Cash incentives in schools lead to better performance on exams. The National Math and Science Initiative, a nonprofit that provides $100 to each student who scores a 3 or above on the AP exam, is proving that incentives can drive improved scores.
Additionally, according to recent coverage in The New York Times, teachers can also earn bonuses based on how many children surpass the AP metric. In one instance, a teacher added 10 percent to a salary as 43 students received a 3 or higher.
A Harvard economist who recently won a MacArthur Foundation award believes that cash rewards combined with tutoring and teacher training make for a promising solution to stalled education.
At South High Community School in Worcester, Mass., profiled in the article, student enrollment more than tripled once the program was begun in 2009. One year later, 22 had earned qualifying scores, up from 12 the year before.
Read the original coverage in The New York Times.
A related article in the Washington Post a few year ago dealt with emotional fallout from similar programs.
Details on The National Math and Science Initiative can be found here. It is also worth checking out Harvard’s Education Innovation Laboratory; the “EdLab” has been conducting similar cash-for-performance studies.