Education Law

What ever happened to "A job well done is its own reward?"

And why does BoardBuzz sound like someone's mom? This isn't entirely new-- we've all gotten some candy or a pizza party at school for work well done or reaching a goal in the classroom, haven't we? Call BoardBuzz a Grinch, but maybe some places are going too far by rewarding what should be an expectation-- that all students do their very best...

According to NPR this morning (and an article we saw as well), "Schools, under pressure to boost student achievement, are offering more frequent, tangible incentives to motivate students. At the KIPP DC KEY Academy in Washington, D.C., students are rewarded on Fridays at the Academy for behaving well, doing their homework or making academic gains. Rewards include "paychecks", which can be used at the school's store for genuine items, and wearing jeans on Fridays.

In New York, about 5,500 students can earn money for getting good test scores. The program is open to fourth-graders, who can earn up to $250 a year, and seventh-graders, who can end the year with $500 in the bank. "We'll soon give out over $1 million to fourth- and seventh-graders this year," said Roland Fryer, a Harvard University economist leading the experiment. He said he is happy with the results so far."

Proponents and opponents both, what do you think? Should financial incentives, real or imagined, play a role in the student achievement struggle.?

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on June 16, 2008 (boomark / email).