A private school in Texas has performed less, less, at a time when many American students struggle to keep up.
At Alpha School, students spend only two hours a day in class under the guidance of artificial intelligence (AI) tutors. But the results are impressive: The top 1-2% of students nationwide are being tested.
"We use AI tutors and adaptive applications to provide a fully personalized learning experience," Mackenzie Price, co-founder of Alpha, said in an interview with Fox & Friends.
"Our students learn faster. They learn better. In fact, our classes are in the top 2% of the country."
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A private school in Texas uses AI counselors. (Kirke Side/Houston Chronicle by Getty Image)
After the academic barrier in the morning, the rest of the school day is spent building real-world skills such as public speaking, teamwork, and financial literacy.
Price, a psychologist at Stanford University education, said she initiated the Alpha after her daughter was bored from school and had no challenges. After two years of development, the first Alpha campus opened in Austin in 2016.
The idea is simple and bold: Use technology to compress core scholars 2 hours a day and release the remaining day to allow students to grow in other ways.
The model seems to be working. Elle Kristine, a junior in Alpha since her second year, shares her experience with Fox & Friends.
"I have a lot of friends in traditional schools," said Christine. "They spend all their time academically, they feel stressed, they're just suffering."
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Alpha school students are tested in the top 1 to 2% of the nationwide tests. (Getty Image)
“We can do all the scholars in just three hours a day, and then for the rest of the day we will spend what we love and work on passion projects.”
"For me, I'm creating a safe AI dating coach for teenagers. I recently introduced it in the Wall Street Journal. Which 16-year-old has time? It's amazing."
Alpha currently operates campuses in Austin, Brownsville and Miami, serving students from Pre-K to high school.
Austin locations include K-8 College and a dedicated high school campus in downtown. Alpha's Brownsville School has grown the fastest, and the Miami campus now offers students in 10th grade.
Register intentionally small, with about 150 students on the original Austin website, which can provide a highly personalized experience.
Instead of a traditional teacher, Alpha adopts a guide focused on coaching and emotional support, while AI is responsible for academic guidance.
"Our teachers spent all their time working with our students," Price said. "This kind of relationship can never be replaced by AI. But AI allows everyone to learn in a personalized way."
With the growth of results and parental demand, Alpha is now adopting its educational model nationwide. The school announced plans to open seven new campuses by fall 2025.
Upcoming locations include:
Texas: Houston and Fort Worth (K-8)
Florida: Orlando, Tampa and Palm Beach (K – 8)
Arizona: Phoenix (K-8)
California: Santa Barbara (K-12)
New York: New York City (K – 8)
Many of these sites have opened the app. Tuition costs vary by location, with an average of about $40,000 to $50,000 per year, although the Brownsville campus is subsidized to make it easier to obtain.
"It's infinitely scalable and accessible," Price said. "This will help struggling students, as well as those who are bored in traditional classrooms."
In some schools, traditional classroom desktops like this are replaced by flexible technology-driven learning models, including AI-driven teaching. (Getty Image)
Alpha's rise came when the school chose to find a championship in the Trump administration.
In January, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Education to help states redistribute federal education funds to school selection programs, including charter schools, private coupons and education savings accounts.
"Parents want and cope with their children's best education," the order states. "However, too many children are not thriving in assigned government-run K-12 schools."
Education Minister Linda McMahon praised the policy’s transformation into “historical creation” and stressed that the government is providing power to families and local communities.
“We sent education back to such a right country,” McMahon said. “Families should control how children learn. This includes AI-driven schools, faith-based choices or traditional public classrooms.”
The Trump administration’s plan also allows parents to use 529 savings accounts to pay for private K-12 tuition fees and encourages states to apply for federal grants supporting educational innovation.
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Alpha School did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.