Delighted -- or Deflated -- by Dollars

Eboni McCallum, a Shaw at Garnet-Patterson Middle School sixth-grader, reacts to her $34 from the Capital Gains program, which gives rewards for academics and behavior. (By Bill O'leary -- The Washington Post)
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School incentive programs are not new. The Dallas school system pays students to read books. Many schools, including KIPP Key Academy charter school in the District, offer fake money that can be redeemed for small gifts at a school store.

But Fryer says no one has used rigorous social science methods to determine whether incentives make a significant difference. He has launched programs similar to Capital Gains in Chicago and New York, where about 8,500 fourth- and seventh-graders are receiving cash based on standardized test scores.

His work has kindled a vigorous debate among parents and education scholars about the propriety of cash for grades. Fryer said such efforts are no silver bullet for the problems of big urban school districts. But ultimately, he said in a recent interview, progress will come in a series of small solutions, not one big fix.

Asked what they planned to do with their money, Shaw kids had every kind of answer. Jai Carson, 13, the school's star running back, said he planned to buy shoes for his cousin.

"I know some people who dropped out of school because they didn't have any money," he said.

Avontae, a seventh-grader, said she wasn't sure what she wanted to buy with the money, but she knew where she planned to spend it. "I'm going to the mall!" she announced loudly to whoops of approval from her girlfriends.

James Patterson, 14, an eighth-grader who did not get a check, said watching so many of his friends get paid made him want to try harder in school.

"I was suspended last week. But I'm definitely going to try to do good now, you know, like not talking in class," he said.

Sixth-grader Emilio Molina seemed particularly deflated as he stepped into his father's blue Toyota Corolla. For the last several weeks, he had been doing his homework with extra verve.

"He always does it," said his father, Carlos Molina. "But he was so much more enthusiastic. As soon as he'd get home, he'd be like, 'Can I use the computer?' He was so excited to earn that money."

So even though Emilio's $46 check was among the highest, it came as something of a letdown to Emilio.

"I thought it was going to be more like $100," he mumbled. Not that he plans to slack off at school now. Money has its attractions, but his true motivation is loftier, he said. "I really want to get into a good college."

Staff writers David Betancourt and Hamil R. Harris contributed to this report.