Non-Cash Impairment Charge

No definition available.

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- Definition

Accumulated amortization of other deferred costs capitalized at the end of the reporting period. Does not include deferred finance costs, deferred acquisition costs of insurance companies, or deferred leasing costs for real estate operations.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17)

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 17

-Article 5

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- Definition

Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 720

-SubTopic 35

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420018&loc=d3e36677-107848

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- Definition

Amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6506951

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash Equivalents

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 1

-Article 5

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a)

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 4

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3044-108585

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of gain (loss), after tax expense or benefit and not previously recognized, resulting from the sale of a business component.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 205

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6892542&loc=d3e957-107759

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 205

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6360339&loc=d3e1361-107760

+ Details

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- Definition

The amount of impairment loss recognized in the period resulting from the write-down of the carrying amount of a finite-lived intangible asset to fair value.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26713463&loc=d3e16373-109275

+ Details

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- Definition

The aggregate amount of write-downs for impairments recognized during the period for long-lived assets held for abandonment, exchange or sale.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 28

-Subparagraph (b)

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 360

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 15

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=8077374&loc=d3e2611-110228

+ Details

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- Definition

The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Gross amount of other deferred costs capitalized at the end of the reporting period. Does not include deferred finance costs or deferred acquisition costs of insurance companies.

+ References

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- Definition

The cash inflow associated with the amount received from the sale of a portion of the company's business, for example a segment, division, branch or other business, during the period.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Investing Activities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 12

-Subparagraph (b)

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- Definition

Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of transactions with related party during the financial reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: 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

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

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Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014 units Segment	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2014	Jul. 31, 2014	Nov. 03, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2011
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments		4us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Market value of investments	$ 1,542,000,000	$ 2,497,000,000	$ 1,542,000,000	$ 760,000,000					$ 835,000,000
Deferred technology costs, gross	131,000,000us-gaap_OtherDeferredCostsGross	123,000,000us-gaap_OtherDeferredCostsGross	131,000,000us-gaap_OtherDeferredCostsGross
Accumulated amortization of deferred technology costs	71,000,000	55,000,000	71,000,000
Fair value of our long-term debt borrowings	801,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue	871,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue	801,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
After-tax gain (loss) on sale of business		160,000,000	589,000,000	0
Non-cash impairment charge				0
Non-cash impairment charge associated with the an intangible asset acquired	26,000,000		26,000,000
Number of operating segments		4us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Cost of advertisement		35,000,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense	41,000,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense	31,000,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Other (Income) Loss [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Non-cash impairment charge					6,000,000
Non-cash impairment charge	36,000,000
Harold W. McGraw III [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Amount of transaction with related party						20,000,000
Minimum [Member] \| Software and Software Development Costs [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life		3 years
Minimum [Member] \| Building Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life		15 years
Minimum [Member] \| Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life		2 years
Maximum [Member] \| Software and Software Development Costs [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life		7 years
Maximum [Member] \| Building Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life		40 years
Maximum [Member] \| Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment useful life		10 years
McGraw Hill Construction [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Cash proceeds from sale of business							320,000,000
After-tax gain (loss) on sale of business		160,000,000
Data Center [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Cash proceeds from sale of business								58,000,000
Data Center [Member] \| Other (Income) Loss [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
After-tax gain (loss) on sale of business								$ (3,000,000)