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Last week's most-clicked SmartBrief news item examined incentive programs that reward students for attending class or doing well on tests. Students in cities ranging from D.C. to Boston can receive cash or other lucrative rewards for improvement in class.

Proponents argue that the incentives motivate underachieving students and will drive up test scores and close the achievement gap. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says that for years suburban parents have rewarded their children with cars and vacations for being successful in school, but low-income, urban students do not generally experience these luxuries. With incentive programs, the low-income students get a small taste of the rewards suburban students have been getting for years.

Those arguing against the programs say they are a form of bribery and that while money may motivate a student to do well in the short run, it hurts their intrinsic motivation to learn in the long run. Others argue that the money could be wisely spent on proven methods of improvement, such as smaller class sizes, and question what will happen if the rewards stop coming.

Do you support rewarding students with cash and gifts for achievement, or do you think it is only a short-term solution that may do future harm?

Comments

[Paul B.]

HORRIBLE IDEA!
Unfortunately, bribes are the default means for influencing student behavior and academics in many low-income schools. Long-term, this is a huge mistake.
All major education and behavior initiatives should be focused on intrinsic motivation. Our society should be striving to create citizens who do the right thing, and learn, because of inherent value.

[sjust]

The bottom line on motivation is intrinsic. The dancing with the staff could be seen as intrinsic. Cash/Maizes/Days off and such are extrinsic. As much as I love the ideas, we need to also strive for intrinsic.

Our population does not have a huge amount of awareness when it comes to intrinsic vs. extrinsic.

In reality intrinsic starts much earlier in life. However, it can be instilled with serious modeling and generalized support.

There are cobwebs in the windows in the new building that cause me to wonder if anyone even looks out the windows. Please, could we stress the attractiveness of the surroundings to help motivate both kids and teachers.

Working in a lovely (clean, comfortable, inviting) environment makes people happier.

Kids and teachers love to see smiling faces. Maybe we need some mirrors around here so we can see ourselves as we walk about and wipe those frowns off our faces.

[Katie RU]

I was disheartened and appalled upon hearing about cash incentive programs. As a student, I think I would feel offended. Clearly, these tactics are only beneficial in the short term. When the proverbial carrot is removed, what then?

However, after further examination, I can acknowledge some value to the thought process behind the incentive program. Lower income families cannot always provide the same privileges to their children. (Although, I disagree with the suggestion that many wealthy parents are providing these lavish trips and expensive cars simply for a return of good grades.) Some types of extrinsic motivators could be the answer, if promised indefinitely and allocated differently. Cash incentives are not the answer for long-term development and progress. For example, if we are truly concerned that some students are not receiving the same benefits of wealthier students, then use the money to take students on a trip. This would boost background knowledge for students who are less fortunate, and in addition, it has the potential to be a memory for a lifetime.

At the end of the day, we are cheating the students by assuming we can pay them off. We must concentrate on finding out what students’ intrinsic motivations are and teach to their interests. All students require and deserve personally meaningful and relevant educational programs. I guarantee that will go farther than the extra $43 the average student is earning.

[Anne Hooghart]

Not only does this type of "bribery" fail to promote/develop intrinsic motivation, it also goes AGAINST what research (by Marzano et al. and others) shows us and what all casino-operators know to be true: The MOST effective motivator is INTERMITTENT REINFORCEMENT. If a student gets a tangible reward EVERY TIME s/he does a certain task or achieves a certain target, then his/her motivation will actually DIMINISH with time. Sheesh!

[Harvey Craft]

Incredible! After so many years trying to improve teaching and learning, educators continue to demonstrate how little they know about some of the most fundamental issues in education. E.g., research on bribes and rewards, intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation, schedules of reinforcement, attribution theory,etc. Then, there are ethical issues (ethics still matter-- don't they?)like materialism, teaching that learning is good because it empowers, the quest for originality. The real problem is that the practice might mislead the initiators by producing a low-quality, superficial learning that endures only long enough to pass a test, but that seems to be what it's all about.

So sad, so discouraging.

