Geralyn Raach, an educator at Central Elementary School, has a preferred catchphrase for motivating her 3rd graders to give their best effort, but it’s not what you might anticipate. Taking inspiration from the film "Jerry Maguire," the experienced teacher enjoys exclaiming, “Show me the money!” This is because Ms. Raach’s school district is participating in an unconventional experiment where students are rewarded for passing or achieving high scores on state exams. Students in grades 3 to 6 in this district receive $15 for every "proficient" score and $20 for "accelerated" or "advanced" scores. With annual tests given in five subjects, students have the potential to earn up to $100 if they excel in their exams.
Contradicting decades of research in motivational psychology, the concept of paying students for their test performance is strongly opposed by many educators. However, administrators and teachers in this small city in central Ohio argue that in an era where the federal No Child Left Behind Act and other accountability programs are placing unprecedented pressure on schools to demonstrate improvement in students’ test scores, bold actions are necessary.
Coshocton schools are now in the third year of the experiment, which is being conducted by a researcher from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Although the final results will not be available until later this year, preliminary findings appear promising, particularly in mathematics, according to those involved in the study. “Even if we can improve scores even slightly, it would benefit the district,” said Wade E. Lucas, the superintendent of the 2,000-student district. “What we are aiming for here is real facts and data that provide insights into whether something is effective.”
The Coshocton experiment has stirred controversy because certain psychological studies suggest that offering external rewards, such as cash, can diminish students’ internal desire to learn for the sake of knowledge. "Even if these rewards were used to enhance meaningful learning, they would be detrimental," said Alfie Kohn, the author of Punished by Rewards, a book from 1993 that critiqued common practices in schools involving external incentives to encourage studying. "Using them to raise test scores is a terrible objective, given that tests tend to measure what is least important."
Businessman Robert E. Simpson contributed $100,000 from his family’s foundation for Coshocton’s student-incentive program.
Eric P. Bettinger, the researcher leading the Coshocton experiment, suggests a more nuanced interpretation of the body of research. He believes whether rewards harm students’ motivation depends on the characteristics of the population, the subject being studied, and the methods used to motivate students. "We have already informed schools that there are rewards and punishments associated with tests," he added, referring to the nationwide movement to hold schools or students accountable for improving test scores. "As a result, it is a different environment where a change like this could make a difference." Mr. Bettinger was recruited to Coshocton by Robert E. Simpson, a local manufacturer, who became interested in testing a student pay-for-performance program four years ago after reading an article in Forbes magazine by one of Mr. Bettinger’s colleagues. The article described a randomized study conducted in Kenya by economist Edward Miguel and other economists, where teenage girls were given cash rewards for their exam performance. The study found that the incentive resulted in improved attendance and test scores for both boys and girls.
The task at hand is to rewrite the entire text using better terminology and ensuring it is unique and in natural language. Here is the revised text:
Debbie Brown’s classroom is adorned with coupons known as "Coshocton bucks," hanging from the ceiling as a constant reminder to her students to put in their best effort. These play money coupons can be exchanged at local stores, but only by students who have earned them by performing well on state tests. The photo by Gary Gardiner for Education Week captures this motivating environment.
In 1999, on top of the economic situation, state officials declared the school system to be in an "academic emergency" due to students’ low test scores. Educators were determined to overcome this label when they were approached by Mr. Simpson with an offer. Mr. Simpson’s family foundation was willing to provide $100,000 for a student-incentive program, with the condition that the school system participates in a randomized experiment to document the results.
Initially, the superintendent and other educators were skeptical. Ms. Raach, a veteran teacher and president of the city teachers’ union at the time, expressed her doubts about the project’s implications. She questioned what would happen to the students who were not selected for the program, how rewards would affect self-starters, whether parents would misuse the money earned by their children, and whether non-experimental teachers could still offer incentives like pizza parties and movie breaks to their students. Some parents and local residents even privately wondered if the school system was trying to bribe students to enhance its academic profile.
In order to address these concerns and questions as the experiment progressed, school officials formed an advisory committee consisting of the superintendent, principals, teachers from each participating elementary school, parents, special educators, business representatives, the local newspaper editor, and a representative from Mr. Simpson’s foundation. Mr. Lucas, reflecting on the committee’s importance, stated that without the buy-in from stakeholders at the ground level, the program would not have lasted three years.
The committee agreed on a study design that randomly assigned entire grades in the four elementary schools to either be part of the "treatment" group or remain in their current educational conditions. To generate excitement for the program and determine which grades in each school would participate, the district holds an annual public lottery during the September meeting of the city school board at Coshocton High School. Mr. Bettinger, accompanied by a bingo cage, attends the event. The high school band performs, and the cheerleaders cheer. Students from third to sixth grade are bused in from all elementary schools to witness this spectacle. Kristina Vickers, a fourth-grader at Central Elementary School, vividly recalled the exhilaration when their grade was chosen, exclaiming that everyone stood up and cheered, with their fingers crossed in anticipation.
The tests are conducted in the spring, and students who qualify for an award receive it in June in the form of "Coshocton bucks." These colorful coupons, printed by the Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce, can only be redeemed by children at local stores. Mr. Simpson shared that they unexpectedly observed merchants complimenting the children, recognizing their efforts in school, stating, "Oh, you’re one of the smart kids who are working hard in school." This added benefit of positive recognition from the community was unforeseen.
Mr. Bettinger has been cautious about disclosing preliminary results to prevent any contamination of the experiment. However, once the final results are available in the upcoming summer, he aims to address various questions, including:
"The program didn’t really seem like much of an incentive the first few years," remarked Wendy S. Kimberley, a 6th grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School. However, this year’s students were immediately enthusiastic when their names were selected. Ms. Kimberley, along with other teachers, also observed an increase in the number of 6th graders attending "study tables," an optional after-school program for test preparation. In another school, a teacher has displayed dollar bills on the classroom ceiling as a constant reminder of the incentive program.
On the other hand, Ms. Raach has had to relinquish her phrase "Show me the money," for the time being. Her students did not win the lottery this year. Instead, she rewards them for their hard work in the same way she always has, with movie breaks and pizza parties. She has also developed guidelines, known as rubrics, to assist students in evaluating their own efforts on tests and schoolwork. "We have had external motivators in education for years, such as pizza parties and candy jars," said Mr. Lucas, the superintendent. "The issue seems to arise when money comes into play. I’m not certain that approach makes sense anymore."