Digital Guidance Tool for Strategic School Matching

This project evaluates a digital guidance tool designed to improve equity and reduce segregation in Denmark's centralized high school admissions process. Developed in collaboration with TetherEd, the University of Copenhagen, and Denmark's Ministry of Education, the intervention delivers personalized information about school options, admission probabilities, and peer composition to families navigating the Immediate Acceptance (Boston) mechanism.

Understanding the Assignment Process

The application begins by educating families about how the Danish Public High School Assignment Process works. Through interactive screens and visual explanations, families learn about the Boston Algorithm used to match students with available school programs. The tool explains step-by-step how the algorithm:

• Considers students' ranked preferences
• Evaluates first-choice applications first
• Uses travel time and tiebreak criteria when programs are oversubscribed
• Moves to subsequent choices for unassigned students

Strategic Ranking Guidance

A key feature of the application helps families understand why their ranking order matters. The tool explains that:

• Top choices get considered first: The algorithm prioritizes first-choice programs before considering second or third choices
• Once you skip a program, you can't go back: If a program is listed as a third choice and earlier choices don't work out, the system only considers it if spots remain available
• Ranking affects admission chances: Ranking highly popular programs first increases the risk of not getting assigned to any listed programs

Interactive Features

The application provides several interactive tools to help families make informed decisions:

Assignment Probability Calculator

Families can compare assignment probabilities for different ranking orders. The tool shows how percentages change depending on the order of selections, helping families understand the trade-offs between preferences and admission chances. For example, placing a highly demanded program first may result in very low probability (< 5%) of admission, while ranking it second or third might yield better overall outcomes.

Admission Probability Indicators

The application categorizes admission probability into four levels:

• Low: Less than 25% chance of assignment
• Medium-Low: 26% to 50% chance
• Medium-High: 51% to 75% chance
• High: More than 75% chance

This information helps families assess their likelihood of acceptance and craft strategic application plans that balance admission chances with program preferences.

School Characteristics

The tool provides information about various school characteristics that families may prioritize:

• Nationality Diversity: Shows the diversity of student nationalities or origins, helping families determine if a school aligns with their cultural preferences
• Achievement Growth: Displays information about schools offering strong academic growth
• Incoming Achievement: Shows the academic performance levels of incoming students

Interactive Maps and Location Tools

The application includes interactive maps showing school locations within specified radii (e.g., 50 km) from families' homes. This helps families:

• Visualize the number of available school options in their area
• Compare their expectations with actual options
• Understand travel time considerations
• See schools that match specific criteria (e.g., strong achievement growth and high incoming achievement)

Real-Time Feedback and Warnings

The application provides immediate feedback when families make choices that may be strategically suboptimal. For example, if a family ranks a highly demanded program first, the tool warns them that many other families are applying to the same choice, which may reduce their chances of assignment. This helps families reconsider their strategy and potentially adjust their rankings.

Research Design

Through a large-scale randomized controlled trial, researchers assess whether improving access to strategic and demographic information can:

• Shift families' beliefs about school options and admission processes
• Improve school application behavior and strategic thinking
• Promote more inclusive outcomes and reduce segregation
• Reduce information barriers for disadvantaged and migrant families

• Location: Denmark
• Partners: TetherEd
  University of Copenhagen
  Denmark Ministry of Education
• Theme: Education Markets, Market Design
• Status: Active
• Principal Investigators:

  Andreas Bjerre-Nielsen

  Mikkel Gandil

  Christian Fogel Henneberg

  Christopher Neilson