The purpose of this qualitative research study was to discover the influence of a student achievement program implemented at one large urban high school that employed extrinsic motivation to promote student achievement on state assessments. Using organismic integration theory as the theoretical framework, 19 randomly selected students participated in structured interviews with their responses analyzed by the organismic integration theory taxonomy. This study invites a discussion of the use of extrinsic motivation to influence student attitude and behavior toward state assessments.
The purpose of this case study was to discover the critical attributes of a student achievement program, known as “Think Gold,” implemented at one urban comprehensive high school as part of the improvement process. Student achievement on state assessments improved during the period under study. The study draws upon perspectives on motivation as a lens for understanding the attributes of the program. The theoretical framework guiding this study emerged from a convergence of literature on high school improvement and studies on the use of extrinsic motivation to promote student achievement. These studies revealed a gap between the goals promoted for improved student outcomes and the performance results from non-consequential, large-scale assessments. Data sources included structured interviews with school personnel and students, achievement data from 2009–2011, and survey results, which were analyzed to construct a case narrative. Critical attributes of the achievement program were distilled, including the differentiated incentive system, sustainability, and personalized meaning for students between state assessments and their decision-making. This study is not an evaluation of the program, but the discussion offered of the use of extrinsic motivation to promote student achievement may prove beneficial.
The arrival of underprepared freshmen to a high school presents a host of challenges for all stakeholders. West High School in Bakersfield, California, responded to a problem of academic failure of a significant number of freshmen by developing and implementing a Freshman Academy for underprepared students entering the 9th grade. During two years of this intervention, the school experienced improvement in the matriculation rate, an increase in literacy skills, and a reduction in student suspensions. The Freshman Academy identified students' academic and nonacademic needs and provided a supportive learning environment to help address these needs in a way that led to successful promotion through high school. Two critical attributes of this approach are teacher efficacy and teacher collaboration.
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