School pays kids to come to class
WALNUT HILLS — Dohn Community High School senior Arneqka Lester, 16, is especially excited about coming to school this week.
That’s because Friday is payday.
This charter school of 170 students embarks on a new experiment this week – it’s paying students to come to class.
Kids will get Visa gift cards – $25 for seniors, $10 for underclassmen – for showing up five days a week, being on time, not getting into trouble and being “productive,” said Principal Ramone Davenport. Productive means that they are working in class, it has nothing to do with grades or test scores.
As an added bonus, every time a student gets paid, an extra $5 will go into a savings account for them, payable upon graduation.
The incentive program is expected to cost about $40,000 this school year, funded through a mix of private donations and federal Workforce Investment Act dollars funneled through the school’s partner Easter Seals.
If Lester’s reaction is any indication, the program might work.
“I’m very excited to get the money,” said Lester. “It makes me want to come to school on time, not that I don’t. But some students don’t have the money and this will help them. It’s a good idea.”
The idea of paying students to come to class isn’t new. Several schools in the country have adopted incentive programs with varying degrees of success – and controversy.
Local programs such as Easter Seals offer student incentives on a case-by-case basis to students who qualify because they are poor or have had truancy problems. Some companies partner with local schools to offer incentives like cell phones or scholarships for good work.
But organizers said this is the first schoolwide, behavior-based incentive program to be launched in the Cincinnati area.
The goal is to reduce the number of dropouts, improve attendance and graduation rates, and keep students off the streets.
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