A parent's guide · Effective school year 2026-27
2X is our promise. 1X is our floor.
Alpha Anywhere promises 2X or greater academic growth. That means twice the growth normally expected from a student over the same period. Our Growth Guarantee fulfills that promise.
If your child's overall measured growth falls below 1X for a testing period, you may leave and receive a full refund for that period. If it remains below 1X for two periods in a row, we end enrollment and refund the full span ourselves.
We will not keep your money when we fail to deliver normal academic growth.
More importantly, while we deliver on our 2X promise for the overwhelming majority of students, every child is unique. If we are measurably doing worse than a traditional school for your child, we will put your child's best interests first and step aside.
How growth is measured
Your child takes the NWEA MAP Growth test three times a year: fall, winter, and spring.
MAP measures growth in each subject against the growth normally expected from similar students over the same period. That expected growth is called 1X.
For purposes of the Growth Guarantee, we average your child's growth across all applicable subjects tested at both the beginning and end of the period. One subject below 1X does not necessarily mean your child's overall result is below 1X.
Example: If Math and Reading are the applicable subjects and your child records 1.4X in Math and 0.8X in Reading, their overall growth is 1.1X. Reading is below 1X, but the overall result remains above the minimum-growth floor.
An exception for students already in the top 10%
If your child finishes a testing period at or above the 90th percentile in a subject, that subject is not required to show 1X growth under the minimum-growth safeguard. Your child must still complete the required work and take a valid test in that subject. This exception applies only to the growth requirement.
Example: If your child finishes Math at the 93rd percentile, Math is not required to show 1X growth for that period.
If every tested subject finishes at or above the 90th percentile, the minimum-growth safeguard is not triggered for that period.
Why every subject must be tested
The guarantee is based on your child's overall academic performance. That result is only trustworthy when every eligible subject is measured.
A skipped subject could hide the score that changes the overall result. Testing in every eligible subject is therefore part of the program, not optional.
First-grade students are not eligible for Language or Science MAP tests. Second-grade students are eligible for those tests only if their MAP results show that they are independent readers.
What completing the work means
Alpha Anywhere is your child's full academic program across all core subjects.
For each subject, your child earns eligibility to take the winter and spring test in either of two ways:
Complete at least 75% of the required XP for the term, or
Complete the full expected active study time for the term.
Expected study time is 25 active minutes per subject for each scheduled learning day. The platform counts only the time your child is actively working. Inactive, distracted, away, or unrelated time does not count.
Meeting the active-time requirement allows your child to test even if they have not completed 75% of the required XP.
Example: If your child completes only 70% of the required Math XP but completes all expected active Math study time, they still qualify to take the test. Meeting either requirement is enough.
If your child meets neither requirement, we do not test that subject, and it counts as a missed test.
Every eligible student is offered every subject test in the fall because fall establishes the year's starting point.
Testing windows
Each testing window remains open for two full weeks and includes make-up days. An illness or trip should rarely need to become a missed test.
A subject counts as missed only if your child does not complete a valid test before the window closes. A test invalidated for academic dishonesty is not a valid attempt, but your child may retest during the same window.
If a score comes in below what your child's completed work suggests, we encourage a retest before the window closes. The score should reflect the learning.
Coaching is included
Every student is paired with a coach as part of Alpha Anywhere. Coaching helps students build the habits and consistency that strong academic growth requires.
If a test is missed
The first time your child misses a test in a subject, we contact you and flag that subject in the parent portal.
If the same subject is missed during two consecutive testing windows, we end enrollment and refund the full period between those tests.
Completing a valid test resets the missed-test count for that subject. Misses in different subjects do not combine.
Example: Missing Reading in both winter and spring triggers the missed-test safeguard. Missing Math in winter and Reading in spring does not, because the misses are in different subjects.
We cannot stand behind growth we cannot measure.
How refunds work
If your child's applicable overall growth is below 1X for one measured period, you have two choices:
Cancel within two weeks of receiving the results and receive a full refund for that period, or
Remain enrolled without receiving a refund.
If you remain enrolled and overall growth is below 1X again during the next measured period, you do not need to file a claim. We end enrollment automatically and refund the full span covering both periods.
Example: If your child records 0.9X growth from fall to winter and you choose to remain enrolled, then records 0.8X from winter to spring, we end enrollment and refund both periods automatically.
A refund always ends enrollment. There is no option to receive a refund and remain in the program.
Re-enrolling
After a refund, your child must wait before re-enrolling: six months in most cases or twelve months if the refund covered a full year.
A note on summer
We do not measure short periods that cross the summer. A slower summer by itself will never count against the guarantee.
Year-to-year comparisons still measure a complete year of learning.
Need help? Talk to Alphie, our smart AI assistant, in the Parent Portal. If he can't sort it out, he'll connect you with our team.