Run a Simple Recurring Incentive System with Point Goals

A reward store is not the only way to motivate students with LiveSchool. Learn about setting Point Goals.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
July 5, 2021

Initially, attendance to the party was an item students could purchase with their LiveSchool points in their Reward Store. However, Paul observed that students shied away from purchasing attendance in favor of physical goods. Because he believed that the parties would be powerful tools for building better relationships, Paul made earning attendance automatic: when students earn 50 points in the week, they were on the attendance list.

Immediately, LiveSchool Parties changed. More students got to experience them each week, which made the parties more fun. Student motivation to earn 50 points per week increased, because no one wanted to feel left out from the attendance list. And the culture at Global Academies changed, because students were more engaged with the point system and then building better relationships with staff at the parties.

Why Point Goals?

We call the system Global Academies adopted for their parties "Point Goals" and it's perhaps the simplest way to run rewards in a school. It can be used as the ONLY rewards system a school adopts, or layer on top of other systems like a Reward Store.

Jay Maines, Principal at Del Valle Elementary School, says this about the value of a Point Goals mechanic: "We try to have as many different types of rewards as possible to try to reach as many students as possible. My preference is to not give "trinkets" for good behavior — I feel offering students experiences is more powerful. I use the the 'carrot or the stick' analogy: we want many short term and long-term carrots as motivators. I see Point Goal rewards as longer-term carrots that allow students to develop intrinsic motivation and experience setting and achieving goals."

How To Run Point Goals

Running a Point Goal system is simple. Here's how it breaks down.

  1. Set a timeframe. Your timeframe is 100% up to you — weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly. Ultimately, match the timeframe with your reward, and make sure it's something that is sustainable.
  2. Pick a reward. The reward can be a tangible item or a privilege. This type of system works particularly well for privilege rewards, because pulling the list of students who met the goal becomes your "attendance" list. Consider low-cost privileges that are easy to deliver logistically. You'll find more suggestions later in this article!
  3. Select a goal. This is the number of points students must earn within the timeframe to unlock the reward. Consider a goal value in accordance with how many students should be able to earn this reward. Ideally, the goal is something that all students can achieve — setting the goal too high may be de-motivating for some students. If possible, use existing data to find that sweet spot where the reward will motivate evenly and consistently.
  4. Promote the goal. Students have to know what the goal is to find it motivating! Consider you'll promote the goal regularly. Talk about it regularly on the morning announcements, hang posters in the building, put it in your newsletter, and encourage homeroom teachers to mention it each week. Strive for repetition, especially initially; once the system becomes part of the culture, it will be self-sustaining.
  5. Develop the logistics. Someone must be responsible for pulling data each week, and running the operations of reward fulfillment. This can be an individual or a small team — it ultimately depends on the type of reward you offer.
  6. Pull the data! Your assigned "owner" will use LiveSchool's Scoreboards report to pull a list of students who achieved the goal upon the arrival of the close of each timeframe. The Scoreboard report is outlined here. Just remember to change the Time Period to match your timeframe, and then filter based on points earned. Download a CSV of the data, and use that as your list of who gets the reward.

One last tip: any member of your staff can use the Scoreboard report at any time. To keep student buy-in high, coach your staff to use the Scoreboard report and filter to the right roster + timeframe so students can see where they stand against the Point Goal. You can ask homeroom teachers to show this at a few key points during the timeframe.

Point Goal Reward Ideas

Obviously, the quality of the reward makes a huge difference in your Point Goal system — you want a goal that engages as many students as possible. Point Goals let you offer any kind of reward you want, but consider the following.

We've had the benefit of watching our amazing school partners create fun event rewards behind this Point Goal system. A few of our favorites:

How to Maximize Point Goals as Student Motivators

We think Point Goals is the simplest way to launch a motivation system for a school just getting started. Here are a a few tips:

Running a Point Goal you're really proud of? Got amazing reward ideas? Share with us @whyliveschool on twitter!

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.

Run a Simple Recurring Incentive System with Point Goals

A reward store is not the only way to motivate students with LiveSchool. Learn about setting Point Goals.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
July 5, 2021
At Global Academies in Philadelphia, PA, Fridays are the days for LiveSchool Parties. Paul Kennedy, Director of Scholar Advancement, says his school culture wouldn't be the same without them -- these parties let students have fun and celebrate their success. And, most importantly, these simple, low-cost rewards are key opportunities for relationship building between students and staff. They're a key part of the culture. But they didn't begin to flourish at Global Academies until Paul changed the way they were earned.

Initially, attendance to the party was an item students could purchase with their LiveSchool points in their Reward Store. However, Paul observed that students shied away from purchasing attendance in favor of physical goods. Because he believed that the parties would be powerful tools for building better relationships, Paul made earning attendance automatic: when students earn 50 points in the week, they were on the attendance list.

