We talked last week about how stereotypes of African-American students can encourage them to play down their smarts. This week, I'd like to point your attention to this story in the Chicago Tribune that talks about the inverse of that phenomenon.

The story is about how struggling Asian students are often overlooked because they are a historically high-performing group. Because of this, there aren't many resources available to help those Asian students who may be having trouble. Part of it is because in most places, Asian students are a fairly small population, and there aren't many educators fluent in their native language to help them.

The story says that Southeast Asians, whose scores are comparable to Latino and African-American students according to a 2002 U.S. Department of Education study, are particularly hard hit. Their test scores are lumped in with all other Asian students, and consequently that demographic is often overshadowed by higher-performing Asian students.

Education Week's Lesli Maxwell did an in-depth article on this topic last year. You can check that out here.

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Education Week's Debbie Viadero has written yet another story related to student motivation--this time about class size. According to the article, a study released at the AERA conference has found that smaller classes help students stay on task. This seems sort of obvious, as I've mentioned before, but there are a couple of interesting points she makes that I think are worth noting.

The first is that teachers with smaller classes aren't really taking advantage of smaller classes to teach in a more collaborative way. That means that the increased level of attention in students is not coming from a different method of teaching, but just from the effect of having fewer students in the class, which is an important distinction to make. But my question is why aren't teachers modifying their teaching style to a more collaborative method when given the opportunity?

The second point Debbie mentions is that a similar study in Hong Kong had different results--mostly because Chinese students were on task most of the time regardless of class size, according to Maurice Galton, the study's researcher.

Mr. Galton said that is because Chinese teachers typically make an effort to interact with each individual student, keeping track by ticking off the names on the class roster as they go along.

Since reducing class size is something most teachers don't have control over, this is pretty valuable information. For now, perhaps it's better for teachers in the U.S. to learn how to manage large classes by taking a page out of China's book.

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Here is a fantastic talk given by author Dave Eggers about starting 826 Valencia--a combination Publishing Headquarters/Writing and Tutoring Center/Pirate Supply Store. It's a little long (~25 minutes), but it's a great example of how to make learning fun and how teachers, schools, and communities can work together to motivate students. Seriously. Check it out.

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We've talked before about students underperforming because of gender stereotypes, but Education Week's Lesli Maxwell has a story up on gifted students underperforming due to racial stereotypes. Gifted black students often feel pressured to "act black," says the story, which students define as "being laid-back, being dumb or uneducated, and pretending not to be smart."

This study points to a disconnect between students' schools and their communities. If being educated is considered "white," then studying and acting smart may make black gifted students feel that they are rejecting their black identity. Perhaps this choice could be assuaged if curricula was made to be both culturally sensitive and relevant to students' lives. I'd guess that stronger ties between the school and the community could also ease tensions about stereotypes.

What do you think? Is this a problem you've encountered in your own classroom, and if so, how was it dealt with?

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For those of you who are really into student motivation (as I assume most of you are), I highly suggest that you set aside a good couple of hours to explore all the online features of this month's issue of Educational Leadership. And once you've read through all that, you should get your hands on a physical copy of the magazine and read the rest of the articles. Because--I am not joking--all of the articles in this issue are about student motivation.

There are articles about motivating kids to read, motivating kids with technology, how to keep the "flame of motivation" burning in each student, how to motivate "reluctant learners" and apathetic students, and how to connect with and motivate students with emotional difficulties. This story talks about how to motivate students in spite of high-stakes testing, and this article outlines a survey of high school students all about motivation and engagement.

There is absolutely too much for me to summarize here, so if you can, pick up a copy and read through these thoughtful and informative articles for yourself.

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Middle school can be rough. It's a weird, in-between, awkward time for most pre-teens, and it also lays the framework for how well a student will progress academically in high school. Educators have given the early and upper grades increased attention, but not much is known about how to motivate students in the unique set of circumstances that is middle school. Education Week reporter Kathleen Kennedy Manzo takes an in-depth look at that particular issue in this article. Here's an excerpt:

More than a decade after a prominent group of middle-grades reformers set out to infuse higher academic standards into what critics deemed the touchy-feely world of middle schools, many teachers are still grappling with ways to motivate students to excel intellectually while helping them adapt to the dramatic physical and emotional changes that come with puberty.

