John Wiley & Sons (WLY) 10-Q 9 Sep 15 2016 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2015
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	WILEY JOHN & SONS, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	107,140
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--04-30
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Jul. 31, 2015
Common Stock Class A [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		49,071,295
Common Stock Class B [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		9,480,027

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION - UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jul. 31, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 369,413	$ 457,441	$ 255,857
Accounts receivable	202,570	147,183	202,770
Inventories	58,680	63,779	74,608
Prepaid and other	76,276	72,516	68,526
Total Current Assets	706,939	740,919	601,761
Product Development Assets	61,623	69,589	71,755
Technology, Property & Equipment	198,889	193,010	195,270
Intangible Assets	919,996	917,621	1,037,749
Goodwill	971,407	962,367	1,031,527
Income Tax Deposit	58,877	57,098	65,729
Other Assets	63,869	63,639	65,245
Total Assets	2,981,600	3,004,243	3,069,036
Current Liabilities
Short-term debt	100,000	100,000	0
Accounts and royalties payable	142,741	161,465	148,891
Deferred revenue	281,136	372,051	290,215
Accrued employment costs	59,910	93,922	73,074
Accrued income taxes	9,605	9,484	7,388
Accrued pension liability	4,603	4,594	4,655
Other accrued liabilities	61,839	62,167	58,944
Total Current Liabilities	659,834	803,683	583,167
Long-Term Debt	750,473	650,090	788,013
Accrued Pension Liability	202,230	209,727	161,847
Deferred Income Tax Liabilities	205,004	198,947	245,830
Other Long-Term Liabilities	83,395	86,756	81,838
Shareholders' Equity
Class A & Class B Common Stock	83,190	83,190	83,190
Additional paid-in-capital	358,761	353,018	340,766
Retained earnings	1,612,287	1,597,439	1,505,547
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(387,918)	(406,633)	(191,761)
Treasury stock	(585,656)	(571,974)	(529,401)
Total Shareholders' Equity	1,080,664	1,055,040	1,208,341
Total Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity	$ 2,981,600	$ 3,004,243	$ 3,069,036

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEME3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - UNAUDITED - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - UNAUDITED [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 422,981	$ 437,917
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	119,729	124,053
Operating and administrative expenses	242,498	251,734
Restructuring charges (credits)	3,425	(155)
Amortization of intangibles	12,420	12,655
Total Costs and Expenses	378,072	388,287
Operating Income	44,909	49,630
Interest Expense	(3,573)	(4,144)
Foreign Exchange Transaction (Loss) Gain	(80)	(165)
Interest Income and Other	664	310
Income Before Taxes	41,920	45,631
Provision For Income Taxes	9,463	11,985
Net Income	$ 32,457	$ 33,646
Earnings Per Share
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.55	$ 0.56
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.55	$ 0.57
Average Shares
Diluted (in shares)	59,366	59,784
Basic (in shares)	58,675	58,948
Class A Common [Member]
Cash Dividends Per Share
Common stock (in dollars per share)	$ 0.30	$ 0.29
Class B Common [Member]
Cash Dividends Per Share
Common stock (in dollars per share)	$ 0.30	$ 0.29

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEME4

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - UNAUDITED [Abstract]
Net Income	$ 32,457	$ 33,646
Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	19,106	(2,858)
Unamortized retirement costs, net of tax provision of $217 and $389, respectively	(484)	1,122
Unrealized gain on interest rate swaps, net of tax provision of $55 and $145, respectively	93	266
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	18,715	(1,470)
Comprehensive Income	$ 51,172	$ 32,176

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEME5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - UNAUDITED (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - UNAUDITED [Abstract]
Unamortized retirement costs, tax provision	$ 217	$ 389
Unrealized gain on interest rate swaps, tax provision	$ 55	$ 145

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEME6

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOW - UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
Operating Activities
Net income	$ 32,457	$ 33,646
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash used for operating activities:
Amortization of intangibles	12,420	12,655
Amortization of composition costs	9,650	10,094
Depreciation of technology, property and equipment	16,491	14,956
Restructuring charges (credits)	3,425	(155)
Restructuring payments	(9,022)	(8,356)
Stock-based compensation expense	3,898	3,289
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	(503)	(1,732)
Royalty advances	(24,811)	(24,649)
Earned royalty advances	32,060	32,145
Other non-cash charges	14,447	13,653
Change in deferred revenue	(95,940)	(104,719)
Net change in operating assets and liabilities	(118,654)	(83,054)
Cash Used for Operating Activities	(124,082)	(102,227)
Investing Activities
Composition spending	(8,284)	(7,064)
Additions to technology, property and equipment	(22,283)	(13,964)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(2,221)	(170,910)
Escrowed proceeds from sale of consumer publishing programs	0	1,100
Cash Used for Investing Activities	(32,788)	(190,838)
Financing Activities
Repayment of long-term debt	(33,717)	(219,033)
Borrowings of long-term debt	134,100	304,552
Change in book overdrafts	(5,671)	(13,206)
Cash dividends	(17,609)	(17,162)
Purchase of treasury stock	(12,723)	(12,173)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and other	375	18,207
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	503	1,732
Cash Provided by Financing Activities	65,258	62,917
Effects of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	3,584	(372)
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Decrease for the Period	(88,028)	(230,520)
Balance at Beginning of Period	457,441	486,377
Balance at End of Period	369,413	255,857
Cash Paid During the Period for:
Interest	3,124	3,417
Income taxes, net	$ 8,497	$ 10,354

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	1. Basis of Presentation In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the financial condition, results of operations, comprehensive (loss) income and cash flows for the periods presented. Operating results for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full year. The Company’s first quarter financial results reflect three months of fiscal year 2016 operations and one month of fiscal year 2015 operations for the Company’s recent acquisition, CrossKnowledge Group, Ltd. (“CrossKnowledge”). Through October 31, 2014, financial results for CrossKnowledge were reported on a two-month lag, as disclosed, to facilitate accurate reporting. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the most recent audited financial statements included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2015. The preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.

