In recent years, there has been a revival of interest in financial incentives to encourage students to attend school and to improve their academic achievement, graduation rates, and other outcomes. Conditional cash transfers programmes in developing countries, especially PROGRESA in Mexico, have found positive effects on attendance in large-scale…

Reviews research on developmental and motivational perspectives on cooperative learning. Presents a theory which reconciles these perspectives and emphasizes the role of group rewards for individual learning in motivating students to provide high-quality assistance to their group-mates. (PCB)

An evaluation-reward system was developed in which students received points based on a comparison of their weekly quiz performance to a "base score" which was derived from a pretest, and adjusted to reflect actual weekly performance. This system was evaluated in terms of its effect on student achievement, using a group of English classes…

Reports several field experimental research studies which tested the effects of group and individual incentive structures and tasks on individual academic achievement. The positive effects of cooperative learning methods result from the use of cooperative incentives, not cooperative tasks, apparently due to change in peer norms. (CB)

Sixth to eighth grade students received points based on weekly quiz performance and a base score derived from a pretest and adjusted to reflect actual weekly performance. The points were reported in a weekly newsletter. Students in experimental classes achieved more on a final standardized test than did control classes. (Author/GDC)