PreACT Success Stories
ACT Research · 32 States · 3 Graduating Cohorts
PreACT-tested students score 1 point higher on the ACT.
The numbers are national. The stories below are local.
20.94
vs. 19.94 · Composite score average
~+1 pt
Composite · 32 states
PreACT-tested students outperform peers on the ACT.
+1.81
Average Composite score gain · PreACT + ACT
Measurable growth outperform peers on the ACT.
↑ with rigor
Gains rise with course rigor and grades
Academic challenge pays off – students who push harder, grow more.
These findings come from 32 states and three consecutive graduating cohorts — but the real picture emerges school by school. Below, educators from Cincinnati to Tulsa to rural Arkansas describe what this growth looks like in their classrooms, their data, and their students' lives.
Read the Stories ↓
Schools Putting the Research into Practice
Score Growth
How One School Turned Early Testing Into a Student Success Engine
Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati is a diverse Catholic high school leveraging PreACT® 8/9, PreACT®, and ACT® assessments to build a data-driven culture of college readiness from freshman year through graduation.
Higher ACT Scores
A Top-500 School Succeeds by Growing Student Readiness and Improving Teaching Strategies
"Improving student performance began with educating our teachers about the 'why' behind ACT assessments… building this shared understanding played a critical role in the gains we saw."
— Rachael McAnany, Assistant Principal, Edison Preparatory High School, Tulsa
Academic Rigor
How ACT Helped an Arkansas Community Come Together for Student Success
Arkadelphia High School is a rural school with a strong college-going tradition. Officials implemented PreACT testing, ACT prep, and community events to open paths for every student, including those on free and reduced lunch programs.
Score Growth
Connecting Student Growth: Elementary to High School
"If we really care about kids, what we want are better results on the tests that are going to get them into college … parents say that's a value they can get behind."
— Declan FitzPatrick, Executive Director of Curriculum, Fox C–6 School District, St. Louis