Immediately, LiveSchool Parties changed. More students got to experience them each week, which made the parties more fun. Student motivation to earn 50 points per week increased, because no one wanted to feel left out from the attendance list. And the culture at Global Academies changed, because students were more engaged with the point system and then building better relationships with staff at the parties.

Why Point Goals?

We call the system Global Academies adopted for their parties "Point Goals" and it's perhaps the simplest way to run rewards in a school. It can be used as the ONLY rewards system a school adopts, or layer on top of other systems like a Reward Store.

Jay Maines, Principal at Del Valle Elementary School, says this about the value of a Point Goals mechanic: "We try to have as many different types of rewards as possible to try to reach as many students as possible. My preference is to not give "trinkets" for good behavior — I feel offering students experiences is more powerful. I use the the 'carrot or the stick' analogy: we want many short term and long-term carrots as motivators. I see Point Goal rewards as longer-term carrots that allow students to develop intrinsic motivation and experience setting and achieving goals."

How To Run Point Goals

Running a Point Goal system is simple. Here's how it breaks down.

  1. Set a timeframe. Your timeframe is 100% up to you — weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly. Ultimately, match the timeframe with your reward, and make sure it's something that is sustainable.
  2. Pick a reward. The reward can be a tangible item or a privilege. This type of system works particularly well for privilege rewards, because pulling the list of students who met the goal becomes your "attendance" list. Consider low-cost privileges that are easy to deliver logistically. You'll find more suggestions later in this article!
  3. Select a goal. This is the number of points students must earn within the timeframe to unlock the reward. Consider a goal value in accordance with how many students should be able to earn this reward. Ideally, the goal is something that all students can achieve — setting the goal too high may be de-motivating for some students. If possible, use existing data to find that sweet spot where the reward will motivate evenly and consistently.
  4. Promote the goal. Students have to know what the goal is to find it motivating! Consider you'll promote the goal regularly. Talk about it regularly on the morning announcements, hang posters in the building, put it in your newsletter, and encourage homeroom teachers to mention it each week. Strive for repetition, especially initially; once the system becomes part of the culture, it will be self-sustaining.
  5. Develop the logistics. Someone must be responsible for pulling data each week, and running the operations of reward fulfillment. This can be an individual or a small team — it ultimately depends on the type of reward you offer.
  6. Pull the data! Your assigned "owner" will use LiveSchool's Scoreboards report to pull a list of students who achieved the goal upon the arrival of the close of each timeframe. The Scoreboard report is outlined here. Just remember to change the Time Period to match your timeframe, and then filter based on points earned. Download a CSV of the data, and use that as your list of who gets the reward.

One last tip: any member of your staff can use the Scoreboard report at any time. To keep student buy-in high, coach your staff to use the Scoreboard report and filter to the right roster + timeframe so students can see where they stand against the Point Goal. You can ask homeroom teachers to show this at a few key points during the timeframe.

Point Goal Reward Ideas

Obviously, the quality of the reward makes a huge difference in your Point Goal system — you want a goal that engages as many students as possible. Point Goals let you offer any kind of reward you want, but consider the following.

  • Physical rewards can work, but think through it carefully! Physical rewards may lose value if your Point Goal repeats regularly (example: every two weeks) and the items don't change. Physical rewards may also become expensive if the goal is something attainable for most students — and it should be, lest it become unintentionally demotivating.
  • Privilege rewards are exciting, cost-effective, and they scale well. We see that Point Goals are most common with "experiential" rewards, like Global Academies weekly LiveSchool Party attendance. We've seen schools turn unique events, special guest speakers, extra recess, homework passes, and field trip access into Point Goal rewards. Remember that extra options for social time — especially for older students — can be a huge motivator.

We've had the benefit of watching our amazing school partners create fun event rewards behind this Point Goal system. A few of our favorites:

  • A Pumpkin Carving (or Pumpkin Smashing) party
  • Ice Cream Social
  • Karaoke Competition (with both students and teachers as performers, of course)
  • Student vs Teacher Kickball Game
  • Popcorn and a Movie
  • Xbox Tournament
  • Science Fair
  • Field Day
  • Free time in Gym
  • Hot Chocolate Party

How to Maximize Point Goals as Student Motivators

We think Point Goals is the simplest way to launch a motivation system for a school just getting started. Here are a a few tips:

  • Thinking about launching a store? Make it a second step. The Reward Store functionality in LiveSchool makes it easy to run a store, but building the in-person logistics and inventory can take time and effort. Launching your system around a well-structured Point Goal is a great way to introduce staff and students to your culture system while delaying some of the store setup work.
  • Layer it with a store. It's not an "either or" decision with LiveSchool between Point Goals and a Reward Store. Many schools — like Global Academies — run a Reward Store and a Point Goal simultaneously. This allows them to motivate students more deeply. Students have a clear weekly goal tied to a cultural event that they believe in, but they still have agency to spend their points in the Reward Store for things that motivate them personally.
  • Mix it up and find what motivates students. Not all students are motivated the same way, and Point Goals become a way to create motivators that work. For example: maybe the physical items in your Reward Store don't motivate your older students like their younger peers; set a social privilege Point Goal for the older students that they'd hate to miss out on.