Recent Accounting Standards

Recent Accounting Standards	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Recent Accounting Standards [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Standards	2. Recent Accounting Standards In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2014-09 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (Topic 606) (“ASU 2014-09”), and the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) published its equivalent standard, International Financial Reporting Standard (“IFRS”) 15, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. These joint comprehensive new revenue recognition standards will supersede most existing revenue recognition guidance and are intended to improve and converge revenue recognition and related financial reporting requirements. The standard is effective for the Company on May 1, 2018 with early adoption permitted on May 1, 2017. The standard allows for either “full retrospective” adoption, meaning the standard is applied to all periods presented, or “cumulative effect” adoption, meaning the standard is applied only to the most current period presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently assessing whether the adoption of the guidance will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03 "Interest- Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs" (“ASU 2015-03”). The ASU requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. Previously, debt issuance costs were recognized as assets on the balance sheet. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this ASU. The standard is effective for the Company on May 1, 2016, with early adoption permitted, and requires retrospective application to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Although the new guidance will have no impact on the Company’s results of operations, the debt issuance costs presented as assets within the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Financial Position ($1.2 million as of July 31, 2015) will be reclassified as reductions of the related debt liability when the guidance is adopted. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05 "Intangibles- Goodwill and Other- Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in Cloud Computing Arrangements" (“ASU 2015-05”). Cloud computing arrangements represent the delivery of hosted services over the internet which include software, platforms, infrastructure and other hosting arrangements. The ASU provides criteria to determine whether the cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If the criteria are met, the customer will capitalize the fee attributable to the software license portion of the arrangement as internal-use software. If the arrangement does not include a software license, it should be treated as a service contract and expensed as services are received. The standard is effective for the Company on May 1, 2016 with early adoption permitted. An entity can elect to adopt either prospectively for all arrangements entered into after the effective date or retrospectively. The Company is currently assessing whether the adoption of the guidance will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Share-Based Compensation

Share-Based Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-Based Compensation	3. Share-Based Compensation The Company has share-based compensation plans under which employees may be granted options to purchase shares of Company common stock at the fair market value at the time of grant. In addition to stock options, the Company grants performance-based stock awards and other restricted stock awards to certain employees. The Company recognizes the grant date fair value of share-based compensation in net income on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The measurement of performance for performance-based stock awards is based on actual financial results for targets established three years in advance. For three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company recognized share-based compensation expense, on a pre-tax basis, of $3.9 million and $3.3 million, respectively. The following table provides share-based compensation data for awards granted by the Company: For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 Restricted Stock: Awards granted (in thousands) 285 294 Weighted average fair value of grant $55.99 $59.70 Stock Options: Awards granted (in thousands) 160 188 Weighted average fair value of grant $14.77 $16.97 The weighted average Black-Scholes fair value assumptions for stock option grants are as follows: For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 Expected life of options (years) 7.2 7.2 Risk-free interest rate 2.1% 2.2% Expected volatility 29.7% 30.9% Expected dividend yield 2.1% 1.9% Fair value of common stock on grant date $55.99 $59.70

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	4. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss by component, net of tax, for the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014 were as follows (in thousands): Foreign Unamortized Interest Currency Retirement Rate Translation Costs Swaps Total Balance at April 30, 2015 $(246,854) $(159,434) $(345) $(406,633) Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications 19,106 (2,457) (84) 16,565 Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss - 1,973 177 2,150 Total other comprehensive (loss) income 19,106 (484) 93 18,715 Balance at July 31, 2015 $(227,748) $(159,918) $(252) $(387,918) Foreign Unamortized Interest Currency Retirement Rate Translation Costs Swaps Total Balance at April 30, 2014 $(66,664) $(123,025) $(602) $(190,291) Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications (2,858) (476) 74 (3,260) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss - 1,598 192 1,790 Total other comprehensive (loss) income $(2,858) $1,122 $266 $(1,470) Balance at July 31, 2014 $(69,522) $(121,903) $(336) $(191,761) During the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, pre-tax actuarial losses included in Unamortized Retirement Costs of approximately $1.2 million and $1.9 million, respectively, were amortized from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss and recognized as pension expense in Operating and Administrative Expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

Reconciliation of Weighted Aver

Reconciliation of Weighted Average Shares Outstanding and Share Repurchases	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Reconciliation of Weighted Average Shares Outstanding and Share Repurchases [Abstract]
Reconciliation of Weighted Average Shares Outstanding and Share Repurchases	5. Reconciliation of Weighted Average Shares Outstanding and Share Repurchases A reconciliation of the shares used in the computation of earnings per share follows (in thousands): For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 Weighted average shares outstanding 58,892 59,195 Less: Unearned restricted shares (217) (247) Shares used for basic earnings per share 58,675 58,948 Dilutive effect of stock options and other stock awards 691 836 Shares used for diluted earnings per share 59,366 59,784 Since their inclusion in the calculation of diluted earnings per share would have been anti-dilutive, options to purchase 338,297 shares of Class A Common Stock have been excluded for the three months ended July 31, 2015. There were no options to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock excluded for the three months ended July 31, 2014. During the three months ended July 31, 2015, the Company repurchased 230,400 shares of common stock at an average price of $55.22.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Acquisitions [Abstract]
Acquisitions	6. Acquisitions: CrossKnowledge: On May 1, 2014, the Company acquired CrossKnowledge Group Limited (“CrossKnowledge”) for approximately $166 million in cash, net of cash acquired. CrossKnowledge is a learning solutions provider focused on leadership and managerial skills development that offers subscription-based, digital learning solutions for global corporations, universities, and small and medium-sized enterprises. CrossKnowledge’s solutions include a variety of managerial and leadership skills assessments, courses, certifications, content and executive training programs that are delivered on a cloud-based LMS platform with over 19,000 learning objects in 17 languages. CrossKnowledge serves over five million end-users in 80 countries. The Company’s first quarter financial results reflect three months of fiscal year 2016 operations and one month of fiscal year 2015 operations for the Company’s recent acquisition, CrossKnowledge. Through October 31, 2014, financial results for CrossKnowledge were reported on a two-month lag, as disclosed, to facilitate accurate reporting. CrossKnowledge’s revenue and operating loss included in Wiley’s results were $12.7 million and $0.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, which includes two additional months of revenue ($8.5 million) and operating loss ($0.8 million) compared to revenue of $4.1 million and an operating loss of $0.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2015. The $166 million purchase price was allocated to identifiable long-lived intangible assets, mainly customer relationships and content ($63.0 million); technology ($6.3 million); long-term deferred tax liabilities ($21.5 million); negative working capital ($4.3 million); and goodwill ($122.5 million). The fair value of intangible assets and technology acquired was based on management’s assessment performed with the assistance of a third party valuation consultant. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired and comprises the estimated value of CrossKnowledge’s workforce, unidentifiable intangible assets and the fair value of expected synergies. None of the goodwill is deductible for tax purposes. The identifiable long-lived intangible assets are primarily amortized over a weighted average estimated useful life of approximately 15 years. The acquisition was funded through the use of the Company’s existing credit facility and available cash balances.

