They earned more than an education.
A privately funded program that pays high school kids up to $1,000 for each Advanced Placement exam they pass boosted the pass-rate for black and Hispanic students by 35 percent over two years, new data shows.
After getting flat results in its first year, the Rewarding Achievement (REACH) program sparked nearly 1,200 more kids at 31 high-poverty high schools to take the college credit-bearing AP exams in 2009 than did in 2007.
The higher participation resulted in 328 more black and Hispanic kids scoring high enough on the challenging exams to earn college credits this year compared to 2007.
The overall number of students who passed by scoring a 3 or higher on the 5-point scale increased by a smaller, but significant 20 percent after the initiative’s first two years.
Students earn $1,000 for a 5, $750 for a 4 and $500 for a 3.
“It definitely made me work a little bit harder because with this recession, it’s harder to come by money,” said Jamila Adams, 18, who earned $2,000 as a senior at DeWitt Clinton HS in The Bronx by scoring 4s in calculus and statistics AP tests and a 3 on the economics exam.
“From October on, everybody was talking about the money and what they were going to do with it,” said the Binghamton University-bound teen, who plans to spend her earnings on a microwave, refrigerator and other dorm room supplies. “Money’s a great incentive for a lot of things.”
Payouts to pupils are expected to top $825,000 at a celebratory ceremony today. REACH is one of several cash incentive programs in the city that has ignited debate about the merits of paying kids to learn.
Sponsors of the program — which include members of the Council of Urban Professionals — said it was a sorely needed effort to prepare low-income and minority students to succeed at college.
Rather than simply paying the kids, they added, the program provides students with support and with extra resources at their schools.
For example, a new incentive this year required students who wanted the full cash reward to attend three intensive study sessions. That increased both participation at the lessons and the passing rate on the exams.
“The money was a good incentive, but for me it was more so the whole education thing — learning new methods and techniques to write essays and to edit,” said Ashley Mackey, 17, who earned $1,000 on two AP exams as a graduating senior at Benjamin Banneker HS in Brooklyn.