (“Jack”) J. Lynch, Jr. to replace Glenn James, who by mutual agreement with the Company’s Board of Directors has left the company to pursue other opportunities.  “As Renaissance Learning moves forward into its next phase of growth and development, we are thrilled to bring in Jack to lead the Company and its talented team of dedicated professionals,” said Brian Ruder, a member of the Renaissance Learning Board of Directors, and Permira partner. “Jack is a world-class executive with proven leadership skills, deep strategic and operational experience, and significant industry contacts and expertise. He shares our strategic vision for the future of the Company, and we believe that he is ideally suited to lead Renaissance Learning to the next level.”

Added Ralph Protsik of BSG Team Ventures, who worked with Permira in securing Mr. Lynch, “I know few executives in the K-12 industry with Jack’s leadership skills and market knowledge. He is that rare combination of tactician and strategist—both visionary and executor. Renaissance will thrive under his direction.”

Mr. Lynch, 53, has over 20 years of management experience in the software and information industry, and he is a highly respected leader in the field of education technology. He has a proven track record of launching and growing technology-driven information businesses, and he has been highly successful in the education technology sector since 1999, when he was the founding CEO of bigchalk.com and created an education network serving 40,000 schools and providing teachers, students, and parents with content, curriculum, assessment, and professional development resources. While later serving as President and CEO of the Pearson School Technology Group, Mr. Lynch led the turnaround of an instructional software business targeting “at-risk” student populations with market leading instructional design, animation, and adaptive reasoning software, and helped to create the first ever digital textbook to be adopted by the State of California. Most recently, Mr. Lynch was a member of the Executive Board of Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information services with more than €3.4 billion in annual revenue and more than 19,000 employees worldwide. He played an important role in leading global shared services and in building the company’s global technology platform. He also managed the execution of an operational excellence program which increased global capabilities required to move the company from a professional publisher to a global information services firm. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University.

Renaissance Learning is a leading provider of technology-based school improvement and student assessment programs for K12 schools. Renaissance Learning’s tools provide daily formative assessment and periodic progress-monitoring technology to enhance core curriculum, support differentiated instruction, and personalize practice in reading, writing and math. Renaissance Learning products help educators make the practice component of their existing curriculum more effective by providing tools to personalize practice and easily manage the daily activities for students of all levels. As a result, teachers using Renaissance Learning products accelerate learning, get more satisfaction from teaching, and help students achieve higher test scores on state and national tests.

Permira is a European private equity firm with global reach. The Permira funds, raised from pension funds and other institutions, make long-term investments in companies with the ambition of transforming their performance and driving sustainable growth.

Founded in 1985, the firm advises funds with a total committed capital of approximately €20 billion. Over the past 26 years, the Permira funds have made nearly 200 private equity investments, over 30% of which have been in the core sector of Technology, Media & Telecom (“TMT”). A company owned by the Permira funds acquired Renaissance Learning in October 2011.

For more information, please see the Permira press release:  http://ow.ly/eAfWf.

BSG Team Ventures is proud to announce the successful completion of the CEO search for the Virtual High School Collaborative (www.govhs.org).

BSG recruited Jeffrey A. Elliott to replace Liz Pape, who retired as CEO of the nonprofit pioneer of K-12 online learning in July.  “We conducted a nationwide search to find a CEO who has the experience, expertise, and vision to build on VHS’ 15 years of success and help set our direction for the future,” said Kevin Lyons, chairman of the VHS Board of Directors. “Jeff’s extensive business experience, as well as his in-depth knowledge of the online education market, and his commitment to VHS’ values and beliefs made him the right candidate for the job.”

Ralph Protsik, of BSG TeamVentures, who led the search process, added, “I’ve known Jeff as a client for more than ten years. That the timing—and opportunity—for Jeff’s move to VHS were right was, frankly, a bit of luck. He will fit well into the culture of this highly respected, mission-driven company.”

Previously, Elliott served as President and CEO of Advanced Academics (a division of DeVry), one of the leading providers of online education for public school students in the country. There he led the company’s pioneering strategy to serve at-risk students and the deployment of its comprehensive online learning model. Prior to that, he served as vice president of development for the Wright Group/McGraw-Hill, where he oversaw three divisions of this leading educational publishing company. He is a graduate of University of Chicago – Graduate School of Business and University of Missouri – School of Journalism.

Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Maynard, MA, The VHS Collaborative (formerly Virtual High School Global Consortium) is the pioneer of K-12 online learning, having first brought online learning into secondary education. Since then, the nonprofit organization has been setting the standard for quality online education. VHS provides co-synchronous courses taught in global online classrooms for secondary school students and online professional development in 21^st century teaching best practices for educators.  The organization also meets the unique educational needs of schools through custom course development, private course offerings, and support for blended learning initiatives.

VHS’ design and delivery standards were the model used by the National Education Association in their recommended standards for online learning.  The organization has won numerous awards, including the Stockholm Challenge Award for Global Excellence in Information Technology and is a three-time winner of the United States Distance Learning Association’s (USDLA) award for Excellence in Programming and Excellence in Best Practices.

For more information, please see the VHS press release:  http://tinyurl.com/9sjhy47.

Position Overview

Reporting to CEO Ron Packard, and working from the company’s headquarters in Herndon, Virginia, the Chief Academic Officer will assume responsibility for the academic integrity of K12’s virtual schools and online courses.  This will be accomplished through the assessment of student results using research, data analytics, and testing to ensure superior student learning outcomes. He or she will collaborate with school directors, their faculty, and senior leadership at K12 corporate headquarters to refine, articulate, and continuously improve K12’s educational model and materials to achieve targeted academic results, and will be the chief spokesperson for the company on all matters dealing with student performance.

About K12

With revenues of more than $500 million, K12 Inc. (LRN: NYSE) is the nation’s largest provider of proprietary curricula and online education programs for students in kindergarten through high school. Using 21st century tools to prepare 21st century students, K12 provides the broadest array of options for students to learn in a flexible and innovative way, at an individualized pace. K12 provides curricula and academic services to public and private schools and districts, traditional classrooms, blended school programs, and directly to families. K12 is accredited through AdvancED, the world’s largest education community.

K12 delivers its educational content and learning systems to students primarily through virtual public schools, virtual private schools, and through sales directly to school districts as part of our institutional sales business. The company offers its proprietary curriculum, learning kits, use of a personal computer, online learning platform and varying levels of academic and management services, which can range from targeted programs to complete turnkey solutions.

As of September 30, 2010, K12 served virtual public schools or hybrid schools in 27 states and the District of Columbia. The company expanded into two new states in fiscal year 2011, Massachusetts and Michigan. In addition, the company operates three online private schools (the K12 International Academy, The Keystone School, and the George Washington University Online High School), and also sells access to its online curriculum and learning kits directly to individual consumers.

In April 2010, K12 formed a joint venture with Middlebury College, known as Middlebury Interactive Languages LLC (MIL), to develop online foreign language courses. This new venture will create online language programs for pre-college students and will leverage Middlebury’s recognized experience and reputation in foreign language instruction and K12′s expertise in online education. In July 2010, the company acquired all of the stock of KC Distance Learning, Inc. (KCDL), a provider of online curriculum and public and private virtual education. The company also acquired certain assets from Cardean Learning Group LLC to form Capital Education LLC, a provider of online services to post-secondary institutions.

On December 1, 2010, K12 acquired American Education Corporation (AEC), a leading provider of research-based core curriculum instructional software for kindergarteners through adult learners. These acquisitions and the formation of MIL and Capital Education increase K12′s portfolio of innovative, high quality instructional and curriculum offerings. Finally, in January 2011 the company acquired a 20% minority interest in Web International Education Group, a provider of English language training for learners of all ages throughout China, including university students, government workers, and employees of international companies.

The Position

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Academic Officer will manage the development of formative and summative curricular assessments and the review and evaluation of existing curricula and scope and sequence models at all grade levels and in all subject areas.

The Chief Academic Officer will continuously work on the design and refinement of K12’s curriculum according to achievement data, instructional best practices, state and federal compliance requirements, and research of national trends and successful online curricular design models. S/he will work collaboratively with the EVP of Product Development, the EVP of School Services, and other managers of curriculum development and instruction, and the curriculum and instruction staff, as well as coordinate with various cross-departmental teams, school leaders, and third party research consultants.