Restructuring Programs

Restructuring Programs	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Restructuring Programs [Abstract]
Restructuring Programs	7. Restructuring Programs Restructuring and Reinvestment Program: In fiscal year 2013, the Company initiated a program (the “Restructuring and Reinvestment Program”) to restructure and realign its cost base with current and anticipated future market conditions. The Company is targeting a majority of the cost savings achieved to improve margins and earnings, while the remainder will be reinvested in high growth digital business opportunities. The following tables summarize the pre-tax restructuring charges related to this program (in thousands): Cumulative For the Three Months Program Ended July 31, Charges to Date 2015 2014 Charges (Credits) by Segment: Research $370 $(185) $15,593 Professional Development 10 245 22,540 Education (11) 51 3,568 Shared Services 3,056 (266) 57,702 Total $3,425 $(155) $99,403 Charges (Credits) by Activity: Severance $1,817 $641 $64,576 Process Reengineering Consulting 3,246 (145) 14,721 Other Activities (1,638) (651) 20,106 Total $3,425 $(155) $99,403 The credits reflected above within the three month period of fiscal year 2016 and 2015 reflect true-ups to the previously estimated accrued restructuring charges. Other Activities reflects leased facility consolidations, contract termination costs and the curtailment of certain defined benefit pension plans. The following table summarizes the activity for the Restructuring and Reinvestment Program liability for the three months ended July 31, 2015 (in thousands): Foreign April 30, Translation & July 31, 2015 Charges Payments Reclassifications 2015 Severance $18,794 $1,817 $(5,814) $50 $14,847 Process Reengineering Consulting - 3,246 (1,687) (1) 1,558 Other activities 11,859 (1,638) (1,521) (20) 8,680 Total $30,653 $3,425 $(9,022) $29 25,085 The restructuring liability for accrued Severance costs is reflected in Accrued Employment Costs in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position while the Process reengineering consulting costs are reflected in Other Accrued Liabilities. Approximately $0.2 million and $8.5 million of the Other Activities are reflected in Other Accrued Liabilities and Other Long-Term Liabilities, respectively.

Segment Information

Segment Information	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Segment Information [Abstract]
Segment Information	8. Segment Information The Company is a global provider of knowledge and knowledge-enabled services that improve outcomes in areas of research, professional practice and education. Through the Research segment, the Company provides digital and print scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services and advertising. The Professional Development segment provides digital and print books, online assessment and training services, and test prep and certification. In Education, the Company provides print and digital content, and education solutions including online program management services for higher education institutions and course management tools for instructors and students. The Company takes full advantage of its content from all three core businesses in developing and cross-marketing products to its diverse customer base of researchers, professionals, students, and educators. The use of technology enables the Company to make its content efficiently more accessible to its customers around the world. The Company’s operations are primarily located in the North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. As part of Wiley’s restructuring and reorganization program the Company consolidated certain decentralized business functions (Sales Support, Marketing Services, etc.) into global shared service functions. These newly centralized service groups enable significant cost reduction opportunities, including efficiencies gained from standardized technology and centralized management. The cost of these functions were previously reported as direct operating expenses in each business segment but are now reported within the shared service functions and then allocated to each business segment. Prior year amounts have been restated to reflect the same reporting methodology. The Company uses occupied square footage of space; number of employees; units shipped; specific identification/activity-based; gross profit; revenue and number of invoices to allocate shared service costs to each business segment. Segment information is as follows (in thousands): For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 RESEARCH Revenue $237,390 $254,870 Direct Contribution to Profit $106,813 $114,734 Allocated Shared Services and Administrative Costs: Distribution and Operation Services (10,179) (11,978) Technology and Content Management (24,056) (24,943) Occupancy and Other (7,009) (7,854) Contribution to Profit $65,569 $69,959 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Revenue $98,665 $92,327 Direct Contribution to Profit $41,281 $32,912 Allocated Shared Services and Administrative Costs: Distribution and Operation Services (6,869) (8,301) Technology and Content Management (9,804) (10,945) Occupancy and Other (5,595) (6,143) Contribution to Profit $19,013 $7,523 EDUCATION Revenue $86,926 $90,720 Direct Contribution to Profit $23,288 $28,563 Allocated Shared Services and Administrative Costs: Distribution and Operation Services (3,425) (3,332) Technology and Content Management (11,218) (13,339) Occupancy and Other (3,944) (3,196) Contribution to Profit $4,701 $8,696 Total Contribution to Profit $89,283 $86,178 Unallocated Shared Services and Administrative Costs (44,374) (36,548) Operating Income $44,909 $49,630 The following table reflects total Shared Services and Administrative costs by function, which are allocated to business segments based on the methodologies described above: For the Three Months Ended July 31, Total Shared Services and Administrative Costs: 2015 2014 Distribution & Operation Services $20,473 $23,834 Technology & Content Management 60,785 61,947 Finance 12,678 13,664 Other Administration 29,481 27,400 Restructuring Charges (see Note 7) 3,056 (266) Total $126,473 $126,579 For the Three Months Ended July 31, Total Revenue by Product/Service: 2015 2014 Journal Revenue $202,213 $217,751 Books and Custom Material 157,562 170,647 Online Program Management (Deltak) 20,502 16,237 Talent Solutions 25,976 17,176 Course Workflow Solutions (WileyPlus) 1,020 1,314 Other 15,708 14,792 Total $422,981 $437,917

Inventories

Inventories	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Inventories [Abstract]
Inventories	9. Inventories Inventories were as follows (in thousands): As of July 31, As of April 30, 2015 2014 2015 Finished goods $47,887 $60,041 $52,705 Work-in-process 6,439 6,488 6,552 Paper, cloth and other 4,051 5,501 4,676 $58,377 $72,030 63,933 Inventory value of estimated sales returns 7,087 7,520 6,555 LIFO reserve (6,784) (4,942) (6,709) Total inventories $58,680 $74,608 $63,779

