A simple pop-up message can change a student’s academic path. A study by the American Institutes for Research found that ninth graders scoring at grade level on state tests were more likely to consider advanced courses when an automated system prompted them toward enrollment. The tool, deployed across 44 school districts, sent personalized notifications to students whose test results indicated they could handle higher-level classes.
This method differs from traditional approaches, which depend on teacher or counselor recommendations. Megan Austin, a principal researcher at AIR and co-author of the study, explained that these recommendations often reinforce existing course-taking patterns instead of identifying students who could excel in advanced work. “They can be less accurate and rely on information that reinforces [existing] course-taking patterns,” she said.
How simple prompts can reshape student trajectories
Schools are increasingly looking for ways to steer more students into Advanced Placement, dual-credit, and other demanding courses. These efforts aim to redirect academic trajectories early, but legislative and implementation challenges can delay progress. The AIR study presents a scalable solution: a minimal-effort tool that could help overcome these obstacles without requiring new policies.
The trial took place during the 2023-24 school year using a randomized controlled design with about 25,000 ninth graders across 110 high schools. Students who performed at the proficient or advanced level in math or English were split into three groups: those receiving a brief notification, those getting an extended message, and a control group with no communication.
The short alert read: “[Student first name], your academic performance in math or English shows you have the ability to do well in advanced courses. Consider enrolling in an advanced math course next year, such as [insert relevant courses here]. Your parents/guardians, teachers, and counselors can help you learn more about this option and about supports available to help you succeed in an advanced course.” The longer version added details about college readiness and career benefits.
Neither version boosted 10th-grade enrollment in advanced courses, but they did affect planning for 11th grade. Students who received the short alert were 22 percentage points more likely to plan for any advanced course, 13 points more likely for English, and 24 points more likely for math compared to the control group. The longer message produced similar results for math but not English.
Logistical gaps and shifting counselor mindsets
Despite the positive findings, obstacles remain. Many students never accessed the course-planning tool, meaning only about half of those scheduled to receive English alerts saw them. Counselors pointed to logistical hurdles, such as students not accessing the platform. Some were skeptical of students’ eligibility for advanced courses because, despite high state test scores, their grades in previous classes were low. But just over half of counselors who responded to the survey said the messages changed their perspective about the academic capabilities of at least one student.
One counselor described the impact: “This particular student […], I would’ve never thought he would make scores to even be presented that opportunity. That’s like, ‘Oh, wait a minute, maybe I [need to] look at something here,’” they told researchers. “We need to talk to him about reinforcing that he does have abilities that he may be questioning himself. For sure, it did that.”
The study reveals a persistent issue in education: test scores often conflict with classroom performance, and automated prompts may not fully address deeper systemic barriers. Still, the results demonstrate that even modest interventions can reshape how students and advisors perceive academic potential.
The experiment controlled for student demographics, ensuring results were not skewed by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, or English learner status. Researchers adjusted for these factors to isolate the impact of the notifications. However, the study did not examine whether effects varied significantly across subgroups.
