Can School Performance be Improved through the Strategic Optimisation of Subject Options Columns?

This paper explores a system that attempts to maximize high school students’ sense of choice when selecting elective subjects. We propose that individual schools can tailor the combinations of subjects they offer in order to maximize the number of prospective students who can study their preferred subjects, potentially increasing enrolment numbers and academic outcomes while also reducing administrative overheads. We analyze the underlying computational problem encountered in this task and describe a suitable AI-based optimization algorithm that we have made available for free download. We also discuss some outcomes of using this method on a small number of case study schools.