Intangible Assets

Intangible Assets	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Intangible Assets [Abstract]
Intangible Assets	10. Intangible Assets Intangible assets consisted of the following (in thousands): As of July 31, As of April 30, 2015 2014 2015 Intangible assets with indefinite lives: Brands and trademarks $155,254 $165,462 $152,332 Content and publishing rights 85,502 103,808 83,972 $240,756 $269,270 $236,304 Net intangible assets with determinable lives: Content and publishing rights $482,967 $547,516 $482,596 Customer relationships 179,458 200,226 181,272 Brands and trademarks 16,221 19,787 16,783 Covenants not to compete 594 950 666 $679,240 $768,479 $681,317 Total $919,996 $1,037,749 $917,621

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Income Taxes	11. Income Taxes The effective tax rate for the three months ended July 31, 2015 was 22.6% compared to 26.3% in the prior year. The decrease was principally due to a higher portion of income from lower tax jurisdictions. Payments Related to Tax Audit in Germany In fiscal year 2003, the Company merged several of its German subsidiaries into a new operating entity which enabled the Company to increase (“step-up”) the tax deductible net asset basis of the merged subsidiaries to fair market value. The expected tax benefits to be derived from the step-up are approximately 50 million euros claimed as amortization over 15 years beginning in fiscal year 2003. In May 2012, as part of its routine tax audit process, the German tax authorities filed a challenge to the Company’s tax position with respect to the amortization of certain stepped-up assets. The Company filed an appeal with the local finance court in September 2014. Under German tax law, the Company must pay all contested taxes and the related interest to have the right to defend its position. The Company has made all required payments to date with total deposits paid of 48 million euros through July 31, 2015. The Company expects that it will be required to deposit additional amounts up to 10 million euros plus interest for tax returns to be filed in future periods until the issue is resolved. In October 2014, the Company received an unfavorable decision from the local finance court and is in the process of appealing the court decision. The Company’s management and its advisors continue to believe that the Company is “more likely than not” to successfully defend that the tax treatment was proper and in accordance with German tax regulations. As such, the Company has not recorded any charges related to the loss of the step-up benefit. The Company filed its appeal in January 2015. Resolution of the appeal is expected to take 18 to 24 months from January 2015. If the Company is ultimately successful, as expected, the tax deposits will be returned with 6% simple interest, based on current German legislation. As of July 31, 2015, the USD equivalent of the deposit and accrued interest was $58.9 million, which is recorded as Income Tax Deposits on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. The Company records the accrued interest at 6% within the Provision for Income Taxes in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

Retirement Plans

Retirement Plans	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Retirement Plans [Abstract]
Retirement Plans	12. Retirement Plans The components of net pension expense for the Company’s global defined benefit plans were as follows (in thousands): For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 Service Cost $370 $1,553 Interest Cost 7,638 7,551 Expected Return on Plan Assets (10,172) (8,865) Net Amortization of Prior Service Cost (25) 27 Recognized Net Actuarial Loss 1,170 1,892 Settlement 1,857 - Net Pension Expense $838 $2,158 The settlement noted above relates to a disability payment made subject to terms of the Company’s Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan. Employer defined benefit pension plan contributions were $7.8 million and $2.7 million for the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Contributions for employer defined contribution plans were approximately $5.8 million and $6.1 million for the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Debt and Available Credit Facil

Debt and Available Credit Facilities	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Debt and Available Credit Facilities [Abstract]
Debt and Available Credit Facilities	13. Debt and Available Credit Facilities On October 31, 2014, the Company entered into a U.S. dollar facility with TD Bank, N.A. which is equally ranked with the Company’s existing agreement with Bank of America - Merrill Lynch and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, and Santander Bank. The new agreement consists of a $50 million 364-day revolving credit facility. The facility has been fully drawn since inception. The borrowing rate is LIBOR plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.80% to 1.40%, and a facility fee will be due on any undrawn amounts ranging from 0.125% to 0.30%, both depending on the Company consolidated leverage ratio, as defined. The credit agreement contains certain restrictive covenants related to the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio and interest coverage ratio, which the Company was in compliance with as of July 31, 2015. The proceeds of the new revolving credit facility were used to pay a portion of the Company’s existing revolving credit facility and meet seasonal operating cash requirements. On December 22, 2014, the Company entered into a new $50 million 30-day U.S. dollar revolving credit facility with Santander Bank, N.A. which is equally ranked with the Company’s existing agreement with Bank of America - Merrill Lynch and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, and TD Bank, N.A. The facility has been fully drawn since inception. The borrowing rate is LIBOR plus a margin of 1.0%. The proceeds of the new revolving credit facility were used to pay a portion of the Company’s existing revolving credit facilities and meet seasonal operating cash requirements. On August 6, 2015, the Company amended its December 22, 2014 30-day U.S. dollar revolving credit facility reinstated every 30 days with Santander Bank, N.A. by increasing the facility to $100 million from $50 million. The additional $50 million was drawn during August and used to repay a portion of the revolving credit facility.

