U-Ark’s Robert Maranto & BASIS Ed Texas’ Sean Woytek on Academically Intensive Charter Schools

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Walter Blanks of the American Federation for Children interview Prof. Robert Maranto and Sean Woytek co-authors of the Education Next piece, “Why Academically Intensive Charter Schools Deserve Our Attention.” They explore how rigorous charter school networks like BASIS Ed have achieved exceptional outcomes and what their success can teach policymakers and educators nationwide about improving academic performance nationwide. Maranto and Woytek trace BASIS’s origins to 1998, when it opened with 56 students in Tuscon, Arizona. Today, the network operates 40 schools across five states, consistently ranking among the nation’s top performers. Despite these results, Maranto and Woytek note that “Academically Intensive Charter Schools” (AICS) remain largely overlooked, even as national reading and math scores continue to decline. They explain how AICS differ from specialized or “No Excuses” charter models by emphasizing broad, rigorous academics and high expectations for all students. Spending roughly $12,350 per student—far less than traditional public schools—AICS achieve remarkable academic outcomes and demonstrate strong accountability. Maranto and Woytek conclude by urging educators and policymakers to recognize, study, and replicate the AICS model to expand access to high-quality, academically rigorous education across the country.