Automatic Notification: An Alternative to Automatic Enrollment Policies for Equitable Advanced High School Course Taking

• In Event: Evaluating the Ripple Effects: Policy Impacts of Pressing Educational Reform

Abstract

We developed an automatic notification tool as a scalable alternative to automatic enrollment policies, which use universal screening and a behavioral nudge to increase equitable enrollment in advanced courses. The tool is embedded into the Course Planner of a large student information system (SIS). We conducted a large-scale RCT of the tool, randomizing 110 schools in 44 districts to one of three conditions: a short-form notification, a long-form notification, or no notification. We report early usage results and findings from surveys and interviews of counselors who used the tool with 9th graders to select 10th grade courses; the AERA presentation will also report impact findings and discuss the researchers’ collaboration with the SIS to develop, test, and scale the intervention.

Authors

• Megan Austin, American Institutes for Research

• Matthew J. Farmer, American Institutes for Research

• Michael Kruse, American Institutes for Research

• Sara Mitrano, American Institutes for Research

• Preeya Pandya Mbekeani, American Institutes for Research