Dr. Ben Phillips, DirectorIn many high schools, ACT prep has become a regular part of the school schedule, often offered as an elective course. Yet these classes are frequently introduced without a structured curriculum or clear instructional framework. Since 1978, Jane Ross Tutoring has worked closely with schools and students preparing for the ACT, and the organization has repeatedly observed how this lack of structure can affect classroom outcomes.
Teachers assigned to the course often report that it does not deliver the results they expect. Students frequently describe the experience as repetitive or less effective than anticipated, while administrators note inconsistent improvements in scores across classrooms.
Part of the issue stems from how ACT prep classes are often conducted. In the absence of structured course materials, lessons often revolve around repeated practice questions, which can make the class feel repetitive and disengaging for students.
Another challenge schools face is the limited training available for teachers assigned to ACT prep courses. Many instructors are asked to teach the class without prior preparation or professional development specific to ACT instruction.
“The message we heard again and again was clear,” says Dr. Ben Phillips, director. “There was no curriculum for the class and no training for the teacher.”
The Structural Gap in ACT Prep
What challenges arise when teachers rely on self-study ACT prep materials in classrooms?
In the absence of structured materials, many teachers rely on widely available ACT prep books from publishers such as Kaplan, Princeton Review or ACT. These books are primarily designed for individual students studying independently, not for teachers leading a structured classroom course. Teachers often end up building the course themselves, turning self-study material into lesson plans, presentations and classroom activities.
Students may complete substantial practice without progressing through skills in a clear, structured sequence.
To address these structural gaps, Jane Ross Tutoring developed Higher Scores, an ACT prep curriculum designed for adoption by schools and districts seeking a structured classroom solution for ACT preparation.
A central feature of the curriculum is its alignment with the ACT College and Career Readiness Standards. The ACT publishes detailed documentation outlining the competencies assessed during the exam. By structuring lessons around those published standards, teachers can focus on the skills students are expected to demonstrate, reducing guesswork and providing clearer instructional targets.
The curriculum also includes teacher lesson plans, pre-built Google Slides presentations and guided student handouts with structured note-taking frameworks. Rather than requiring teachers to assemble materials independently, the ready-made lessons give teachers everything they need to facilitate an effective ACT prep course or to integrate ACT prep into regular content-area classes.
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The message we heard again and again was clear. There was no curriculum for the class and no training for the teacher.
In addition, the program incorporates classroom activities designed to make lessons more interactive and engaging. Each lesson introduces new activities and formats, extending instruction beyond repetitive practice questions.
Curriculum Guided by Expertise
How does long-term experience influence the design of an effective ACT prep curriculum?
While the Higher Scores curriculum itself is new, its foundation draws on nearly five decades of ACT preparation experience. That experience shaped the curriculum's design. Jane Ross Tutoring has tracked recurring patterns in the exam, identifying which concepts appear frequently and which appear only occasionally.
Not every question on the ACT deserves equal classroom time. Some question types show up rarely and without much pattern. Others appear again and again. For example, certain mathematics questions may appear once and not resurface for years. In contrast, geometry questions requiring students to calculate the area of basic shapes appear regularly, sometimes multiple times within a single test.
Beyond content coverage, effective ACT prep also requires strategic test-taking skills. In a real test environment, students must learn to manage pacing, work efficiently and make strong decisions under time pressure.
A Curriculum Built for Classrooms
What outcomes have early pilots shown for structured ACT prep curriculum implementation?
Higher Scores lessons have been introduced through small-scale pilots. In one fall 2025 pilot, high school seniors completed five lessons from the English curriculum sequence. On average, participants improved 2.25 points in English, a meaningful gain considering they experienced only a quarter of the full sequence. Individual student gains included improvements of five and seven points.
While broader data will emerge as adoption expands, early results suggest that structured implementation may yield more consistent outcomes than independently developed courses.
The Continuing Role of Test Scores
The national conversation around test-optional admissions accelerated during COVID, when many testing centers were closed. In response, numerous colleges temporarily removed standardized test requirements.
Since then, many institutions have reinstated testing requirements or clarified that while admission may be technically test-optional, scholarship eligibility often remains tied to ACT or SAT performance.
Colleges have also reported operational challenges during periods without standardized test data. ACT and SAT scores have historically helped institutions place incoming freshmen into appropriate courses, particularly mathematics, and assess academic readiness. Without those scores, many colleges found placement decisions more difficult.
With ACT scores continuing to play an important role in admissions, placement and scholarship decisions, many school leaders are reconsidering how they prepare students for the exam. Jane Ross Tutoring has spent decades working with educational institutions and was recognized as a Top Test Prep Service in 2026. While it continues to offer private tutoring and workshops, its primary focus is partnering with schools and districts and equipping educators with classroom-ready materials.
As schools continue to look for ways to strengthen college readiness, ACT preparation may increasingly need to serve as a structured academic offering rather than an elective add-on. For Jane Ross Tutoring, the goal is clear: equipping educators with the curriculum, resources and instructional support needed to make test preparation more consistent across classrooms.
