The inequity of opt-in educational resources and an intervention to increase equitable access

Billions of dollars are invested in opt-in educational resources to support struggling students. Yet, there is no guarantee these students will use these resources. We report results from a school system’s implementation of on-demand tutoring. The take up was low. At baseline, only 19% of students ever accessed the platform and low-performing students were even less likely to log in. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (N=4,763) testing behaviorally-informed messages directed at students and/or their parents to increase participation. Communications to students alone had no impact, whereas those to parents and students together increased usage by 46%. Nonetheless, take-up remained low, highlighting that opt-in resources may increase—instead of reduce—inequality. Without targeted outreach, opt-in educational resources are unlikely to reach many students who could benefit.