‘Perfect’ Restart

MasteryPrep Instructor Andrea Broussard Restarts Career into Education; Helps Student Achieve Perfect ACT Score

Andrea Broussard was in disbelief. She could restart the computer all she wanted, but her student’s perfect score on the ACT was not going to change.

“I will never forget that day and that feeling for my student. It was the last day of the school year in May 2018, and I was in my second semester teaching at Delcambre (High School),” said Broussard, a MasteryPrep instructor, PD Facilitator, and Supplemental Course Academy Liaison. “We heard an announcement over the intercom that the ACT scores were online, so my student and I checked her score. She had a 29 previously. We looked, and we saw a 36. We screamed; we jumped around; we hollered in excitement. Then we restarted the computer just to make sure it was not an error, and we saw it again. It was an amazing moment.”

With her student’s improvement of seven points to a perfect score, Broussard had helped her student earn a full tuition scholarship to McNeese State University. “She was set for whatever opportunity she wanted, and that is a dream come true for your students. That feeling is why we do what we do. She would spend extra time to get help, and she was up for every challenge I threw at her. It was definitely a success story of working hard, staying committed, and achieving your dream.”

Broussard had her own dream of landing a career in education, but the former accountant who came from a family of CPAs spent several years down a different career path before restarting hers in the classroom.

With her student’s improvement of seven points to a perfect score, Broussard had helped her student earn a full tuition scholarship to McNeese State University.

As a child, Broussard always liked to play school. “I would line up all my stuffed animals and baby dolls as if they were my students. I was always interested in being organized, making lists and notes, and completing all my homework and lessons before everyone else. So eventually when I was able to get paid to play school. I was like, ‘yes, please.’”

However, the Palmetto, Louisiana native began her career in accounting, earning a Master of Science in Accountancy. In 2015, Broussard was a documentation specialist for the oilfield service company Weatherford International and then was in accounts receivable for a tax and financial services firm, Waits Consulting Group. “I came from a family of CPAs, so dealing with numbers and being in accounting just came natural. I was good at what I was doing – helping companies achieve bottom lines, balance their books, and meet customers’ expectations, but I always felt like a passion was missing,” Broussard said.

In summer 2018, she saw an ad for an in-person ACT prep high school instructor for MasteryPrep. Broussard interviewed for the job, was hired, and started her new career in August 2018, teaching the ACT MasteryPrep curriculum as an elective in three high schools, five days a week.

Broussard successfully helped her students increase their ACT scores by an average of 2-3 points and constantly received excellent ratings from student surveys. She also helped a student who needed 504 disability accommodations in reading, English, and writing and language increase his score from an 11 to a 15 in just one year. “The lessons are presented in a way that teach skills needed from the ground-up and refresh valuable content that students may have forgotten.”

Broussard said. “We constantly track progress, improve upon weaknesses, and build continued confidence so that come test day, students are ready for the real test.”

MasteryPrep is the nation’s leading provider of school-based ACT and SAT prep programs. Each year, MasteryPrep boosts the outcomes of more than 200,000 students through its partnerships with more than 2,000 schools and 100 federal grant programs – serving 350-plus schools in Louisiana and Texas alone. MasteryPrep was founded on the belief that every student can achieve college readiness, and Broussard said she quickly became aware of that mission to help “every student” in her first year of teaching. “I knew right away that if you’re an educator at heart, this is the company to teach for; it’s better than sliced bread,” Broussard said. “Students walk into the classroom and into an opportunity to build confidence and college-readiness, and we provide those pathways for them. There’s no comparison to helping kids get into college.”

Growth and Development at MasteryPrep

Broussard wakes up every morning at 5 a.m., fixes her cup of coffee, and begins preparing for the day. “I can’t wait for what the new day will bring; I am motivated by the success of our students and fellow teachers.”

By March 2019, Broussard earned several certifications through MasteryPrep – Supplemental Course Academy ACT Mastery Teacher Certification; ACT and SAT Facilitator Certification; EOC Geometry and Algebra I Facilitator Certifications; and ACT Professional Development Certification. In August 2020, Broussard was promoted to Instructional Coach, training and mentoring ACT and SAT prep instructors. In December 2020, Broussard added on an additional role of Supplemental Course Academy Liaison to ensure effective communication between MasteryPrep and Louisiana Department of Education and coordinate “Grades in Progress” reporting to the State of Louisiana. She provides professional development to educators to ensure students are equipped with the content knowledge necessary to increase ACT, SAT, and WorkKeys test scores.

“I knew from the beginning that if I worked hard, then MasteryPrep would continue to be supportive of any growth and development in which I aspired,” Broussard said. “The company encourages us to be ourselves, build teams, work with others, and develop as leaders. The belief is ‘Let’s see how we can become stronger and make our opportunities better for kids to have a chance to attend college.’”

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to go virtual, Broussard was part of the MasteryPrep team that helped create lesson plans and syllabi to adjust to the remote learning environment. In 2020, MasteryPrep served nearly 400,000 students, more than double its 2019 reach, due in large part to releasing a robust set of blended learning solutions that helped schools and districts provide engaging, effective instruction to students. Such innovative solutions included Study Hall and Snap Course. Study Hall is an online adaptive test prep program that uses a student’s testing data to chart the path of least resistance to higher scores. Snap Course is a micro-video platform that allows students to watch up to 30-second videos and answer questions, among other simulated activities. Broussard recalls having a hand in close to 100 lesson plans and 30 standard syllabi for virtual teaching.

“There were a lot of late nights, but it was an honor to work with fellow MasteryPrep team members and to help build innovative and engaging curriculum in a brand-new world of post-pandemic teaching,” Broussard said. “The valuable part of my role is helping fellow teachers provide the appropriate instruction of MasteryPrep’s resources to our students and working collaboratively to achieve best practices across our diversity of offerings.”

*Testimonials from MasteryPrep instructors. Results vary.

About MasteryPrep: Founded in 2012, Baton Rouge-based MasteryPrep provides mastery-based college readiness services and resources, such as for the ACT and SAT, to more than 2,000 schools and districts nationwide. In addition, MasteryPrep has helped more than 1 million low-income students prepare for the ACT and SAT at no cost to the student. Nationally, MasteryPrep is the preferred ACT and SAT prep provider of the Council for Opportunity in Education, expanding college opportunities for low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the Pacific Islands, and Puerto Rico. MasteryPrep is ranked among the Inc. 5000 “Fastest Growing Companies”; featured by “Entrepreneur 360”; and selected among the “Growth Leaders” by Louisiana Economic Development for two years in a row.

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