Freakonomics Page #8

students could increase their test scores

simply by giving them a financial ... incentive.

If it works for 1 student, then it's good enough for me because

we have no stake in it financially.

The University of Chicago is picking up the tab.

Why wouldn't we at least try it?

I'm thinking, it's going to work.

Opportunity - you'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

And, that's my message to the students.

I don't need to put my degrees up on the wall,

I already have those.

I want them to get those.

How has it been starting a new school?

It's actually not that bad, I like it here

-Yea? -It's really easy -Oh the classes are really easy? -Oh, yea

Let's see, pull out your report card and see how you're doing right now.

-So, we can see your grades -Yea, not that good

Alright, so what do you need to improve on?

Everything

Ok, but you know I'm seeing grades go up a lot so ...

... so you'd probaly wanna know what to get right, if you ...

do meet the monthly achievement standards?!

-Sure -Ok, so open up your folder

Fifty bucks?

Yea, you get the $50 every month as long as you keep your grades up

Alright

I think a lot of people here are gonna do their homeworks then

-Yea, what about you, why you? -$50 can buy a lot ...ah

-It can buy -You know, it can pay for my skateboards

So then I could get sponsored, get free clothse and stuffs.

Till I graduate

-How's school today, ok? -Amazing -Good

Kevin came home from school and says, "Mom ..."

" ... if I do really good, I can get paid for it."

Mom, I could really make money.

I'm like, "Fine, Kevin, go for it."

I said, "And I'll tell you what, you keep your grades up ..."

"you're gonna get the money, .... mom will double it."

Whatever they give you, mom will match it.

-Alright -Then you'll have double the money.

-If the grades go up -Right

A little bit of bribery? What parent doesn't do that?!

We all bribed our kids one way or another

-One, two, three, four,five -Bribery works for my kids

They love to be bribed

-Eight, nine, ten

For 50 cents, I can buy whatever I want in my household

Oh I forgot this dollar

The closest thing to figurig out habbits is that incentives matter

Not just financial incentives but social incentives and moral incentives.

Our goal was to figure out:

Can we cheaply and quickly move the needle at a school?

Can we get kids to achieve more as quickly as possible

with spending very little money.

There are 900 freshmen in our experiment,

At the end of every month, we hold a payout event

where all kids who got all Cs or above receive $50 in cash.

In addition, those who quality are also elegible for lottery,

where they can win $500.

To win the money,

They have to have no more than 1 unexcused absence

No all day suspensions

And all your grades at the end of the month have to be a C or higher

It's great to give them this financial reward,

but it's also about having a lot of fanfair around it

Giving them this big checque, sending them home in a Hummer limo.

You think, there's definitely a limo effect.

That is so cool

Are you serious?! They got to ride in it?!

Aw, that is so awsome!

Oh My God! This is awsome!

Oh yes, yes, you're getting straight As from me.

Yes!

There's lot of things I'd do for money I mean

I work all year round

Hi, I'm a representative of ....

we charge $3 for a walkway and $5 for a driveway

would you like to hire us for our services today?

Hook, line, and sinker

They say money doesn't buy happiness,

and I agree but I disagree.

Depends how you look at it,

Because when they say money cannot buy happiness,

they're saying materials things cannot make a person happy.

Wanna bet?

Okay, BPL083, unfortunate that person did not meet the standards this month

we cannot give them the money.

You know what you need to do next month, right?

-Yea -So you think you'll be meeting the standards next month? -Oh yea

-Alright -I took a look into the limo thing and I was like ...

Oh, you've seen the limosine outside?

It was awsome!

The lights, the way it was layed out ...

Take us home, Jekins ... it's gonna be so cool!

These are my halls! These are my halls!

Cuz I'm a King that's my last name.

The King~

-5 or 7 of prime, so that's ... -Write it!

-Show your work

-5, you can't break down 5 because it is a prime number

Show your work ... I need you to ... do

-I'm gonna do 7 through 12 -No, I said 1 through 6

You don't get to pick

It's really important for me for him to finish school,

because I didn't.

He's very intelligent, he needs to focus.

They got to find something to get these kids

into going to school and get their grades up.

Hello?

Hi, my name is Eliah, I'm calling on behalf of the Chicago High School

Is Guela Lupaia available?

Is Hector available?

Is Mark available?

This is a message for Jessica Richardson,

wanted to congratulate her on meeting

the monthly achievement this month

so she's eligible to win $500

And also, just let you know to have her keep an eye on her

math and biology grades

cuz they're on a C right now.

Hi, this is Sally Sladoth from the University of Chicago,

Is Kevin Muncy there?

Hi this is Kevin

Hi Kevin, I'm looking at your grades,

and it looks like you need to bring some of them up,

are you doing something to work on bringing up your grades?

I'm not gonna lie, I haven't done every assignment, so far

So are you going to your teachers and

ask if you can make up the missing assignments?

Ah yeah, they're actually making a list for me right now.

-That's great, so you gonna try to make those up -Yea

Cuz the thing is if you can trun in missing assignments,

you can bring up the grade a lot.

because you go from having no credit for the assignment,

to getting some credit or even a lot of credit

-that'll make your grades bounce up a lot. -Yea

-So, you going to get the $50 for this month?

-Are you gonna be doing your best? -Yea

Alright, that's what I like to hear

-Alright, take care, have a good day. -Alright, you too, bye. -Bye

Huh, what? what? what? what?

Go duct tape him.

Little drawing over here, chromosomal #21, down syndrome are clear

So, if you have normal splitting,

this is what happens, we're making sperm here ....

-Mr. Garshorn, can you Tyler come help me? -Sure

You just wanna copy Lindsey's?

No, just tell her to come back here.

Lindsey

Do you have that?

Congratulations, you met the standards

Congratulations, you get the $50 this month.

-Unfortunately, you didn't meet the standards this month -Great

It's just on the grey category, you need to bring up these ...

grades to ... to be passing

So, let's take a look here ... Algebra you're passing that's good

So, what's going on in Biology and World History?

Are you missing assignments?

His history teacher said he should be in his honor class

but the simple fact that he's not doing the work,

that's why he's not there.

Have to do the work.

The trouble between me and my mom is mostly about homework.

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