Specifically, the CAO will–

•  Oversee the development of curriculum based formative, benchmark, and summative assessments to monitor and verify student academic progress and outcomes.
•  Apply research and data to this assessment process in order to document student achievement.
•  Design and conduct research strategies and predictive studies that validate K12’s instructional model.
•  Select external vendors to analyze the performance of K12’s courses and schools.
•  Communicate research findings to a variety of constituencies, both internal and external, including state agencies, district partners, channel partners, investors, and the media; assume  the role of “chief external spokesperson” in matter of instructional validity.
•  Collaborate with the EVP of Product Development and her team in effective curricular development, backward design principles, a scope and sequence of essential skills and concepts that address state and national standards, online instructional strategies, student achievement, and systematic review and analysis.
•  Keep abreast of new instructional design models and evaluation tools, and choose from them those that offer the greatest benefit to K12’s  courses and programs.
•  Establish mechanisms for communication related to curriculum and educational standards to school staff, students, and families.
•  Serve as a consultant to school directors and other staff on matters pertaining to curriculum assessment and learning outcomes.
•  Develop opportunities for collaboration with educational leaders, industry, state agencies, community based organizations, and appropriate vendors.
•  Develop and oversee a comprehensive staff evaluation system that includes training and timelines.
•  Attend professional meetings, conferences, institutes etc. to keep current with trends and practices in online curriculum development and instructional methods.

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BOSTON, MA, August 00, 2012– BSGTeam Ventures (BSG) today announced the appointment of Todd Hand (www.talentbench.net/company/principals/) as Managing Director of TalentBench (www.talentbench.net), a division of BSG. Todd has more than 15 years of search experience in the same innovation-driven industry sectors asBSG. “I’m excited to have Todd join us to run the TalentBench brand,” said Clark Waterfall,BSG Managing Director. “Todd has been an industry colleague and friend for more than 15 years. The synergies run deep.”

Before joining TalentBench, Todd was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Altela, the leading company in water treatment for the oil and gas industry, where he was responsible for identifying new business sectors and driving revenue in the U.S. and international markets. Prior to Altela, Todd was COO at CleanSwitch Solar, a photovoltaic engineering and integration company. He also raised venture capital financing for Talent Capital Group, an executive search firm that recruited leaders to drive the success of innovative companies in the technology and renewable sectors. Previously Todd built management teams for both Idealab, a creator and operator of technology companies, and the Yankee Group, the global technology market research firm.

Todd serves on the board of directors of Coronado Ventures Forum, an organization focused on educating and connecting entrepreneurs with private equity financing. He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and attended the Babson MBA program. “TalentBench expands our recruiting services,” said Todd, “and helps emerging technology companies who want the quality of an executive-level retained search for their key individual contributor through to their Vice President-level roles.”

About VHS

Virtual High School Global Consortium (VHS) is a membership fee-based educational nonprofit which partners with schools to expand their course offerings. Founded in 1996, VHS is a collaborative of over 600 schools in 31 states and 42 countries. In 2011/2012, VHS had nearly 18,000 course registrations in over 250 middle and high school VHS courses, including Advanced Placement, core, elective, and credit-recovery courses.

VHS is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools and Northwest Accreditation Commission, and has won numerous awards for course quality and teacher professional development. Virtual High School is the education industry’s leader in providing high-quality online courses to high school students and in preparing classroom teachers to be effective online teachers. VHS is committed to offering schools the highest quality courses at the lowest possible price, and to its goals of high instructional standards, responsiveness to member schools, and affordability. Its greatest strength is its global, cooperative school membership, which offers students and teachers alike the opportunity to participate in a worldwide community of learners.       More…

How & What Growth-stage CEOs Are Ending 2011 & Planning for 2012

Below is the hyperlink to take the Q4 CEO peers speed-survey, exclusively for growth-stage CEOs. This survey focuses on “How & What Growth-stage CEOs are Ending 2011 & Planning for 2012″

This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes of a busy CEO’s time–

We here at BSG Team Ventures periodically take the temperature of the markets we serve. The survey is no more than 15 questions, most simple multiple-choice.

These surveys are created and compiled by BSG Team Ventures as a courtesy to our executive ecosystem with the belief that knowledge is power. Aggregated peer-provided knowledge is “actionable power.”

To compare how you’re feeling a year later with the survey results from Q4 2010, titled “CEOs Plan for 2011”, go to http://www.bostonsearchgroup.com/blog/q4-2010-ceo-survey-of-growth-stage-companies/

We make an effort to survey only those who fit the category (in this case, sitting CEOs or board member/founders of technology/science-driven growth-stage companies). [Note, if you don't fit the aforementioned description, please refrain from responding.]

Feel free to forward to the qualified CEOs in your sphere of influence. The more data generated, the more accurate the trend lines.

All responses are anonymous due to the web-based survey technology employed.

We will forward the survey results within the next two weeks to the email address on file. Please let us know if there is another email address you wish us to send the results to as well.