That mix of rigor, relevance, and responsiveness, experts say, is crucial for guiding students, particularly those most at risk of dropping out, on the path to high school graduation and later success. Too many schools serving 6th through 9th graders, however, have yet to find the right prescription for keeping those youngsters engaged at a time when their growing curiosity, independence, and need for the acceptance of their peers may lead them to act out or zone out in school.

The article is all about motivating students, even when they don't want to be motivated. Check it out.

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This past Sunday, I had dinner with a friend of mine I hadn't seen in quite awhile. We used to hang out every couple of weeks or so, but lately it's been more like every few months. The reason can be described in two words: law school. Luckily, he was able to squeeze me in right at the end of his spring break--which he spent writing papers and working on homework--because otherwise, I don't think I would have seen him at all this semester. After all, finals are coming up... in May. "It's time to start studying," he told me. His classmates have been talking about it for a couple of weeks already, he said, much to my amazement. "Finals is a season, kind of like Christmas," he said. "It starts way too early, and it's extremely stressful."

According to this AP story, he's not alone in feeling that way. Four in ten college students say they "endure stress often," says a survey conducted for AP and mtvU. Almost one in five say they "feel it all or most of the time." Students report feeling lonely, depressed, anxious, and some express a desire to use alcohol or drugs to relax. Many feel guilty for any time not spent studying. The good news is the vast majority of students, even though they are stressed, feel pretty happy with their lives in general.

While this survey focused on students in higher education, I think its implications extend to students in the K-12 environment as well. Stress is definitely still a factor in lower grades, and it can have major effects on student motivation. On one hand, too much stress can completely paralyze and overwhelm students, resulting in feelings of frustration and depression, but a healthy amount of stress can also motivate students to work diligently and keep up with assignments. It's a delicate balance I think few students are able to master.

What do you think? Are students able to handle stress effectively, or are they completely overwhelmed? How much stress is too much, and what kind of effect does that have on student motivation?

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This story in the Rocky Mountain News is about one high school that decided to pay their students to take their state tests in order to increase attendance. Students received about $50 each total, $5 for each test they took and an additional $1 for good behavior. The result? They had almost 100 percent attendance.

At least as interesting as the story is the comments left at the end. The general consensus from commenters seems to be that giving incentives to take tests is a bad idea. There are a lot of interesting ideas down there, before the comments begin to deteriorate into personal attacks. Apparently, cash incentives are a very touchy subject.

Also, in the March 2008 issue of American Teacher, there's are two columns side-by-side, one written by a teacher who does not believe in cash incentives and the other by one who does. Both columns are well-written and address this issue in a thoughtful way, so I highly encourage you to read them. The only bad news is that to view the columns, you have to download the pdf version of the magazine, but like I said, for those who are following this issue, it's a worthy read. The columns are in the Speak Out section on page 4 of the download.

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Like a couple of other edweek.org blogs, Motivation Matters received a 9.5 out of 10 ranking by Blogged.com, a Web site that evaluates, ranks, and categorizes blogs. Of interest to readers of this blog might be the site's directory of education blogs, which you can find here.

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This story in the Chicago Tribune discusses the increasingly high price tag of building high schools--sometimes upwards of $100 million. These six-figure high schools can include pools, gardens, planetariums, and other high-priced facilities, says the article.

Although this kind of spending does seem somewhat excessive in light of tight state budgets, I wonder how these facilities influence the academic and emotional well-being, as well as the motivation, of the students who attend them. Part of the article hints that it may have a positive impact. Here's an excerpt:

"Some of these $100 million-plus schools are magnets serving an affluent or high-achieving demographic, while others are designed to function additionally as community centers and even sanctuaries from neighborhood violence. The 2,400-student Panorama High is the latter.

While Assistant Principal Sergio Guzman and other officials say the school has become a valued refuge for students, it wasn't always that pretty. The school was nicknamed "Bloodbath High" before it opened in autumn 2006 because it is in violent gang turf, which scared off some prospective students, faculty members said.

Now students protect their school, reporting any graffiti, and the school's tall gates protect them. A nearby strip mall is adopting the school's exterior colors of saffron and burgundy. Some faculty members say they may spend their entire careers there. And parents even have their own room for meetings."

The article then goes on to say, however, that it's uncertain whether expensive facilities translate into higher achievement. But whether or not those schools produce higher test scores, it makes sense that students in well-kept or new schools would feel a greater sense of pride, and maybe even increased motivation, in that setting.