Derivative Instruments and Hedg

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities [Abstract]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities	14. Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities The Company, from time-to-time, enters into forward exchange and interest rate swap contracts as a hedge against foreign currency asset and liability commitments, changes in interest rates and anticipated transaction exposures, including intercompany purchases. All derivatives are recognized as assets or liabilities and measured at fair value. Derivatives that are not determined to be effective hedges are adjusted to fair value with a corresponding adjustment to earnings. The Company does not use financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes. Interest Rate Contracts: The Company had $850.4 million of variable rate loans outstanding at July 31, 2015, which approximated fair value. As of July 31, 2015 and 2014, the interest rate swap agreements maintained by the Company were designated as fully effective cash flow hedges as defined under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 815 “Derivatives and Hedging”. As a result, there was no impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for changes in the fair value of the interest rate swaps as they were fully offset by changes in the interest expense on the underlying variable rate debt instruments. Under ASC 815, fully effective derivative instruments that are designated as cash flow hedges have changes in their fair value recorded initially within Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. As interest expense is recognized based on the variable rate loan agreements, the corresponding deferred gain or loss on the interest rate swaps is reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss to Interest Expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. It is management’s intention that the notional amount of interest rate swaps be less than the variable rate loans outstanding during the life of the derivatives. On August 15, 2014, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement which fixed a portion of the variable interest due on its variable rate loans outstanding. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company pays a fixed rate of 0.65% and receives a variable rate of interest based on one-month LIBOR (as defined) from the counterparty which is reset every month for a two-year period ending August 15, 2016. As of July 31, 2015, the notional amount of the interest rate swap was $150.0 million. On January 15, 2014, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement which fixed a portion of the variable interest due on its variable rate loans outstanding. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company pays a fixed rate of 0.47% and receives a variable rate of interest based on one-month LIBOR (as defined) from the counterparty which is reset every month for a two-year period ending January 15, 2016. As of July 31, 2015, the notional amount of the interest rate swap was $150.0 million. On March 30, 2012, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement which fixed a portion of the variable interest due on its variable rate loans outstanding. Under the terms of the agreement, which expired on March 31, 2015, the Company paid a fixed rate of 0.645% and received a variable rate of interest based on one-month LIBOR (as defined) from the counterparty which was reset every month for a three-year period ending March 31, 2015. As of July 31, 2014, the notional amount of the interest rate swap was $150.0 million. The Company records the fair value of its interest rate swaps on a recurring basis using Level 2 inputs of quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets. The fair value of the interest rate swaps as of July 31, 2015 and 2014 and April 30, 2015 was a deferred loss of $0.5 million, $0.6 million, and $0.6 million, respectively. Based on the maturity dates of the contracts, approximately $0.2 million, $0.5 million and $0.2 million of the deferred losses as of July 31, 2015, 2014 and April 30, 2015 were recorded in Other Accrued Liabilities, respectively, with the remaining deferred losses in each period of $0.3 million, $0.1 million and $0.4 million recorded in Other Long-Term Liabilities, respectively. The pre-tax losses that were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss into Interest Expense for the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014 were $0.3 million. Foreign Currency Contracts: The Company may enter into forward exchange contracts to manage the Company’s exposure on certain foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities. The forward exchange contracts are marked to market through Foreign Exchange Transaction Gains (Losses) in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, and carried at their fair value in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities are remeasured at spot rates in effect on the balance sheet date, with the effects of changes in spot rates reported in Foreign Exchange Transaction Gains (Losses). The Company did not maintain any open forward contracts as of July 31, 2015 or April 30, 2015. As of July 31, 2014, the total notional amount of the open forward contract in U.S. Dollars was $105.3 million. During the first three months of fiscal years 2015 and 2014, the Company did not designate any forward contracts as hedges under current accounting standards as the benefits of doing so were not material due to the short-term nature of the contracts. The fair value changes in the forward exchange contracts substantially mitigated the changes in the value of the applicable foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities. As of July 31, 2014, the fair value of the open forward exchange contract was a loss of approximately $4.0 million and recorded within Other Accrued Liabilities, in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. The fair values were measured on a recurring basis using Level 2 inputs. For the three months ended July 31, 2014 the loss recognized on the forward contract was $4.0 million.

Recent Accounting Standards (Po

Recent Accounting Standards (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Recent Accounting Standards [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Standards	2. Recent Accounting Standards In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2014-09 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (Topic 606) (“ASU 2014-09”), and the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) published its equivalent standard, International Financial Reporting Standard (“IFRS”) 15, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. These joint comprehensive new revenue recognition standards will supersede most existing revenue recognition guidance and are intended to improve and converge revenue recognition and related financial reporting requirements. The standard is effective for the Company on May 1, 2018 with early adoption permitted on May 1, 2017. The standard allows for either “full retrospective” adoption, meaning the standard is applied to all periods presented, or “cumulative effect” adoption, meaning the standard is applied only to the most current period presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently assessing whether the adoption of the guidance will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03 "Interest- Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs" (“ASU 2015-03”). The ASU requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. Previously, debt issuance costs were recognized as assets on the balance sheet. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this ASU. The standard is effective for the Company on May 1, 2016, with early adoption permitted, and requires retrospective application to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Although the new guidance will have no impact on the Company’s results of operations, the debt issuance costs presented as assets within the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Financial Position ($1.2 million as of July 31, 2015) will be reclassified as reductions of the related debt liability when the guidance is adopted. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05 "Intangibles- Goodwill and Other- Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in Cloud Computing Arrangements" (“ASU 2015-05”). Cloud computing arrangements represent the delivery of hosted services over the internet which include software, platforms, infrastructure and other hosting arrangements. The ASU provides criteria to determine whether the cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If the criteria are met, the customer will capitalize the fee attributable to the software license portion of the arrangement as internal-use software. If the arrangement does not include a software license, it should be treated as a service contract and expensed as services are received. The standard is effective for the Company on May 1, 2016 with early adoption permitted. An entity can elect to adopt either prospectively for all arrangements entered into after the effective date or retrospectively. The Company is currently assessing whether the adoption of the guidance will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Share-Based Compensation (Table

Share-Based Compensation (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Schedule of share-based compensation data for awards granted	The following table provides share-based compensation data for awards granted by the Company: For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 Restricted Stock: Awards granted (in thousands) 285 294 Weighted average fair value of grant $55.99 $59.70 Stock Options: Awards granted (in thousands) 160 188 Weighted average fair value of grant $14.77 $16.97
Weighted-average black-scholes fair value assumptions by stock option grants	The weighted average Black-Scholes fair value assumptions for stock option grants are as follows: For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 Expected life of options (years) 7.2 7.2 Risk-free interest rate 2.1% 2.2% Expected volatility 29.7% 30.9% Expected dividend yield 2.1% 1.9% Fair value of common stock on grant date $55.99 $59.70

Accumulated Other Comprehensi23

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Abstract]
Changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss by component, net of tax	Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss by component, net of tax, for the three months ended July 31, 2015 and 2014 were as follows (in thousands): Foreign Unamortized Interest Currency Retirement Rate Translation Costs Swaps Total Balance at April 30, 2015 $(246,854) $(159,434) $(345) $(406,633) Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications 19,106 (2,457) (84) 16,565 Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss - 1,973 177 2,150 Total other comprehensive (loss) income 19,106 (484) 93 18,715 Balance at July 31, 2015 $(227,748) $(159,918) $(252) $(387,918) Foreign Unamortized Interest Currency Retirement Rate Translation Costs Swaps Total Balance at April 30, 2014 $(66,664) $(123,025) $(602) $(190,291) Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications (2,858) (476) 74 (3,260) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss - 1,598 192 1,790 Total other comprehensive (loss) income $(2,858) $1,122 $266 $(1,470) Balance at July 31, 2014 $(69,522) $(121,903) $(336) $(191,761)

