Educational equity, academic standards, and countercontrol: Preventing academic deficits with supplemental interdependent rewards

Abstract

AbstractSchool psychologists have been involved with developing and installing individual contingencies designed to remedy individual students' academic deficits. Group‐oriented contingencies can be applied to broader efforts designed to prevent learning problems class‐wide. Independent group‐oriented rewards are frequently used in school settings to enhance learning by rewarding strong academic performance (e.g., reward for each student who maintains a 90% average). Research suggests overreliance on these contingencies may not be educationally equitable because they may be less effective or ineffective in influencing the behavior and learning of students with weaker academic skills. Theoretical and applied research is analyzed which suggests that maintaining ubiquitous independent rewards and providing supplemental interdependent group‐oriented bonus rewards may allow educators to a) maintain their academic standards, b) enhance educational equity by improving learning in students who may not respond to typical independent group‐oriented rewards, and c) enhance classroom climates. Also, recommendations are provided that may allow educators to mitigate concerns over perceived unfairness associated with interdependent group‐oriented rewards.