Accreditation that Fits: Q&A with Alpha Schools

The Alpha School system is a network of private schools stretching from Miami to California that follows a non-traditional pedagogical approach. Alpha students’ instruction is highly personalized via AI tutoring apps, with human “guides” providing further personalized instruction as needed, as well as non-academic support. Alpha leaders sought an accrediting agency that could accept and evaluate the system’s unique approach. The Cognia Accreditation process provided Alpha Schools with the partnership and improvement model that they needed to fit their needs as a non-traditional school.

In a recent interview with Chris Locke, the Head of Alpha High School in Texas, we discussed their school system, how the Cognia Accreditation process met the needs of their non-traditional school model, and their experience in this continuous improvement process. This interview has been edited for clarity and format.

Question:The Alpha School system has expanded to 17 schools. Is that about right?

Locke: That is correct. We’re at 17 schools today and serving a little over 500 students across all those schools and campuses. We are really excited about the opportunity to bring the model, which we refer to as “time back,” to other cities around the country. It’s important because a lot of what we do is about making it more personalized and more efficient, but more importantly, it is about letting students have their time back in the afternoons to explore and learn life skills. We really highlight the learning that takes place in the afternoon, whether through experiential workshops or projects.

Question: What is the goal of your school system?

Locke: Our founder’s goal is to bring this alternative form of education to a billion students. So that’s a big goal. And so, he has shared that he believes, in five to 10 years, every student in the world could get a tablet with everything they need, and whether that’s in three years, five years, or 10 years, it’s probably coming. But at the same time, what is key to an amazing education is the interaction that students have with trusted adults, whether you call them teachers, guides, as we do, or coaches; that’s where the magic happens.

All of us can think back to that teacher who made an impact on us in our lives. And every session, we ask our students, “Is your guide that person for you?” And if it’s not, we’re digging in and finding out why. Because the Alpha system is hard. I refer to this as climbing “Mount Alpha,” with your guide being that trusted sherpa. They’re not going to do it for you, but they’re going to walk with you. They’re going to strategize with you. They’re going to provide coaching, motivation, tutoring, and additional academic and life skills support.

That’s where the magic happens: when the student believes their guide has their best interests at heart and can give them constructive feedback when necessary. I think that’s why a lot of traditional teachers got into the field – because they wanted to make a difference and help a student grow and develop, and that’s what we’re able to do every day.

That’s where the magic happens: when the student believes their guide has their best interests at heart and can give them constructive feedback when necessary.

Question: I see that you grant scholarships. What percentage of students are attending with a scholarship?

Locke: It’s right between 18 and 20% right now. So, if we look at the 500 students we currently have, there are about 98 who receive some type of aid.

We partnered with a charter school last year, Nova Academy, and this year we decided to convert it entirely into a private school. We honored the no-tuition policy, so 100% of the 24 students that are on that campus are on full aid, including the lunch program and everything, because we don’t want this program to be seen as a program that only entrepreneurs and higher socioeconomic status families can take advantage of, because, based on our data, we see fantastic results. We’re going to get incredible results from the Nova students this year and everywhere in between. So, we certainly want to be a program that serves all learners who think that our program is the right fit for them.

Question: How did you first find out about Cognia and engage with our accreditation process?

Locke: I’m familiar with Cognia because my previous school was a part of the Florida Council of Independent Schools, and through that process, we automatically, at the time, got AdvancEd Accreditation. When I came to Alpha, the original plan was to choose not to become accredited. We didn’t want to feel beholden to an organization. My experience, though, was that it was always a really helpful process. It was designed to be more about how you continuously improve your school than about how you run a report, put it on a shelf for five years, and dust it off when you’re getting ready for the next visit.

The biggest reason we pursued accreditation and chose high school first was that if our high school program wasn’t a good fit for a student, it would hurt them to have an unaccredited transcript. We’re not ideal for everyone – we are ideal for most, but not all. Private school to private school was not a big deal, but private to public was a challenge for us, and so we, number one, never want to put a student in a difficult situation.

But more importantly, we felt embraced by an organization, Cognia, that was willing to look at alternative methods of instruction and alternative approaches to education that weren’t entirely led by teachers in the front of the classroom. At the end of the day, my takeaway from this process was that Cognia is all about supporting different types and methods and instruction, as long as the ultimate goal is the benefit of the student.

At the end of the day, my takeaway from this process was that Cognia is all about supporting different types and methods and instruction, as long as the ultimate goal is the benefit of the student.

Question: What tipped the scales to make you choose Cognia?

Locke: I was given autonomy, freedom, and support to make the decision because of my previous experience. But again, I want to emphasize that after my initial conversation, when I read the standards, I felt that Cognia, as an accrediting body, understood us. And so, after that, there was no other consideration. This was the only one we were going to consider.

Question: Were there any surprises during the accreditation process?

Locke: When we were going through the process, I was surprised by the tools that were available. You know, when we went through it at my previous school, we didn’t use the eleot tool. Now, using those teacher observation tools and other programs, and being able to drop things into our workspace, made it a living process rather than just writing a report to check a box.

All the activities, including reviewing the standards and doing the self-evaluation of “are we meeting this standard,” really felt directed towards how we can get better as a school and continue to deliver to students. I had two teams of people that were super supportive of what we were doing, but also asked us insightful questions, and asked us tough questions, not because it was a gotcha, but because they seemed interested in helping us be a better school. That is what I love about this process.

Question: Could you tell me a bit about extending your accreditation across your whole system after accrediting Alpha High?

Locke: I think the more you live in the world of being an accredited school, and when you see the things that are going on in other states, as states are looking at vouchers for private schools, it just became clear to us that we wanted everything under the Cognia umbrella, because we get instant credibility once we say that we’re accredited through Cognia. It feels like we’re partners, not just paying a membership fee. It’s a partnership. It’s a collaborative exercise.

Chris Locke is an experienced, results‑oriented educational leader with over 20 years in academic administration, student success, and program innovation. He currently serves as Head of School at Alpha in Austin, TX, leading all aspects of high school operations with a focus on academic excellence and the innovative AlphaX program. At Alpha, he drives institutional growth and fosters student achievement by empowering teams, aligning strategy with data, and helping students build ambitious, real‑world AlphaX projects.