Paying kids to learn works if they are given the proper incentives, according to a study involving 18,000 students in four cities who earned a total $6.3 million. Students respond best to situations where there is little risk of failure. In other words, paying students based on attendance is more effective than paying them to do well on tests.
More specifically, paying students to read dramatically improves reading comprehension scores. Likewise, students do better on standardized reading tests when they receive money for attendance and good behavior. However, students do not achieve better testing results when they are paid per grade or when they receive high test scores.
Source: Educational Innovation Laboratory at Harvard University, Roland Fryer, 44 Brattle St. 5th Fl., Cambridge, MA 02138; 617-495-9592; rfryer@fas.harvard.edu; www.economics.harvard.edu.
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