From boosting college acceptance to providing scholarship opportunities, strong ACT scores can open doors for students. They are also an indicator of a school district’s academic readiness. Districts with higher averages of students achieving a 19 (the UNC System’s minimum for admission) or above, demonstrate strong college preparation, and when all student groups perform well, it suggests the district is helping students succeed regardless of their background.
Chatham County Schools (CCS) has long sustained a strong academic record and has taken measures to ensure all students–regardless of the street they live on or the educational attainment of their parents–have the opportunity to succeed through college-ready programs such as AVID. But over the past decade, ACT scores have steadily declined from 69.3% achieving at least a 19 in 2016 to 53.1% in 2022 to 45.3% in 2024.
To address the decline, CCS has implemented an ACT Test Prep program through the digital learning platform IXL. This tool will allow all high school students during the 2025-26 school year access (at school and home) to personalized, skill-building practice designed to help students strengthen their scores. The district chose to move forward after piloting the program last year and seeing encouraging results. Teachers also liked that they could incorporate the tool in class lessons and that it provided diagnostic testing for English and math.
What’s notable about the IXL program is that it creates personalized study plans for each student based on their previous scores. Because all CCS students take the PreACT in 10th grade and the ACT in 11th grade, they can see exactly which skills they need to practice–allowing students to focus their time where it will make the biggest difference.
“Teachers also value the flexibility of the IXL platform,” said Mary Margaret Dark, principal at Chatham Central High School. “It’s more than just test prep. It’s empowering educators while giving students personalized tools to improve, which makes it a win for everyone.”
Michelle Burton, CCS’s Executive Director of Secondary Education and CTE, shared that she spoke with several parents who paid for their students to use the platform and found it invaluable. “Hearing directly from families helped confirm that expanding access to every high schooler would be tremendously beneficial,” she said.
To support the effort, the Chatham Education Foundation (CEF) has contributed $25,000 toward the district’s $97,000 one-year subscription, helping ensure that cost is not a barrier for students who want to better prepare for the ACT.
“For us, it always comes back to providing opportunities for all students,” said Brittany Sandefur, CEF’s Executive Director. “This tool levels the playing field by giving every student—not just those who can afford private test prep—the chance to grow their skills and pursue their goals with confidence.”
As CCS begins its first full year of implementation, district and school leaders are optimistic about the impact. “If this tool helps raise scores by even a few points, that would make a real difference for our students, our schools, and our community,” Burton said.
CEF and CCS look forward to sharing updates throughout the year as students use the tool, and both organizations remain committed to expanding opportunities that prepare young people for success in college, career, and life.