Called Unbound Academy, the charter will serve up to 200 students in grades four through eight starting this fall, and can grow to enroll 800 students over time, according to the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, which approved Unbound Academy’s application last month.
ACADEMICS BY AI
Within this model, four 25-minute sessions per school day on an adaptive AI system will cover core academics, where each student focuses on math, science, language and reading lessons that suit their current skill level, according to the company's own white paper.
The system uses a number of well-known AI-powered apps, such as Khan Academy and IXL, supplemented by proprietary adaptive learning software and strong teacher oversight, according to its founder MacKenzie Price, who said her team has built AI-powered apps for reading, writing and math to “fill the holes” in existing platforms.
The 2 Hour Learning team has also created a program that tracks how long students spend on each lesson and how often they leave the computer, turn away from the screen or are otherwise inactive, Price added. Such data, she said, tells teachers that a student may be struggling to use an app effectively.
If this happens, the teacher might help the student find a different app, perhaps one with more audio or visual material, but such tweaks are not often necessary, Price said, due to the gamified, competence-based system and the fact that it requires only four 25-minute bursts of attention.
PRIVATE SCHOOL RESULTS
2 Hour Learning is already in use at three brick-and-mortar private schools founded by Price, called "Alpha" schools, and six more are set to launch this fall. The first Alpha school opened in 2016 in Austin, Texas, and now serves K-12 students on two campuses for a tuition fee of $40,000 a year.
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) scores for students at Alpha Austin are in the 99th percentile almost across the board, according to the 2 Hour Learning white paper. The Alpha school that opened in Miami, Fla., this school year has not yet posted MAP results, but students at another Alpha school, which opened in 2022 in Brownsville, Texas, showed a spike in MAP scores from 2023 to 2024, the white paper reports.
Some teachers and education writers have questioned whether these results will translate to free charter schools, especially virtual ones, or if they’re the product of affluence and strict admission requirements. In response, Price said there is no academic threshold students must meet to enroll or stay at Alpha schools, and that many of the students are on some form of financial aid.
At Alpha Brownsville, Price said, half the students are the children of SpaceX employees, and the other half are from low-income families in the area and attend the school for free or very low cost.
“The first year, we had a group of second-grade students who were all in this lower socioeconomic status, and they came in in the 31st percentile in math and reading,” she said. “One year later, those same students were in the 84th percentile in math and the 71st percentile in reading.”
She added that many of the Brownsville students are native Spanish speakers who are able to learn science and math using apps that translate lessons for them when they get stuck, which can help them build English language proficiency while they study other subjects.
“That’s the power of effectively utilizing adaptive apps,” Price said. “In a standard classroom, the class moves on regardless of whether a student comprehends the material. Here, the lessons adjust to the student’s individual needs.”
MASTERY MATTERS
Unlike a traditional time-based school, where the pace is set by a calendar, Price said 2 Hour Learning uses mastery to determine student progression. The AI system does not move a student on to a more advanced lesson until they have mastered the current one. For example, students must achieve a full score in IXL or Khan Academy modules before they can progress, according to Unbound Academy’s charter application.
In fact, 2 Hour Learning starts students off in lessons that are two or three grade levels below their age, the application states, so the AI system can home in on their current competence level and allow them to progress as needed from there. Students who are already high achievers will quickly move on to more difficult lessons, Price said, and those who are not tend to catch up fast.
“We’re not intimidated by a kid who comes in in the 10th percentile, because we know we can meet them where they need to be met,” she said.
Price added that the AI system goes back to ensure each student’s entire academic foundation is strong before placing them in more advanced lessons. This leads to greater competence and confidence, she said, which can help motivate students and make learning feel fun.
GOING PUBLIC
Price said she would love to see 2 Hour Learning put to use in public schools, so teachers could focus more on their students and students would have flexibility to explore some of their own interests during the school day. She said she believes this would generate more excitement about school and produce better academic results with no need for homework.
For now, Price said she is looking to expand 2 Hour Learning in the public charter sector, starting with Arizona and gradually moving to other states. She said she has applications under review for in-person charter schools in Pennsylvania and Texas, and virtual charter schools in Pennsylvania and South Carolina.
“I think it’s critically important that we provide an opportunity for families to access this within a tuition-free environment,” she said. “Why would we not try?”
