Abstract

For five years, North Carolina State University (NCSU) has offered the ACT Supplemental Preparation in Rural Education (ASPIRE) program in conjunction with North Carolina Cooperative Extension and Princeton Review®. The goal of the program was to improve the performance of rural high school students on the ACT (American College Testing) examination. The program consisted of 30 hours of ACT preparation instruction including four practice examinations. Both the composite and subject test scores were significantly (p<0.001) higher after completion of the program than at the start. The 30 hours of instruction resulted in an 8.9% increase in the composite score (19.5 vs. 21.2), and each subject test increased as follows: math 9.1%, English 15.8%, science 4.6%, reading 7.8%. Both math and English test scores had significant (p<0.001), positive relationships with hours of instruction (R2 = 99.6 and 63.4). Over 90% of the students starting the program completed it at a cost of $50. In conclusion, the ASPIRE program was an effective and low-cost tool that improves the ACT score of rural high school students.