What do you think? Does the actual physical classroom or school building influence student and faculty morale? Or are expensive school facilities an excessive use of tax dollars?

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We hear a lot about hands-on lessons in science and technology, but it's not often that we hear about those kinds of experiences in other subjects. This AP story is about a financial-literacy program in a public elementary school in Chicago that gives $20,000 to each 1st grade class to invest in stocks. The kids get to choose and manage the stocks, and in the process learn financial literacy skills such as how to open a bank account, save money, and invest. Here's a little more about how the program works:

"Experts manage a $20,000 portfolio for each class until sixth grade, briefing them regularly along the way, and then begin turning over the decisions to the children. Upon graduation from eighth grade, each class returns the initial investment amount to the school for another first-grade class and donates, invests or pockets the profits.

After giving half the gains to community charity programs or school initiatives, each student can then take the rest in cash or invest it in a Section 529 college savings plan, in which case they are given an additional $1,000. Last year, 80 percent of graduates invested their $150 shares in a 529."

Like the founder of the school notes, in an age when the traditional corporate pension is becoming obsolete, it's increasingly important for students to be taught financial literacy in school. And giving students this kind of hands-on approach to investing really helps keep them engaged and motivated.

I have to say, as someone who plans to sit down with her parents in order to learn how to file taxes in a few weeks, I would definitely have benefited from a program like this. Fortunately, both my parents are knowledgeable about financial matters, otherwise I'm not sure where I would learn these skills. I certainly wasn't taught financial literacy in school--not in elementary, middle, or high school, and not in college, either. Starting these kids so young could have a huge influence on how they manage their finances in the future.

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I was pretty surprised when I read this story in The Seattle Times about a school that will require all 10th graders to take at least one Advanced Placement class next year. While it seems like a good idea to encourage kids to take rigorous classes, is it really smart to require them to enroll in AP?

The article says that currently, about 40 percent of sophomores take the one AP course offered to them--European History. By the time the requirement goes into effect, that course will be changed to Human Geography. That means more than half the students in that grade will be required to take a course they normally wouldn't sign up for.

Are AP courses really appropriate for every single student in an entire grade? Or are administrators just setting some students up for failure? In my opinion, to do well in a class like this, the student has to want to do well. And if they are required to take the class, are they really going to have that desire?

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And now, for our (seemingly) weekly update on motivating students with rewards:

It looks like the proposal New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was considering back in November that would reward students for doing well in school with cellphones equipped with prepaid minutes has actually come to pass.

This is interesting for a couple of reasons. For one thing, cellphones are banned in NYC classrooms, making this proposal a bit counterintuitive. Critics say that rewarding students with a prize that's banned from schools is sending the wrong message. But Roland Fryer, the creator of the program and a leader of the student incentives movement, says that educators have to motivate students by reaching them "where they are."

And, presumably, cellphones could help teachers do that. (Students will receive text messages from their teachers reminding them of upcoming assignments and tests.) Also, I imagine Fryer means reaching students where they are a little less than literally--in that schools should tap into students' interests and try to transfer that motivation into the classroom.

Also, as Teacher Magazine's Elizabeth Rich notes in the Web Watch blog, the students earn extra minutes (beyond the 130 that come standard on the phone) based on grades along with good behavior and attendance. This seems to be something that educators are turning towards more often. Like the program in Baltimore, student incentives are being tied to progress, rather than just the outcome of test scores.

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Just to be clear, we here at Motivation Matters aren't endorsing any particular candidate in the 2008 presidential election, but we are interested in the effect the election may have on student motivation. Although, as a general rule, K-12 students can't vote, presidential elections--especially ones that are as historic as this one is shaping up to be--have the potential to excite and motivate kids by bringing history and politics out of textbooks and into their daily lives. The video below is a one example of the way a charter school in Chicago is using the election to help students get directly involved in the democratic process.

I have to say, after I first watched the video, I was struck by how pro-Obama the administration in this school was allowed to be. When I was in high school, although we usually knew who our teachers supported, I cannot recall a time when they were ever so candid about their political views as the teachers in this video are. I don't know whether that was because of a specific rule in our school, or if that was a personal choice each of them made. Regardless, the students in this video are obviously excited about what they're doing and motivated to learn more about the effect this election may have on this country's history.

How is your school addressing the election, if at all? Do you have any other examples of the way it may play out in the classroom?

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