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Closing the College Readiness Gap: MasteryPrep’s Mission to Level the Playing Field

  • May 13, 2025
After earning perfect scores on both the ACT® and SAT®, Craig Gehring began tutoring students to help them earn college scholarships. What he found surprised him: many students claimed they understood the material—but struggled to apply it. They hadn’t forgotten it; they had never truly mastered it in the first place.

That insight changed everything. Gehring realized that traditional test prep assumed students already had a strong academic foundation and just needed review. But for students scoring below college readiness benchmarks, that assumption was flawed. They needed a different approach—one that built true mastery from the ground up.

So he created MasteryPrep: a test preparation program designed to help underperforming students gain the skills they never fully acquired, so they could unlock real opportunities.

“Students aren’t doing poorly on these tests because they forgot the material—they never really mastered the skills in the first place,” Gehring recently told Dr. Steven Miletto on the “Teaching, Leading, Learning K-12” podcast.

RELATED RESOURCE:

"Teaching. Learning, Leading K-12" Podcast Episode #758: Featuring Craig Gehring, CEO and Founder

Craig sat down with Dr. Steven Miletto, a veteran educator of 30+ years, to discuss the MasteryPrep mission and what sets us apart.

  • A Different Kind of Test Prep
MasteryPrep’s name says it all. Unlike traditional review-focused programs, MasteryPrep emphasizes deliberate skill-building, pacing, and foundational mastery.

Take grammar, for example. A student may struggle on the ACT English section—not because they forgot middle school grammar rules but because they never truly grasped them. Most high school teachers aren’t equipped to re-teach those standards in depth. That’s where MasteryPrep comes in.

Rather than race through every possible concept, our test prep solutions help students master one skill at a time. This approach is particularly effective for students scoring in the 15–19 range on the ACT or equivalent SAT ranges—those just shy of college readiness. Helping these students improve by even a few points can transform their futures.

To support schools, MasteryPrep offers a comprehensive suite of tools and resources:

Teacher Manual and student workbooks of Mastery for the ACT test prep textbooks

Our Curriculum, accessible via the digital platform or print, offers a mastery-based course of study with scaffolded modules aligned to state standards and the most heavily tested skills.

Overheard point of view of teacher viewing overview report from practice tests

Practice Testing & Analysis, delivered through the digital platform, gives students real test simulations and gives educators actionable insights into student performance for adaptive preparation.

computer mockup of an online bell ringer course

Bell Ringers, available through the MasteryPrep digital platform, provide daily classroom warm-ups that reinforce essential math, grammar, and reading skills.

Instructor leading a professional development for a room full of instructors

Professional Development equips teachers with standards-aligned strategies to integrate test-taking skills into their daily instruction, strengthening instruction across core subject areas.

Black university student is smiling while using a laptop in class, surrounded by classmates in a modern university lecture hall or college

Boot Camps are high-energy, one-day workshops delivered by expert instructors, designed to boost student confidence and provide effective strategies just before test day.

StudentReadingPassage-EnhancedACT

Online Course, also on the digital platform, offers adaptive learning paths with microvideos and practice for equitable access to non-negotiable skill-building.

  • Designed for Equity
From the beginning, MasteryPrep was built around one mission: educational equity.

Instead of selling directly to families, MasteryPrep partners exclusively with schools and districts. This model ensures all students—especially those who can’t afford private tutors—get access to high-quality test prep.

Schools use MasteryPrep in flexible ways: integrated into homeroom or core classes, assigned as independent practice, or offered through software platforms students can access from home. Districts choose the right mix of print, tech, and live instruction to meet their needs.

No matter the format, the goal is the same: give every student a fair shot at college readiness.

Related Reading

Equity in Test Prep: How MasteryPrep Gives Every Student a Fair Shot at Success
Traditional test prep often leaves low-income students without the resources they need to score college-ready. MasteryPrep can help.
READ MORE
  • Measurable Impact

MasteryPrep measures success through evidence—not assumption—by analyzing student outcomes, tracking score gains, and refining its approach based on real data.

One Louisiana district that partnered with MasteryPrep posted three consecutive years of ACT score gains and became the top-performing district in the state for improvement—particularly among economically disadvantaged students, Gehring said on Dr. Miletto’s podcast. Similar outcomes have been seen in Kentucky and North Carolina.

Districts see the benefits not just in test scores, but in accountability metrics, scholarship dollars, and increased postsecondary opportunities.

“Students aren’t doing poorly on these tests because they forgot the material—they never really mastered the skills in the first place."

Craig Gehring
CEO and Founder of MasteryPrep
“The difference between a 22 and a 24 on the ACT—two points—might be $25,000 in scholarships,” Gehring said. “There’s just an incredible return on investment for the time students spend preparing.”

For students from low-income families, it can mean the difference between attending college or not. That’s why MasteryPrep exists—not to chase perfect scores, but to unlock options for students who’ve too often been overlooked. Because every student deserves the chance to succeed.

MasteryPrep Test Prep Solutions

MasteryPrep bundles provide districts and schools of all sizes with a suite of test-prep solutions and programs to be implemented throughout the school year in alignment with state standards.
Learn More

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College Readiness in Rural Appalachia: Clay County Schools’ ACT Gains with MasteryPrep

For the past seven years, Clay County Schools in North Carolina has partnered with MasteryPrep to level the test-prep playing field.

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The updated ACT format brings several important changes. Here’s what educators and students need to know about what’s true (and what’s not).

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May 23, 2025

Closing the College Readiness Gap: MasteryPrep’s Mission to Level the Playing Field

MasteryPrep’s programs are designed to help underperforming students gain the skills they never fully acquired, so they could unlock real opportunities.

Read More »
May 13, 2025
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ACT® is the registered trademark of ACT, Inc. Some items in MasteryPrep programs are the copyrighted content of ACT, Inc. and are reproduced with permission. SAT® is a trademark of the College Board. MasteryPrep LLC has no affiliation with College Board MasteryPrep SAT programs are not approved or endorsed by College Board. The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) is an ACCUPLACER® exam, which is a trademark of College Board. MasteryPrep has no affiliation with College Board or the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), and the TSIA2 Mastery program is not approved or endorsed by College Board or the TSI. WorkKeys® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. The WorkKeys programs are not approved or endorsed by ACT, Inc.

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