{
  "id": 3998147,
  "title": "Alpha School’s AI teaching model is expanding. Does it work?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/alpha-schools-ai-teaching-model-is-expanding-does-it-work",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-28T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Scientific American",
    "slug": "scientific-american",
    "url": "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/alpha-schools-ai-teaching-model-is-expanding-does-it-work/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Alpha School, a rapidly expanding private-school network, is increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to teach its students. The company's AI models act as tutors, adapting to each student's needs, assessing their progress, and providing live feedback. Researchers acknowledge that the science behind AI teaching is still evolving and inconclusive. Carl Hendrick, a senior learning scientist at Alpha School, compares training AI teaching models to training self-driving cars, noting the complexity and variability involved in both scenarios. He believes that within the next five to ten years, AI teaching in education could become as sophisticated as self-driving car technology. Alpha School's AI tutors operate for two hours each morning, and students also participate in life skills workshops in the afternoon. Tuition ranges from $40,000 to $75,000 per year, and the company plans to expand to about 50 campuses across the U.S., including 27 new locations. Joe Liemandt, the company's principal, aims to reach a billion children through this approach. Alpha School's model has shown promise in improving student performance and understanding when used alongside traditional teaching methods. However, critics argue that AI tutoring models may not fully replace the benefits of human teachers and classroom interactions, as there is limited evidence supporting the substitution of AI tutoring for traditional teaching methods.",
  "summary": "The fast-growing private-school network is handing much of instruction over to artificial intelligence. Researchers say the science is far from settled",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}