MasteryPrep’s ‘One-Stop-Shop’ Platform Helps North Carolina District Improve ACT Scores

After MasteryPrep partnered with nine Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) for a pilot ACT test-prep program, six of those schools reported year-over-year average composite score increases, according to publicly available data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI). All nine pilot schools matched or outperformed the state average.

North Carolina requires schools and districts to administer the ACT to all 11th graders each spring. The DPI data is based on that annual statewide administration. The North Carolina state composite dropped 0.1 points to 18.1 in 2023-24 from a mean of 18.2 in 2022-23. CMS dropped 0.2 points, down to 18.3 from 18.5.

CMS is the 16th-largest school district in the nation, providing academic instruction and support to more than 141,000 students in Grades K-12. The district operates 186 schools throughout Mecklenburg County, including 34 high schools and early colleges. CMS offers magnet programs, along with career and technical education pathways to ensure career or college readiness—and this has included MasteryPrep resources.

In 2023-24, the CMS high schools piloted MasteryPrep’s Test Prep Solutions for the ACT® for access to our platform and workshops. MasteryPrep geared the pilot program toward schools within the district that traditionally score below the state ACT composite and to the students who could benefit from MasteryPrep resources. This effort aligns with our mantra: “Every student can graduate high school with a college-ready ACT or SAT score. Every student deserves to.”

The ultimate result: Six of the nine pilot schools saw gains in the 2023-24 school year. Below are those figures:

School (11th Grade Students Tested)	2022-23	2023-24	Change
Rocky River High School (271)	13.5	14.2	+0.7
Garinger High School (262)	13.3	14.0	+0.7
Mallard Creek High School (437)	15.8	16.4	+0.6
Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology (297)	15.9	16.4	+0.5
West Charlotte High School (266)	14.1	14.4	+0.3
Julius L. Chambers High School (275)	14.1	14.3	+0.2

The average score increase for pilot schools was +0.318 points, compared with the -0.42 composite point average experienced by schools not participating in the pilot. In addition to six of the nine pilot schools improving their ACT scores, MasteryPrep clients made up five of the six top improving schools in the district, according to a MasteryPrep analysis of the data.

Mallard Creek High School participated in the pilot program as the school implemented an assortment of MasteryPrep programs, including Bell Ringers (daily warm-up exercises), Online Course, Practice Testing & Analysis, Professional Development (for teachers), and Boot Camps (for students).

“We were seeking resources that would allow all students access to ACT prep and test practice options that were a one-stop-shop. The idea that students across all grade levels could practice ACT content was phenomenal,” says Beverly Brown, Assistant Principal at Mallard Creek High School. “One hundred percent of the student body had access to daily ACT activities.”

Brown added that the boot camp proved to be a valuable experience for the students. Here are several of their comments:

“I would recommend this to a peer because it will be beneficial and will give you more confidence for testing.”

“All the information allowed me to be more confident in answering the questions, and it made answering them easier.”

“It was very educational, and I learned new tips and tricks to manage my time on the ACT.”

MasteryPrep’s ACT solutions and resources include officially licensed ACT questions and implementation plans that are customizable to fit any school calendar. The ACT programs that MasteryPrep delivers to public schools nationwide include resources and tools that are data-driven, engaging, mastery-based, and flexible.

MasteryPrep resources include an analysis of over 20,000 official test items, and Practice Testing & Analysis delivers more than 50 million student data points aimed at learning from mistakes and improving results. The resources, such as bell ringers and boot camps, include attention-grabbing hooks and activities, careful lesson scaffolding and differentiation, and expert yet relatable lessons to keep students engaged.

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MasteryPrep offers a range of test-prep programs and service to support students in scoring college-ready on the North Carolina EOC assessments, the ACT®, and WorkKeys®.

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