A program that paid city students if they got higher test scores earned an F, a new study shows.
The Harvard-based study led by former city Education Department consultant Roland Fryer examined the program he spearheaded, which poured $6.3 million in private funds into 261 schools in four cities.
Fourth- and seventh-graders at 58 high-needs city schools were paid to show up for tests and also earn high marks. A fourth-grader could earn up to $250, and a seventh-grader could pocket up to $500.
But students who were paid showed no significant improvement on math or English tests compared to their unpaid peers.
"The study found that incentives provided for actions, for example, reading books, school attendance and behavior were effective at increasing test scores," said Fryer, "but that incentives tied to results, such as test scores and grades, were not as effective at increasing test scores."
The city Education Department, which heralded the plan at the time, expressed no regrets.
"While incentives didn't substantially improve student achievement in New York, we consider our participation in the national study to be a great success and a testament to our approach of pairing innovation with rigorous evaluation to find new programs that make a difference," said Education Department spokesman David Cantor.
Translation - "innovation" matters more than success when it comes to education policy.
You can see that in the approach Obama and Duncan are taking at the federal level as well.
RIF is a program that works? Ahh, screw it - let's defund it and force the program to "innovate" if it wants to survive.
Merit pay for kids doesn't work? Ahh, screw it - let's force states to tie teacher pay to test scores because that's more innovative than the old ways of compensation.
CHANGE FOR CHANGE'S SAKE - that's what the motto of the education deform movement.
And that's Obama's motto too.
As long as the "change" and the "innovation" mean more money for the privatized education companies, that is.
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