Design, Sites, and Data Sources
In partnership with the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Student Enrollment, MDRC is conducting a blocked randomized field trial in which kindergarten-eligible families are randomly assigned to one of two groups: the control group, which receives standard email outreach and communications from the NYC Department of Education about the kindergarten admissions process, or the intervention group, which receives Department of Education emails informed by behavioral science principles, plus the offer to use a digital web tool, designed by MDRC in partnership with the Office of Student Enrollment, that helps simplify the application process. MDRC will assess the impacts of the intervention on school application and enrollment outcomes for all students.