EconTalk Roland Fryer on Educational Reform
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Oct 10, 2022 In this engaging discussion, Harvard economist Roland Fryer, a MacArthur Genius Award winner, reveals his insights on educational reform. He shares how an innovative pizza party incentive transformed student performance. Fryer emphasizes the importance of closing the racial achievement gap over preserving the pure love of learning. He outlines five key practices that successful schools utilize and draws lessons from McDonald's management techniques for effective school leadership. His candid reflections reveal a deep commitment to fighting for a brighter future for all students.
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Pizza to Payments
- Roland Fryer's education reform efforts began with a simple act of kindness: ordering pizza for students at PS70 in the Bronx.
- This evolved into a large-scale experiment involving monetary incentives for students, sparking controversy and even protests.
Inputs vs. Outputs
- Incentives for educational achievement are more effective when focused on inputs (like reading books) rather than outputs (like test scores).
- This encourages the desired behaviors directly and avoids unintended consequences like focusing solely on test performance.
Check Please
- Despite initial resistance, Fryer found that students overwhelmingly responded positively to monetary incentives for learning.
- A memorable encounter involved a student initially rejecting the idea, only to eagerly claim his check moments later.