Custom-Created Online Dashboard and Test Prep Available to All Schools
Since 2014, Baton Rouge-based test-prep startup MasteryPrep has partnered with LPSS GEAR UP to provide customized test prep to GEAR UP’s students. During that time, MasteryPrep has provided professional development for teachers, printed materials and in-person support to help students master key concepts and skills necessary for testing and academic success. As a result of its collaboration with GEAR UP, in 2020 MasteryPrep developed a new comprehensive real-time data dashboard to support its newly expanded TruScore Online test prep and training platform. This new dashboard, as well as MasteryPrep’s full ACT-prep curriculum-aligned online platform, has been made available to the entire school district via the partnership with LPSS GEAR UP.
MasteryPrep’s ACT prep programming was designed to help schools boost students' scores by providing a robust platform that provides individualized practice and learning resources. Teachers can assign specific subjects or concepts for students to work on and the system can detect any deficiencies and provide immediate remediation or learning plans to address them. The new ACT dashboard provides teachers with real-time visibility into where students may be falling behind and need further help. More than 6,000 videos are available to help explain every answer, and students can get immediate feedback and explanation for any questions they get wrong. ACT Boot Camps are also available for those looking to improve test-taking strategies and confidence. One LPSS teacher reports that they’ve seen students go from an ACT score of 14 to a 17 after a single boot camp, a score which qualifies them for a TOPS Tech scholarship.
The MasteryPrep approach to testing is designed to be broad-based for those needing to reach minimum scores for admission, but it can also be tailored to help mid-level scoring students who want to work on specific areas for improvement. Unlike traditional test prep options, MasteryPrep doesn’t rely primarily on self-guided study and timed practice tests. Rather, it is designed to provide more structured and robust support — to provide all students with the tools to improve their test taking abilities and scores. MasteryPrep’s training is also aligned to the curriculum, not just the ACT test, so it can be used by teachers to support their regular classroom instruction.
Founded in Baton Rouge in 2010 by Craig Gehring, MasteryPrep has seen its profile grow considerably in recent years. The tech startup attracted $2.0 million in investment capital last year — including a large contribution from a group of investors led by the Schumacher Family Foundation — allowing the company to hire more people with the goal of tripling the number of students served by next year. MasteryPrep is now the top provider of ACT prep in the country, serving 5 percent of all ACT test takers nationwide.
Gehring, who attended Baton Rouge Magnet High School, got perfect scores on both the ACT and the SAT as a junior. He would go on to become a test prep tutor, where he saw that struggling students had different needs than high achievers. With so much of the available test prep already targeting those high achievers, Gehring wanted to create a tool that would bring test prep to a much broader audience. He founded MasteryPrep with the goal of leveling the playing field by making effective, robust test prep available to students of all backgrounds through their schools. In particular, MasteryPrep seeks to help schools with disadvantaged student populations, where a score increase of even a few points can be life-changing for many students hoping to continue with some form of post-secondary education.
This homegrown company with a staff of 150 has grown to serve more than 1,000 schools in 25 states, working with more than 175,000 students in 2019 alone. Schools working with MasteryPrep have seen scores of students who engage with MasteryPrep increase by an average of at least 4 points. By providing teachers with the right combination of professional development training and online resources, the company’s platform has made effective test prep more widely available to students of all backgrounds.
“MasteryPrep was designed to level the playing field of ACT test prep. By working through schools and teachers, we’re able to reach a wider population, including underserved schools and communities,” says Craig Gehring, founder and CEO of MasteryPrep. “We believe every student can raise his or her score with the right tools and support system in place. Thanks to our partnership with LPSS GEAR UP, we’ve been able to offer this resource directly to all the district’s schools.”
LPSS GEAR UP has served as the key facilitator with MasteryPrep, securing the in-kind partnership and acting as intermediary to support implementation across district schools. GEAR UP has organized several MasteryPrep-led training and orientation sessions for teachers, counselors and academic specialists to introduce them to the platform and its capabilities. Many are already using MasteryPrep in the classroom, and more professional development sessions are planned for the current semester. Previous orientation sessions are available as video recordings, and each high school has a number of personnel who can assist others in learning how to use the service. Teachers are encouraged to contact their school’s college prep specialists to learn more, or reach out to Ryan Martin District ACT Coordinator for further assistance.
GEAR UP Director Traci Aucoin says the partnership with MasteryPrep has already paid dividends for the school system, providing teachers with the knowledge and tools needed to really support their students in preparing for standardized testing. “Ultimately, our goal is college and career readiness, and the ACT test is an important step on that path. By using MasteryPrep’s comprehensive suite of test prep resources, teachers can help students improve their test-taking confidence and raise their score by at least a few points — points that can make all the difference when it comes to college and scholarships.”