S2E254: Our Unconventional Report Card Alternative: Check Charts Explained

What happens when a student’s niche curiosity is given the time, space, and support to grow? For Austin, it means building a neuroscience-backed gaming algorithm during the school day at Alpha. This episode showcases how Alpha’s model empowers students to chase their passions and create real-world projects that reflect their unique interests.

In the final part of this special 3-part series, Chloe, Lead Guide at Alpha High, pulls back the curtain on her exact step-by-step process for guiding students through setting and achieving big goals. A Harvard graduate, former attorney, and lifelong educator, Chloe brings a wealth of experience to her role mentoring students. From uncovering what truly excites each student, to unlocking motivation, setting ambitious goals, overcoming inevitable roadblocks, and ultimately bringing a big vision to life, Chloe shares the blueprint she uses to help teens turn passion into accomplishment.

Have you ever wondered how to help your child or student figure out what lights them up? In part 2 of this 3-part series, Chloe, Lead Guide at Alpha High, pulls back the curtain on her exact step-by-step process for guiding students through setting and achieving big goals. A Harvard graduate, former attorney, and lifelong educator, Chloe brings a wealth of experience to her role mentoring students. From uncovering what truly excites each student, to unlocking motivation, setting ambitious goals, overcoming inevitable roadblocks, and ultimately bringing a big vision to life, Chloe shares the blueprint she uses to help teens turn passion into accomplishment.

This episode kicks off a very special 3-part series with Chloe, Lead Guide at Alpha High, who pulls back the curtain on her exact step-by-step process for guiding students through their years-long masterpiece projects. A Harvard graduate, former attorney, and lifelong educator, Chloe brings a wealth of experience to her role mentoring students and helping them set and achieve big goals. From uncovering what truly excites each student, to unlocking motivation, setting ambitious goals, overcoming inevitable roadblocks, and ultimately bringing a big vision to life, Chloe shares the blueprint she uses to help teens turn passion into accomplishment.

As one of Alpha’s most veteran students, Maddie is living proof of our unique learning model's efficacy. For the past three years, she’s dedicated her afternoons to her “masterpiece project”- an original musical written and performed entirely by teens. In this episode, Maddie and MacKenzie dive into the creative journey, what it takes to stick with a big idea, and how Alpha makes room for students to find and focus on what they truly love.

In this episode, MacKenzie sits down with Dr. Dalian Caraballo, a board-certified family medicine physician and Alpha parent, to explore the surprising parallels between healthcare and education. Together, they unpack why one-size-fits-all models fail in both fields and how personalized approaches can transform outcomes for kids.

What does it look like when school doesn’t get in the way of your passion, but powers it? Elle has been at Alpha since elementary school, and now she's a teen CEO. In this episode, MacKenzie and Elle talk about how Alpha's unique learning model has enabled her to build her business during school hours: an AI-powered app that gives safe dating advice to teens. If you’ve ever wondered what your child could do with the right support and time during the school day, this episode is for you.

Traditional report cards are not effective anymore...so we've replaced them with Check Charts! In this episode, MacKenzie and producer Jay sit down to outline Alpha’s non-traditional alternative to report cards called Check Charts. Listen in to find out the exact life skills and academic metrics we expect of our elementary schoolers- many of which you can implement at home with your own kids!

In Part Two of this special live-recorded episode, Alpha parents pose their biggest questions about AI and education to Dan Schwartz, Dean of Stanford’s Graduate School of Education. If you missed it, be sure to check out Part One for the full conversation with MacKenzie and Dean Schwartz.

In Part One of this special live-recorded episode, we share MacKenzie's conversation with Dan Schwartz, Dean of Stanford's Graduate School of Education. Speaking to a live audience of Alpha parents, they explore how AI makes true one-to-one personalized learning possible, empowers students to become creators instead of passive consumers, and delivers real-time insights into student progress. In Part Two, we'll dive into the compelling questions parents asked Dean Schwartz.