Research Summary
Research Summary
Incentives and Education
Description
(with Bob Slonim and Eric Bettinger)
No Child Left Behind has created an incentive system for schools to increase test scores as well as attendance figures. Many lower income schools are passing along these incentives to their students (Click Here for a recent example). In a series of field experiments with a firm that offers online classes to high school students, we will analyze the possible benefits and dangers of introducing incentives into the classroom. We will test many incentive schemes designed to maximize benefits highlighted by economists while trying to minimize dangers known to psychologists.
No Child Left Behind has created an incentive system for schools to increase test scores as well as attendance figures. Many lower income schools are passing along these incentives to their students (Click Here for a recent example). In a series of field experiments with a firm that offers online classes to high school students, we will analyze the possible benefits and dangers of introducing incentives into the classroom. We will test many incentive schemes designed to maximize benefits highlighted by economists while trying to minimize dangers known to psychologists.