Curriculum Writers - ELA, Math, U.S. History, and Science

MasteryPrep is an education services company that specializes in college entrance exam preparation. It is a fast-growing organization and one of the leading providers of ACT, SAT, TSIA2, and EOC/EOG preparation serving hundreds of thousands of students in districts across the country.

The company is expanding its line of ACT and STAAR products for the 2023-2024 school year, and we are looking for talented writers to create subject-focused lessons for our newest test-prep curriculum line. If you are interested in writing for an education company that primarily serves under-resourced schools and districts and/or you are seeking freelance work that pays well, consider joining MasteryPrep!

Why Contractors Love MasteryPrep

The People

MasteryPrep is as diverse as the student population it serves. We have bicyclists, pianists, movie buffs, and NFL fans. We have people who DM for D&D games, book nerds, musicians, basketball players, video gamers, and one person who has an insanely green thumb. No really. She can grow anything!

At MasteryPrep, we value our contractors as people, not just the position they fill.

The Flexibility

If you enjoy wearing pajama pants, switching a load of laundry mid-day, and having the cutest, fluffiest office-mates ever (not supplied by MasteryPrep, of course), remote work just might be for you. Our Curriculum Developer position is fully remote, with opportunities to travel into the home office for a bit of fun and team building.

The Challenge

One of MasteryPrep's core values is the idea that everything we do, we should make it awesome. We don't believe in "average," "run-of-the-mill," or "ordinary." And "good enough" isn't in our vocabulary. If you want to work for a company that's dedicated to elevating the competition and raising the bar for education nationwide, you'll find yourself in good company here.

Responsibilities

As a Curriculum Writer, you should expect to

• Author an entire subject-specific (based on your expertise and skillset) lesson in adherence to a detailed lesson outline and style guide. Lessons will include a student-facing portion and a teacher-facing portion.
• Analyze ACT and STAAR content in order to build lessons that are faithful to the test.
• Integrate existing test items into the lesson content.
• Analyze a set of questions and provide clear, concise instructions for how to best answer the question.
• Provide learning targets that align with both the tests' standards and the content you create.
• Communicate regularly with an editor in regard to deadlines, feedback, and transparency on work progress.
• Produce revisions on all work as necessary prior to the completion of an assignment.
• Attend paid training to meet the quality expectations for all writing assignments.

About Us

Nearly 90% of low-income students graduate high school without a college-ready ACT or SAT score. MasteryPrep's mission is to level the playing field in education by offering the most effective test preparation available - made accessible to all students.

Through 10 successful years of partnering with school districts and institutions on college readiness services and resources, MasteryPrep has surpassed one million students served since the company's founding in 2012.

MasteryPrep increased its student outreach by 70 percent in 2021 and is ranked among the Inc. 5000 "Fastest Growing Companies," featured by "Entrepreneur 360," and selected among the "Growth Leaders" by Louisiana Economic Development.

When we ask our employees what they love most about working for MasteryPrep, it comes down to the mission, the people, and the challenge.

1. The mission: Ever had a day when you just don't feel like getting out of bed and working? We don't. We have a strong mission that truly changes lives and it motivates us each day to get up, get together, get better and get things done.
2. The people: MasteryPrep is as diverse as the student population we serve and we value our employees as people, not just the position they fill. We have bicyclists, book nerds, musicians, basketball players, video gamers, and one person who has an insanely green thumb. No really. She can grow anything!
3. The challenge: We believe that with everything we do, we should make it awesome. We don't believe in "average," "run-of-the-mill," or "ordinary." And "good enough" isn't in our vocabulary. We're growing tremendously and won't stop until every student has access to a better future. Bring your experience, skills and creativity here - and you'll find MasteryPrep is a place to contribute and feel valued.

Requirements

• Exceptional writing skills. Creative writing experience is a plus!
• A strong understanding of key instructional concepts, including scaffolding, Socratic seminars, and test-taking skills and strategies
• 2+ years of curriculum development experience
• Experience with standardized testing, including ACT, SAT, and EOC/EOG
• Good time management skills and an ability to produce quality work with a prompt turnaround, typically within 1-2 weeks
• Familiarity using and access to the following: a stable internet connection, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, Gmail, Dropbox, compatibility with Zoom video conferencing and Slack messaging
• A strong connection to the company's mission

Compensation

All contractors will be paid by assignment and only upon completion. Most assignments will range between $300 and $600 for the completion of an entire lesson, and the total will depend on the complexity of the assignment. Smaller assignments will pay less and will be determined at the time of the assignment. Contractors may decline any assignment due to conflicting schedules, lack of bandwidth, or compensation concerns.

Next Steps

If you've made it this far, we're pretty sure you're feeling good about this whole "I want to work at MasteryPrep!" kind of thing. Don't be shy! Send us your resume and a sample of your writing. And when it comes to the sample, anything goes. We're looking for someone who's creative and engaging. Bonus points if you can make something boring sound fun.

We can't wait to see what you've got!