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7 Questions School and District Leaders Should Ask Before Choosing Test Prep Support

  • April 22, 2026

Selecting a test prep partner isn’t just a purchasing decision—it’s an instructional decision that affects student outcomes, teacher workload, and district-wide alignment. With so many factors to consider, it’s not always clear which ones matter most.

“At the end of the day, you want results—for your students, your schools, and your district,” says MasteryPrep Founder and CEO Craig Gehring. “The question is whether a partner can actually demonstrate that.”

These seven questions are designed to help school and district leaders make more informed decisions when evaluating test prep support.

  • Can this provider demonstrate real results—for our target student population?
  • How does this solution serve students across different performance levels?
  • How closely do the materials align to both the test and your standards?
  • What does implementation require from teachers?
  • What training and ongoing support are included?
  • How will we monitor progress and adjust throughout the year?
  • Does the pricing and licensing model support long-term readiness?
  • Can this provider demonstrate real results—for our target student population?

Most test prep providers can point to success stories. The real question is whether those results are meaningful and transferable to your context. 

District leaders should look beyond anecdotal gains and ask for demonstrated outcomes at scale—ideally across entire schools or districts, not just individual students. Just as importantly, those results should reflect a student population similar to your own, both demographically and academically.

“It’s very easy for a provider to say they improved a student’s score,” Gehring says. “It’s very different to do that for an entire school or district—and to do it with a population that looks like yours.”

It’s also critical to validate those claims. Speaking directly with peer districts provides a clearer picture of what implementation actually looks like—and whether the results hold up in practice.

  • How does this solution serve students across different performance levels?

Average score gains can be misleading. A solution that works well for high-performing students may not be effective for students working toward college readiness benchmarks. 

District leaders should ask how results break down across different performance bands—for example, students scoring in the mid-teens on the ACT®  versus those scoring in the mid-20s.

“A program that’s great for students aiming for top-tier scores isn’t necessarily the best fit for students trying to get to a 20,” Gehring says. “You have to match the solution to the students you’re trying to serve.”

The goal is to ensure the solution aligns with your district’s priorities.

“It’s very easy for a provider to say they improved a student’s score. It’s very different to do that for an entire school or district—and to do it with a population that looks like yours.”

Craig Gehring, Founder and CEO, MasteryPrep
  • How closely do the materials align to both the test and your standards?

Strong test prep doesn’t exist in isolation—it should reinforce what’s already happening in the classroom.

District leaders should evaluate whether materials align in two critical ways:

• Fidelity to the test (format, rigor, question types)
• Alignment to state standards and district curriculum

When both are present, teachers can integrate test prep into daily instruction without sacrificing instructional priorities. “If you’re buying a resource to prepare for a test, it has to have fidelity to the test,” Gehring explains. “Otherwise, you’re just doing preparation with no points at the end.”

Without strong alignment, test prep often becomes an add-on rather than a cohesive part of instruction.

  • What does implementation require from teachers?

In many districts, one of the biggest constraints is educator time and capacity. Before adopting a new solution, leaders should consider the true cost of implementation in terms of teacher workload. Will this program streamline instruction, or add another layer of complexity? Does it integrate into existing scope and sequence, or require additional planning?

“The scarcest resource in a school district isn’t funding—it’s educator time and energy,” Gehring says.

Standards alignment plays a major role here. When a solution reinforces what teachers are already responsible for teaching, it reduces duplication and helps preserve instructional time. When it doesn’t, it can quickly become an added burden. Teacher buy-in is often the deciding factor in whether a program succeeds. Involving educators in the evaluation process can reveal whether a solution will support—or strain—their day-to-day work.

It’s also worth understanding how the solution is delivered. Some providers focus primarily on digital tools, while others offer a combination of live instruction, structured curriculum, and online support, including approaches like MasteryPrep’s. The right mix often depends on how much structure students need—and how quickly districts are looking to drive impact.

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  • What training and ongoing support are included?

Even strong programs can fail without proper training and support. Before making a purchase, consider what type of training is provided and how effective it is in practice. 

While virtual training is convenient, in-person training often leads to stronger adoption and better outcomes, particularly when launching a new initiative. 

It’s also important to understand how training connects the dots between standards alignment and test readiness, helping teachers see how the program fits into their existing instruction.

“Everyone says you need training to use a program well,” Gehring says. “But if the training itself isn’t effective, it doesn’t matter how much of it you provide.”

Beyond onboarding, leaders should understand what ongoing support looks like—who gets that support, how quickly, and through what channels.

  • How will we monitor progress and adjust throughout the year?

Traditional test prep often lacks visibility between the first practice test and the actual exam.

Districts should prioritize solutions that provide ongoing insight into student progress, allowing educators to track improvement, identify gaps, and adjust instruction in real time.

This includes reporting aligned to both:

• Test performance
• Standards mastery

“One of the biggest gaps in traditional test prep is that you don’t have visibility in between,” Gehring says. “You don’t know if scores are improving or if you need to course correct.”

Without these touchpoints, it becomes difficult to know whether a strategy is working or how to improve it before test day. This is where having a clear instructional approach becomes critical. Effective readiness strategies typically balance content mastery with test-taking skills and time management, ensuring students not only learn the material but can apply it under real testing conditions.

  • Does the pricing and licensing model support long-term readiness?

Cost matters, but so does how a solution is structured. District leaders should evaluate whether the licensing model supports early and sustained access. Seat-based models often limit usage to specific grade levels, while site licenses can make it more feasible to support students earlier in their academic journey.

Because assessments like the ACT and SAT® are cumulative—and closely tied to standards taught over multiple years—earlier exposure can reduce the need for last-minute intervention.

Gehring highlights the tradeoff: “If you only have access for juniors, you’re often in a last-minute scramble,” he says. “But if students have access earlier, you can build readiness over time.”

A pricing model that supports long-term skill development is often more effective than one focused only on short-term gains.

Districts that take a more intentional approach to evaluating test prep partners are better positioned to drive meaningful, sustainable gains. By focusing on what matters most, leaders can choose solutions that support both student success and the educators who make it possible.

Evaluation Checklist: Choosing the Right Test Prep Support

Click Here

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