Reconciliation of Weighted Av24

Reconciliation of Weighted Average Shares Outstanding and Share Repurchases (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Reconciliation of Weighted Average Shares Outstanding and Share Repurchases [Abstract]
Reconciliation of shares used in computation of earnings per share	A reconciliation of the shares used in the computation of earnings per share follows (in thousands): For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 Weighted average shares outstanding 58,892 59,195 Less: Unearned restricted shares (217) (247) Shares used for basic earnings per share 58,675 58,948 Dilutive effect of stock options and other stock awards 691 836 Shares used for diluted earnings per share 59,366 59,784

Restructuring Programs (Tables)

Restructuring Programs (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Restructuring Programs [Abstract]
Pre-tax restructuring charges	The following tables summarize the pre-tax restructuring charges related to this program (in thousands): Cumulative For the Three Months Program Ended July 31, Charges to Date 2015 2014 Charges (Credits) by Segment: Research $370 $(185) $15,593 Professional Development 10 245 22,540 Education (11) 51 3,568 Shared Services 3,056 (266) 57,702 Total $3,425 $(155) $99,403 Charges (Credits) by Activity: Severance $1,817 $641 $64,576 Process Reengineering Consulting 3,246 (145) 14,721 Other Activities (1,638) (651) 20,106 Total $3,425 $(155) $99,403
Activity for restructuring and reinvestment program liability	The following table summarizes the activity for the Restructuring and Reinvestment Program liability for the three months ended July 31, 2015 (in thousands): Foreign April 30, Translation & July 31, 2015 Charges Payments Reclassifications 2015 Severance $18,794 $1,817 $(5,814) $50 $14,847 Process Reengineering Consulting - 3,246 (1,687) (1) 1,558 Other activities 11,859 (1,638) (1,521) (20) 8,680 Total $30,653 $3,425 $(9,022) $29 25,085

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Segment Information [Abstract]
Segment information	Segment information is as follows (in thousands): For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 RESEARCH Revenue $237,390 $254,870 Direct Contribution to Profit $106,813 $114,734 Allocated Shared Services and Administrative Costs: Distribution and Operation Services (10,179) (11,978) Technology and Content Management (24,056) (24,943) Occupancy and Other (7,009) (7,854) Contribution to Profit $65,569 $69,959 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Revenue $98,665 $92,327 Direct Contribution to Profit $41,281 $32,912 Allocated Shared Services and Administrative Costs: Distribution and Operation Services (6,869) (8,301) Technology and Content Management (9,804) (10,945) Occupancy and Other (5,595) (6,143) Contribution to Profit $19,013 $7,523 EDUCATION Revenue $86,926 $90,720 Direct Contribution to Profit $23,288 $28,563 Allocated Shared Services and Administrative Costs: Distribution and Operation Services (3,425) (3,332) Technology and Content Management (11,218) (13,339) Occupancy and Other (3,944) (3,196) Contribution to Profit $4,701 $8,696 Total Contribution to Profit $89,283 $86,178 Unallocated Shared Services and Administrative Costs (44,374) (36,548) Operating Income $44,909 $49,630 The following table reflects total Shared Services and Administrative costs by function, which are allocated to business segments based on the methodologies described above: For the Three Months Ended July 31, Total Shared Services and Administrative Costs: 2015 2014 Distribution & Operation Services $20,473 $23,834 Technology & Content Management 60,785 61,947 Finance 12,678 13,664 Other Administration 29,481 27,400 Restructuring Charges (see Note 7) 3,056 (266) Total $126,473 $126,579 For the Three Months Ended July 31, Total Revenue by Product/Service: 2015 2014 Journal Revenue $202,213 $217,751 Books and Custom Material 157,562 170,647 Online Program Management (Deltak) 20,502 16,237 Talent Solutions 25,976 17,176 Course Workflow Solutions (WileyPlus) 1,020 1,314 Other 15,708 14,792 Total $422,981 $437,917

Inventories (Tables)

Inventories (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Inventories [Abstract]
Inventories	Inventories were as follows (in thousands): As of July 31, As of April 30, 2015 2014 2015 Finished goods $47,887 $60,041 $52,705 Work-in-process 6,439 6,488 6,552 Paper, cloth and other 4,051 5,501 4,676 $58,377 $72,030 63,933 Inventory value of estimated sales returns 7,087 7,520 6,555 LIFO reserve (6,784) (4,942) (6,709) Total inventories $58,680 $74,608 $63,779

Intangible Assets (Tables)

Intangible Assets (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Intangible Assets [Abstract]
Schedule of intangible assets	Intangible assets consisted of the following (in thousands): As of July 31, As of April 30, 2015 2014 2015 Intangible assets with indefinite lives: Brands and trademarks $155,254 $165,462 $152,332 Content and publishing rights 85,502 103,808 83,972 $240,756 $269,270 $236,304 Net intangible assets with determinable lives: Content and publishing rights $482,967 $547,516 $482,596 Customer relationships 179,458 200,226 181,272 Brands and trademarks 16,221 19,787 16,783 Covenants not to compete 594 950 666 $679,240 $768,479 $681,317 Total $919,996 $1,037,749 $917,621

Retirement Plans (Tables)

Retirement Plans (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Retirement Plans [Abstract]
Components of net pension expense for the defined benefit plans	The components of net pension expense for the Company’s global defined benefit plans were as follows (in thousands): For the Three Months Ended July 31, 2015 2014 Service Cost $370 $1,553 Interest Cost 7,638 7,551 Expected Return on Plan Assets (10,172) (8,865) Net Amortization of Prior Service Cost (25) 27 Recognized Net Actuarial Loss 1,170 1,892 Settlement 1,857 - Net Pension Expense $838 $2,158

Basis of Presentation (Details)

Basis of Presentation (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Lag period between the company's recent international acquisition and financial reporting	2 months

Recent Accounting Standards (De

Recent Accounting Standards (Details) $ in Millions	Jul. 31, 2015USD ($)
Recent Accounting Standards [Abstract]
Debt issuance costs	$ 1.2

Share-Based Compensation (Detai

Share-Based Compensation (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense	$ 3.9	$ 3.3
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based compensation data for awards granted by the Company [Abstract]
Awards granted (in shares)	285	294
Weighted average fair value of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 55.99	$ 59.70
Stock Options [Member]
Share-based compensation data for awards granted by the Company [Abstract]
Awards granted (in shares)	160	188
Weighted average fair value of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 14.77	$ 16.97
Weighted-average Black-Scholes fair value assumptions by stock option grants [Abstract]
Expected life of options	7 years 2 months 12 days	7 years 2 months 12 days
Risk-free interest rate (in hundredths)	2.10%	2.20%
Expected volatility (in hundredths)	29.70%	30.90%
Expected dividend yield (in hundredths)	2.10%	1.90%
Fair value of common stock on grant date (in dollars per share)	$ 55.99	$ 59.70

