10 May 2010
Harvard University study shows love of learning is not hindered with incentives
DALLAS—A reading incentive program offered in nearly 50 Dallas ISD elementary schools has been highlighted as improving student performance by a recent national study.
Dr. Roland Fryer of Harvard University's EdLabs analyzed data from four incentive education programs, including Earning by Learning of Dallas. His study, published in April 2010, affirms that Earning by Learning's model, which pays students $1 for each book they read, is a positive step toward encouraging students to read more and foster a love of reading, which in turn improves their academic performance.
Findings from Dr. Fryer's study include:
"One Dallas ISD teacher said it best: 'Earning by Learning is a powerful tool in a teacher's toolbox,'" said Thelma Morris-Lindsey, the founding director of Earning by Learning of Dallas. "The Harvard findings are proof-positive of the district's innovative and research-driven approach to reading. These results mirror what principals, teachers, students, and parents at nearly 50 Dallas ISD campuses have witnessed for years. Almost four months of academic gain in 15 weeks is not a surprise to Dallas ISD/Earning by Learning campus personnel nor is it a surprise to the 63 schools on our waiting list."
Earning by Learning of Dallas was founded in 1996, and since then has served more than 77,000 students by encouraging them to read more than 726,000 books. More than $1.4 million in reading incentives has been awarded to students. Funding comes from private and corporate sponsorships.
A goal of the organization is to offer the incentives program at all Dallas ISD elementary schools. "The real challenge is to raise $1.6 million in private dollars to get all Dallas ISD elementary schools up and running with Earning by Learning," Morris-Lindsey said. "At some point, Dallas must understand its greatest capital is intellectual capital."
For information on Earning by Learning of Dallas, visit www.eblofdallas.org. The complete results of Dr. Fryer's study are available at: www.edlabs.harvard.edu/pdf/studentincentives.pdf.
"Dallas ISD principals and their teachers are no longer focusing on teaching to the test but rather creating academically challenging assignments that will better prepare students for college and the world of work. Dallas ISD has become an exemplar for urban schools as an effort based district that focuses on high achievement for all students."