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Helping Families Navigate the ACT: A MasteryPrep Guide for School Leaders

  • May 1, 2026

For many school leaders, communicating with families about the ACT can feel like a moving target. There’s a balance to strike: emphasizing the importance of the test without overwhelming students, providing clear guidance without adding pressure, and ensuring families understand how to support their child without assuming prior knowledge.

Strong ACT outcomes don’t just come from what happens in the classroom. They can also be influenced by how well schools engage families as partners in the process.

This MasteryPrep guide outlines practical ways principals and school leaders can communicate clearly, consistently, and effectively with parents about the ACT.

  • Start with What Matters: Why the ACT Is Important

Before logistics or timelines, families need to understand one thing: why the ACT matters in the first place. Despite ongoing conversations about test-optional policies, the ACT continues to play a significant role in college admissions and scholarship opportunities. In many cases, it carries weight comparable to GPA.

“The ACT is one of the most important tests a high school student will take,” says Craig Gehring, CEO and Founder of MasteryPrep. “It’s weighted right alongside GPA in how colleges and scholarships evaluate students.”

One effective approach is to connect the ACT to long-term outcomes, including college readiness and access, scholarship eligibility, and postsecondary success. When families understand the why, they’re far more likely to engage with the how.

That’s why communication should consistently reinforce a simple message:

  • The ACT is a key milestone in a student’s academic journey
  • It can impact college admissions and financial aid
  • Preparing for it deserves focused attention
  • Don’t Wait Until Junior Year

One consistent pattern many schools see is that students often don’t fully engage with ACT preparation until after their first test experience. But starting earlier can make a meaningful difference, both in terms of familiarity and confidence.

Timing matters, particularly around when students have completed key coursework at the end of their sophomore year. From there, schools can reinforce a few key messages with families:

  • The ACT is not a one-time event
  • Most students benefit from taking the test more than once
  • Familiarity with the test experience can improve performance

Rather than treating the ACT as a single milestone, framing it as part of an ongoing process helps students and families approach it more strategically.

  • Make the Process Clear and Actionable

For many families, the ACT process is unfamiliar and can be intimidating. School leaders can reduce this friction by clearly outlining what families need to know and do.

Key Questions Families Often Have

  • When will my child be taking the ACT?
  • How many times should they take the test?
  • What scores get sent to colleges?
  • What should they bring on test day?
  • What happens if they can’t afford it?

Another common question from families: in what forms does the school already provide ACT prep, and how can students take full advantage of it? Schools can proactively address this by clearly communicating available resources and how they fit into a broader readiness plan. (For a deeper look at how in-school prep supports student outcomes, see this blog post by Craig Gehring.)

Instead of assuming families will figure all of this out on their own, schools should proactively provide answers. After all, clarity builds confidence, and confident families are more likely to support their students effectively.

  • Help Families Support Preparation at Home

Parents want to help, but they don’t always know how. That’s where schools can provide practical, actionable guidance.

Simple Ways Families Can Support Students

  • Encourage consistent preparation over time
  • Reinforce the importance of effort and persistence
  • Help students establish routines around practice
  • Support healthy habits like sleep, especially before test day

Preparation isn’t just about content. It’s also about familiarity, confidence, and reducing anxiety around high-stakes testing.

Related Reading

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  • Reduce the ‘Intimidation Factor’ Around Test Day

One often-overlooked barrier is simply logistical. For many students, especially those testing on a weekend, the ACT experience can feel unfamiliar and stressful:

  • Traveling to a new location
  • Navigating an unfamiliar campus or building
  • Arriving early in a high-pressure environment

“It can be an intimidating experience—going somewhere new early in the morning, not knowing where to go or what to expect,” Gehring says. “That alone can add resistance for students.”

These details matter more than they might seem.

Ways Schools Can Reduce Friction

  • Share clear instructions on test-day logistics
  • Offer reminders about what to bring (ID, calculator, ticket)
  • Walk students through what to expect step-by-step

Some schools also provide additional support, such as transportation, to create a more familiar and supportive experience. The goal is simple: reduce uncertainty and increase confidence.

  • Use Multiple Channels to Reach Families

Not every family engages in the same way, which is why effective communication often requires a multi-channel approach.

Schools have opportunities to reach families through:

  • Email communications
  • Short videos or social posts
  • School-led meetings or events (in-person or virtual)

The key is consistency. Repeated, clear messaging helps ensure families understand both the importance of the ACT and how to support their students.

  • Emphasize Opportunity, Not Pressure

Finally, tone matters. Conversations about the ACT should feel supportive and informative, not overwhelming.

One effective framing:

  • The ACT is an opportunity to demonstrate readiness
  • Students can take the test more than once
  • Many colleges consider the highest scores or superscores

“There’s no downside to taking the test again—it’s another shot on goal,” explains Gehring. This approach helps families and students view the ACT not as a one-time high-stakes event but as part of a process where improvement is both possible and expected.

  • Bringing It All Together

When schools communicate clearly and consistently about the ACT, families become stronger partners in the process.

At a high level, effective communication should:

  • Start early
  • Reinforce the importance of the test
  • Provide clear, actionable guidance
  • Reduce logistical barriers
  • Empower families to support their students

Once these elements come together, the result is a more informed and supported student experience.

Meet Students Where They Are on the ACT

MasteryPrep for the ACT provides the structured, skill-based support schools need to help more students score college-ready on test day.
Learn More

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