Accumulated Other Comprehensi33

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance	$ (406,633)	$ (190,291)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	16,565	(3,260)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	2,150	1,790
Total other comprehensive (loss) income	18,715	(1,470)
Balance	(387,918)	(191,761)
Foreign Currency Translation [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance	(246,854)	(66,664)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	19,106	(2,858)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Total other comprehensive (loss) income	19,106	(2,858)
Balance	(227,748)	(69,522)
Unamortized Retirement Costs [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance	(159,434)	(123,025)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(2,457)	(476)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	1,973	1,598
Total other comprehensive (loss) income	(484)	1,122
Balance	(159,918)	(121,903)
Pre-tax actuarial losses included in Unamortized Retirement Costs	1,200	1,900
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance	(345)	(602)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(84)	74
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	177	192
Total other comprehensive (loss) income	93	266
Balance	$ (252)	$ (336)

Reconciliation of Weighted Av34

Reconciliation of Weighted Average Shares Outstanding and Share Repurchases (Details) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
Reconciliation of Weighted Average Shares Outstanding and Share Repurchases [Abstract]
Weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	58,892,000	59,195,000
Less: Unearned restricted shares (in shares)	(217,000)	(247,000)
Shares used for basic earnings per share (in shares)	58,675,000	58,948,000
Dilutive effect of stock options and other stock awards (in shares)	691,000	836,000
Shares used for diluted earnings per share (in shares)	59,366,000	59,784,000
Shares repurchased (in shares)	230,400
Average purchase price (in dollars per share)	$ 55.22
Stock Options [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive shares excluded for diluted EPS calculation (in shares)	338,297	0

Acquisitions (Details)

Acquisitions (Details) $ in Thousands, EndUser in Millions	May. 01, 2014USD ($)ObjectLanguageEndUserCountry	Jun. 30, 2015USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2015USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2014USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2015USD ($)	May. 02, 2014USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash, net of cash acquired			$ 2,221	$ 170,910
Lag period between the company's recent international acquisition and financial reporting			2 months
Revenue			$ 422,981	437,917
Operating loss			44,909	49,630
Goodwill			$ 971,407	1,031,527	$ 962,367
Cross Knowledge [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash, net of cash acquired	$ 166,000
Number of learning objects | Object	19,000
Number of languages in which training program provided | Language	17
Number of end-users served by enterprise | EndUser	5
Number of countries in which enterprise serves the end users | Country	80
Lag period between the company's recent international acquisition and financial reporting			2 months
Revenue		$ 8,500	$ 12,700	4,100
Operating loss		$ (800)	$ (400)	$ (200)
Purchase price allocation, identifiable long-lived intangible assets						$ 63,000
Purchase price allocation, technology						6,300
Purchase price allocation, long-term deferred tax liabilities						21,500
Negative working capital						(4,300)
Goodwill						$ 122,500
Estimated useful life of intangible assets acquired			15 years

Restructuring Programs (Details

Restructuring Programs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		39 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Total restructuring charge	$ 3,425	$ (155)	$ 99,403
Activity for Restructuring and Reinvestment Program liability [Roll Forward]
Restructuring Liability, Beginning Balance	30,653
Charges	3,425	(155)
Payments	(9,022)	(8,356)
Foreign Translation & Reclassifications	29
Restructuring Liability, Ending Balance	25,085		25,085
Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Total restructuring charge	1,817	641	64,576
Activity for Restructuring and Reinvestment Program liability [Roll Forward]
Restructuring Liability, Beginning Balance	18,794
Charges	1,817
Payments	(5,814)
Foreign Translation & Reclassifications	50
Restructuring Liability, Ending Balance	14,847		14,847
Process Reengineering Consulting [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Total restructuring charge	3,246	(145)	14,721
Activity for Restructuring and Reinvestment Program liability [Roll Forward]
Restructuring Liability, Beginning Balance	0
Charges	3,246
Payments	(1,687)
Foreign Translation & Reclassifications	(1)
Restructuring Liability, Ending Balance	1,558		1,558
Other Activities [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Total restructuring charge	(1,638)	(651)	20,106
Activity for Restructuring and Reinvestment Program liability [Roll Forward]
Restructuring Liability, Beginning Balance	11,859
Charges	(1,638)
Payments	(1,521)
Foreign Translation & Reclassifications	(20)
Restructuring Liability, Ending Balance	8,680		8,680
Other Activities [Member] | Other Accrued Liabilities [Member]
Activity for Restructuring and Reinvestment Program liability [Roll Forward]
Restructuring Liability, Ending Balance	200		200
Other Activities [Member] | Other Long-Term Liabilities [Member]
Activity for Restructuring and Reinvestment Program liability [Roll Forward]
Restructuring Liability, Ending Balance	8,500		8,500
Research [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Total restructuring charge	370	(185)	15,593
Professional Development [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Total restructuring charge	10	245	22,540
Education [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Total restructuring charge	(11)	51	3,568
Shared Services [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Total restructuring charge	$ 3,056	$ (266)	$ 57,702

Segment Information (Details)

Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015USD ($)CoreBusinesses	Jul. 31, 2014USD ($)
Segment Information [Abstract]
Number of core businesses | CoreBusinesses	3
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 422,981	$ 437,917
Shared services and administration costs	126,473	126,579
Operating Income	44,909	49,630
Distribution and Operation Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	20,473	23,834
Technology and Content Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	60,785	61,947
Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	12,678	13,664
Other Administration [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	29,481	27,400
Restructuring Charges [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	3,056	(266)
Journal Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	202,213	217,751
Books and Custom Material [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	157,562	170,647
Online Program Management (Deltak) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	20,502	16,237
Talent Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	25,976	17,176
Course Workflow Solutions (WileyPlus) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	1,020	1,314
Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	15,708	14,792
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Contribution to Profit	89,283	86,178
Operating Segments [Member] | Research [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	237,390	254,870
Direct contribution to profit	106,813	114,734
Contribution to Profit	65,569	69,959
Operating Segments [Member] | Research [Member] | Distribution and Operation Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	(10,179)	(11,978)
Operating Segments [Member] | Research [Member] | Technology and Content Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	(24,056)	(24,943)
Operating Segments [Member] | Research [Member] | Occupancy and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	(7,009)	(7,854)
Operating Segments [Member] | Professional Development [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	98,665	92,327
Direct contribution to profit	41,281	32,912
Contribution to Profit	19,013	7,523
Operating Segments [Member] | Professional Development [Member] | Distribution and Operation Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	(6,869)	(8,301)
Operating Segments [Member] | Professional Development [Member] | Technology and Content Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	(9,804)	(10,945)
Operating Segments [Member] | Professional Development [Member] | Occupancy and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	(5,595)	(6,143)
Operating Segments [Member] | Education [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	86,926	90,720
Direct contribution to profit	23,288	28,563
Contribution to Profit	4,701	8,696
Operating Segments [Member] | Education [Member] | Distribution and Operation Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	(3,425)	(3,332)
Operating Segments [Member] | Education [Member] | Technology and Content Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	(11,218)	(13,339)
Operating Segments [Member] | Education [Member] | Occupancy and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	(3,944)	(3,196)
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Shared services and administration costs	$ (44,374)	$ (36,548)