[Nicole]

I too know about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and this is clearly extrinsic. However; These students don't have the opportunities at home to get "$10 per A" or any of the other things that happen in many suburban families that are accepted as normal. Why shouldn't they be able to receive rewards for their hard work? As they become adults most of them will go to work where they will be paid for what they do. Extrinsic motivation is a fact of life.

[lw]

The fact is that not all students are intrinsically motivated across all subject areas. And, a large number of students are not achieving in the current educational environment as evidenced by low test scores and high drop out rates. So, innovators are exploring alternative strategies, in this case, incentive programs, in an effort to reach these disengaged students, to motivate them to work hard and achieve. Research shows that rewards program (in a variety of forms) positively impact student performance. Why not, then, upgrade pizza parties and gold stars to rewards and incentives that appeal to today's student?

With regards to incentives being short-term, there is research to prove that even after the incentive is removed, positive effects persist. In a Kenya study, “Incentives to Learn” by Michael Kremer (Harvard University, Brookings Institution, and National Bureau of Economic Research), Edward Miguel (University of California, Berkeley, and NBER), and Rebecca Thornton (University of Michigan) published in January 2008, the removal of rewards did not impact motivation. “Surveys of students in our Kenyan data provide no evidence that program incentives weakened intrinsic motivation to learn or led to gaming or cheating.”

In an evaluation of the Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP) conducted by C. Kirabo Jackson of Cornell University, “A Little Now for a Lot Later; A Look at a Texas Advanced Placement Incentive Program” published December 2007 and in Education Next – Hoover Institute, Stanford University – Fall 2008, he reports that AP course enrollment increased for all AP courses even if rewards were only given for certain subjects.

If implemented appropriately, incentive programs have the opportunity to make positive change.

[Marnee A.]

As an educator I find it so disheartening when I tell students they have to complete an assignment, or reach a certain reading goal, and the student response is, "What do we get if we make it?" In our society today, it seems students get rewards for EVERYTHING they do! What has happened to learning because it is expected by parents and teachers, and because it is fulfilling to complete a task?

In most cases educators should be giving more positive reinforcement for good grades and effort put forth by students and less emphasis on "bribery" and what students will get.

If schools are going to use materialistic things to get students to attend class and bring up test scores,especially for low-income urban students, perhaps thoughts of putting the cash into a college account or some other form of scholarship should be put into place to ensure students will continue their education, thus helping themselves close the achievement gap and use their education to break the cycle of poverty.

[W. Phillips]

My heart is deeply saddened to hear that the education community is using bribes to influence student success. What will motivate children when the resources are not there to bribe them? Shame on parents for offering their children bribes for success in school. Success needs to be instilled in a child the reward is success. I don't want to hear that it is because they are low income at-risk students. I cam from a family with a low socio-economic status and I succeeded because I realized it was the only way. It was something I had to determine to do on my own. We are not creating productive citizens using bribes we are creating a give me, give me society.

[CB Richardson]

I worked in a lower social economic area, and even though we did not do this, it would have worked with a small sect of our population. I see this as a positive as well as a negative. I believe that this type of incentive program can work but, it will only work for some kids. Some kids will refuse to learn no matter what the "carrot" is. For those kids that need to have something tangible to jump start their learning, I think it is great.

As for what will happen when the incentive is withdrawn, some kids will continue to do well because they now know that they can and they will want to continue. Sometimes, you just have to meet kids where they are.

It seems to me like desperate times calls for desperate measures. When you can't beat they you have to join them.

[navjyoti]

Well, like I read once, its as if the teacher is telling the students - if it weren't for the rewards, teaching wouldn't be worth it. Underestimating the innate desire for self actualisation and man's search for meaning, it is dehumanising to subject growing children to inconsequential pieces of candy. Then we wonder what is the world coming to...well our future will be what we feed into their present.

[robfromoh]

Wow!!!

Students already have a tremendous motivation to do well. It is called success after school.

I was always amazed by parents who rewarded their kids with money for getting good grades. When I asked my mom for the same, she said that if I get good grades, I will have all the money I needed after I graduate and get a job.

We as educators have a responsibility to pass my mom's lesson on to our students. Do good in school, do good in life.