Related-Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Related-Party Transactions [Abstract]
RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS	11. RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS The Company is a party to an agreement with MHT Securities, L.P. to provide advisory services in connection with the identification, evaluation and acquisition of businesses. MHT Securities, L.P. is an affiliate of MHT-SI, L.P. and MHT-SI GP, L.L.C., both stockholders in the Company. Under the terms of the agreement, we must pay a transaction fee to MHT Securities, L.P. upon the successful consummation of a merger, acquisition, consolidation, divestiture or similar transaction with any company initially identified and contacted by MHT Securities, L.P. as a potential acquisition for the Company. The amount of this transaction fee is dependent upon the size of the acquisition, but in no circumstances less than $250,000. Effective in October 2011, we amended the agreement with MHT Securities, L.P., increasing the transaction from a minimum of $250,000 to $650,000. Additionally, any reasonable expenses incurred in connection with this agreement are reimbursed. The Company paid $0.3 million under this agreement during the three months ended March 31, 2012. Contingent on the consummation of the Merger, the Company will owe this stockholder $0.7 million. Providence Equity Partners beneficially owns 47% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. Providence Equity Partners paid for certain costs related to travel and other expenses of members of the Company’s Board of Directors and other staff assisting those Directors in certain oversight functions and invoiced the Company for reimbursement. During the three months ended March 31, 2012, an insignificant amount of these costs were paid by the Company. During the same period in March 2011, the Company paid $0.1 million of these costs. The Company purchases equipment from an affiliate of Providence Equity Partners. Equipment purchases with this supplier totaled $0.4 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. In connection with the Merger Agreement, Tim McEwen, our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, and stockholders affiliated with Providence Equity Partners, who collectively beneficially own approximately 49% of the Company’s common stock, have each entered into support agreements with the Company and Plato to vote their shares for approval and adoption of the Merger Agreement. Their obligations under the support agreements to vote in favor of the Merger Agreement will terminate if the Merger Agreement is terminated or if the Board withdraws its recommendation for the Merger under the circumstances permitted by the Merger Agreement.

Related-Party Transactions

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

11. RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The Company is a party to an agreement with MHT Securities, L.P. to provide advisory services in connection with the identification, evaluation and acquisition of businesses. MHT Securities, L.P. is an affiliate of MHT-SI, L.P. and MHT-SI GP, L.L.C., both stockholders in the Company. Under the terms of the agreement, we must pay a transaction fee to MHT Securities, L.P. upon the successful consummation of a merger, acquisition, consolidation, divestiture or similar transaction with any company initially identified and contacted by MHT Securities, L.P. as a potential acquisition for the Company. The amount of this transaction fee is dependent upon the size of the acquisition, but in no circumstances less than $250,000. Effective in October 2011, we amended the agreement with MHT Securities, L.P., increasing the transaction from a minimum of $250,000 to $650,000. Additionally, any reasonable expenses incurred in connection with this agreement are reimbursed. The Company paid $0.3 million under this agreement during the three months ended March 31, 2012. Contingent on the consummation of the Merger, the Company will owe this stockholder $0.7 million.

Providence Equity Partners beneficially owns 47% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. Providence Equity Partners paid for certain costs related to travel and other expenses of members of the Company’s Board of Directors and other staff assisting those Directors in certain oversight functions and invoiced the Company for reimbursement. During the three months ended March 31, 2012, an insignificant amount of these costs were paid by the Company. During the same period in March 2011, the Company paid $0.1 million of these costs.

The Company purchases equipment from an affiliate of Providence Equity Partners. Equipment purchases with this supplier totaled $0.4 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

In connection with the Merger Agreement, Tim McEwen, our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, and stockholders affiliated with Providence Equity Partners, who collectively beneficially own approximately 49% of the Company’s common stock, have each entered into support agreements with the Company and Plato to vote their shares for approval and adoption of the Merger Agreement. Their obligations under the support agreements to vote in favor of the Merger Agreement will terminate if the Merger Agreement is terminated or if the Board withdraws its recommendation for the Merger under the circumstances permitted by the Merger Agreement.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for related party transactions, including the nature of the relationship(s), a description of the transactions, the amount of the transactions, the effects of any change in the method of establishing the terms of the transaction from the previous period, stated interest rate, expiration date, terms and manner of settlement per the agreement with the related party, and amounts due to or from related parties. If the entity and one or more other entities are under common ownership or management control and this control affects the operating results or financial position, disclosure includes the nature of the control relationship even if there are no transactions between the entities. Disclosure may also include the aggregate amount of current and deferred tax expense for each statement of earnings presented where the entity is a member of a group that files a consolidated tax return, the amount of any tax related balances due to or from affiliates as of the date of each statement of financial position presented, the principal provisions of the method by which the consolidated amount of current and deferred tax expense is allocated to the members of the group and the nature and effect of any changes in that method. Examples of related party transactions include transactions between (a) a parent company and its subsidiary; (b) subsidiaries of a common parent; (c) and entity and its principal owners; and (d) affiliates.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(k))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 3A

-Section 04

-Paragraph b

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 57

-Paragraph 1-4

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39678-107864

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 4

-Section 08

-Paragraph k

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 6

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39691-107864

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39549-107864

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39622-107864

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39603-107864

+ Details

Archipelago Learning, Inc. 10-Q