Sunday, May 25, 2008
News

Experimental education program pays off

 A sense of accomplishment is a bigger reward than the paychecks 40 students have earned through an experimental program that pays them to study...

Xavier Latimore, an 11th grader in Creekside High School’s Learn and Earn program.
Courtesy Fulton County Schools
By Manashi Mukherjee

A sense of accomplishment is a bigger reward than the paychecks 40 students have earned through an experimental program that pays them to study.

The Fulton County Schools students graduated from the Learn and Earn program on May 13 in a ceremony at Creekside High School. Afterward, Linda Hughey, mother of 17-year-old Amber Hughey, said she had noticed her daughter studying more, but it was due to the personalized tutoring, not to the monetary incentive.

“She already had a job,” says Hughey. “I wasn’t worried about her getting money from the school. She made more than that at work.”

Amber Hughey says the program has been effective because she is now passing math and science. She has enjoyed meeting new people and getting a better understanding of the subjects. When asked about post-high school plans, Hughey’s mom says confidently, “College. She’s going to college.”

During the ceremony, students spoke about their experiences. Creekside High School 11th grader Khamylle Meeks quipped, “I came for the money!” but explained that while her initial motives might have been financial, she left the program having made new friends and learned from great teachers. Meeks beamed as she announced that she is now passing math and science.

Raven Simmons, a Bear Creek Middle School student, shyly noted that she benefited from Learn and Earn immensely. “I wasn’t too good in math and science when I got here… my science grade came up from an 82 to a 92. And I was failing math. Now I have an 83!” 

The Learn and Earn program was a 15-week experiment between Fulton County Schools and the Learning Makes a Difference Foundation to see if financial incentives could raise the math and science scores of underprivileged children. Twenty high school and 20 middle-school students were chosen by their principals to participate in the after-school tutorial program. Students were rewarded for their attendance and performance with weekly paychecks totaling $32.

At the commencement, teachers got as many accolades as their students.

High school math teacher Lashaunda Latham walked to the podium amidst huge cheers. She told a story about a particularly tough student who initially never asked for help during the sessions. When she approached him at the end of the program, he said, “I still don’t like math, but I like the challenge of doing the problems.” She laughed when he said that, and told him, “I’ve got news for you—if you like to do the problems, then you do like math.”

David Mackey, a middle school science instructor, thanked the Learning Makes a Difference Foundation for investing in students, and said that the one-on-one time with students made the biggest difference. He was able to customize lab experiments and lesson plans for students because he could work with them individually. Mackey noticed the students were helping each other as they mastered new skills, which motivated them to achieve.

After the speeches, the 8th and 11th graders received an official letter for completing the program and a draft copy of “5 Principles for a Successful Life” by Jackie Cushman, co-founder of the Learning Makes a Difference Foundation, and her politician father, Newt Gingrich. Cushman gave an emotional speech, illustrating her points with quotes from the book. She encouraged the kids to keep working hard. “You can do it,” Cushman told them. “You’ve just proved it!”

Charles Loudermilk, chairman and CEO of Aaron Rents, Inc., who funded the Fulton County program, and Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts attended the ceremony and offered their congratulations. During the speeches, a video of Gingrich was played, in which he also thanked and encouraged students to continue their efforts. EMSTAR Research, Inc. has evaluated the impact of the program and will provide results of the evaluation in late June. SP