Inventories (Details)

Inventories (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jul. 31, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
Inventories [Abstract]
Finished goods	$ 47,887	$ 52,705	$ 60,041
Work-in-process	6,439	6,552	6,488
Paper, cloth and other	4,051	4,676	5,501
Gross inventory	58,377	63,933	72,030
Inventory value of estimated sales returns	7,087	6,555	7,520
LIFO reserve	(6,784)	(6,709)	(4,942)
Total inventories	$ 58,680	$ 63,779	$ 74,608

Intangible Assets (Details)

Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jul. 31, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets with indefinite lives	$ 240,756	$ 236,304	$ 269,270
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Net intangible assets with determinable lives	679,240	681,317	768,479
Total	919,996	917,621	1,037,749
Brands and Trademarks [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets with indefinite lives	155,254	152,332	165,462
Content and Publishing Rights [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets with indefinite lives	85,502	83,972	103,808
Content and Publishing Rights [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Net intangible assets with determinable lives	482,967	482,596	547,516
Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Net intangible assets with determinable lives	179,458	181,272	200,226
Brands and Trademarks [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Net intangible assets with determinable lives	16,221	16,783	19,787
Covenants not to Compete [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Net intangible assets with determinable lives	$ 594	$ 666	$ 950

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) € in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2015EUR (€)	Jul. 31, 2014
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Effective tax rate (in hundredths)	22.60%	22.60%	26.30%
Minimum [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Expected resolution period on tax appeal	18 months	18 months
Maximum [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Expected resolution period on tax appeal	24 months	24 months
Foreign Tax Authority [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Expected tax benefits derived from the step-up		€ 50
Expected tax benefits amortization	15 years	15 years
Total deposits		€ 48
Additional deposits for future deposits		€ 10
Expected interest rate on deposits (in hundredths)	6.00%	6.00%
Deposits and accrued interest income | $	$ 58.9

Retirement Plans (Details)

Retirement Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014
Defined benefit plans, net periodic benefit cost [Abstract]
Service Cost	$ 370	$ 1,553
Interest Cost	7,638	7,551
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(10,172)	(8,865)
Net Amortization of Prior Service Cost	(25)	27
Recognized Net Actuarial Loss	1,170	1,892
Settlement	1,857	0
Net Pension Expense	838	2,158
Pension plan contributions	7,800	2,700
Defined contribution plan	$ 5,800	$ 6,100

Debt and Available Credit Fac42

Debt and Available Credit Facilities (Details) - Revolving Credit Facility [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions	Aug. 06, 2015	Dec. 22, 2014	Oct. 31, 2014
Credit Facilities [Line Items]
Amount of financing available under credit facilities		$ 50	$ 50
Term of credit facility		30 days	364 days
Borrowing rate description		LIBOR plus an initial applicable margin of 1.0%	LIBOR plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.80% to 1.40%
Subsequent Event [Member]
Credit Facilities [Line Items]
Amount of financing available under credit facilities	$ 100
Period of reinstatement of credit facility	30 days
Minimum [Member]
Credit Facilities [Line Items]
Facility fee (in hundredths)			0.125%
Maximum [Member]
Credit Facilities [Line Items]
Facility fee (in hundredths)			0.30%
LIBOR [Member]
Credit Facilities [Line Items]
Variable rate (in hundredths)		1.00%
LIBOR [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Credit Facilities [Line Items]
Variable rate (in hundredths)			0.80%
LIBOR [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Credit Facilities [Line Items]
Variable rate (in hundredths)			1.40%

Derivative Instruments and He43

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2015
Interest expense [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Net losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	$ 0.3	$ 0.3
Fair value [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Variable rate loans outstanding	850.4
Interest rate swaps [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative instrument	(0.5)	(0.6)	$ (0.6)
Deferred loss on interest rate swap recorded as other accrued liabilities	(0.2)	(0.5)	(0.2)
Deferred loss on interest rate swap recorded as other long term liabilities	$ (0.3)	(0.1)	(0.4)
Interest rate swaps [Member] | August 2014 Interest rate swap (variable rate loans) [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Inception date	Aug. 15, 2014
Fixed interest rate (in hundredths)	0.65%
Description of variable rate basis	one-month LIBOR
Basis of variable interest rate, reference rate reset period (in months)	1 month
Term of derivative instrument	2 years
Expiration date	Aug. 15, 2016
Notional amount of derivative liability	$ 150
Interest rate swaps [Member] | January 2014 Interest rate swap (variable rate loans) [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Inception date	Jan. 15, 2014
Fixed interest rate (in hundredths)	0.47%
Description of variable rate basis	one-month LIBOR
Basis of variable interest rate, reference rate reset period (in months)	1 month
Term of derivative instrument	2 years
Expiration date	Jan. 15, 2016
Notional amount of derivative liability	$ 150
Interest rate swaps [Member] | March 2012 Interest rate swap (variable rate loans) [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Inception date	Mar. 30, 2012
Fixed interest rate (in hundredths)	0.645%
Description of variable rate basis	one-month LIBOR
Basis of variable interest rate, reference rate reset period (in months)	1 month
Term of derivative instrument	3 years
Expiration date	Mar. 31, 2015
Notional amount of derivative liability	$ 150
Forward exchange contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount of derivative liability	$ 0	105.3	$ 0
Forward exchange contracts [Member] | Foreign exchange transaction losses [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Loss on fair value of derivative instruments		(4)
Losses recognized on derivative instruments		$ (4)