Running a Point Goal you're really proud of? Got amazing reward ideas? Share with us @whyliveschool on twitter!

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.

Initially, attendance to the party was an item students could purchase with their LiveSchool points in their Reward Store. However, Paul observed that students shied away from purchasing attendance in favor of physical goods. Because he believed that the parties would be powerful tools for building better relationships, Paul made earning attendance automatic: when students earn 50 points in the week, they were on the attendance list.

Immediately, LiveSchool Parties changed. More students got to experience them each week, which made the parties more fun. Student motivation to earn 50 points per week increased, because no one wanted to feel left out from the attendance list. And the culture at Global Academies changed, because students were more engaged with the point system and then building better relationships with staff at the parties.

Why Point Goals?

We call the system Global Academies adopted for their parties "Point Goals" and it's perhaps the simplest way to run rewards in a school. It can be used as the ONLY rewards system a school adopts, or layer on top of other systems like a Reward Store.

Jay Maines, Principal at Del Valle Elementary School, says this about the value of a Point Goals mechanic: "We try to have as many different types of rewards as possible to try to reach as many students as possible. My preference is to not give "trinkets" for good behavior — I feel offering students experiences is more powerful. I use the the 'carrot or the stick' analogy: we want many short term and long-term carrots as motivators. I see Point Goal rewards as longer-term carrots that allow students to develop intrinsic motivation and experience setting and achieving goals."

How To Run Point Goals

Running a Point Goal system is simple. Here's how it breaks down.

  1. Set a timeframe. Your timeframe is 100% up to you — weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly. Ultimately, match the timeframe with your reward, and make sure it's something that is sustainable.
  2. Pick a reward. The reward can be a tangible item or a privilege. This type of system works particularly well for privilege rewards, because pulling the list of students who met the goal becomes your "attendance" list. Consider low-cost privileges that are easy to deliver logistically. You'll find more suggestions later in this article!
  3. Select a goal. This is the number of points students must earn within the timeframe to unlock the reward. Consider a goal value in accordance with how many students should be able to earn this reward. Ideally, the goal is something that all students can achieve — setting the goal too high may be de-motivating for some students. If possible, use existing data to find that sweet spot where the reward will motivate evenly and consistently.
  4. Promote the goal. Students have to know what the goal is to find it motivating! Consider you'll promote the goal regularly. Talk about it regularly on the morning announcements, hang posters in the building, put it in your newsletter, and encourage homeroom teachers to mention it each week. Strive for repetition, especially initially; once the system becomes part of the culture, it will be self-sustaining.
  5. Develop the logistics. Someone must be responsible for pulling data each week, and running the operations of reward fulfillment. This can be an individual or a small team — it ultimately depends on the type of reward you offer.
  6. Pull the data! Your assigned "owner" will use LiveSchool's Scoreboards report to pull a list of students who achieved the goal upon the arrival of the close of each timeframe. The Scoreboard report is outlined here. Just remember to change the Time Period to match your timeframe, and then filter based on points earned. Download a CSV of the data, and use that as your list of who gets the reward.

One last tip: any member of your staff can use the Scoreboard report at any time. To keep student buy-in high, coach your staff to use the Scoreboard report and filter to the right roster + timeframe so students can see where they stand against the Point Goal. You can ask homeroom teachers to show this at a few key points during the timeframe.

Point Goal Reward Ideas

Obviously, the quality of the reward makes a huge difference in your Point Goal system — you want a goal that engages as many students as possible. Point Goals let you offer any kind of reward you want, but consider the following.

  • Physical rewards can work, but think through it carefully! Physical rewards may lose value if your Point Goal repeats regularly (example: every two weeks) and the items don't change. Physical rewards may also become expensive if the goal is something attainable for most students — and it should be, lest it become unintentionally demotivating.
  • Privilege rewards are exciting, cost-effective, and they scale well. We see that Point Goals are most common with "experiential" rewards, like Global Academies weekly LiveSchool Party attendance. We've seen schools turn unique events, special guest speakers, extra recess, homework passes, and field trip access into Point Goal rewards. Remember that extra options for social time — especially for older students — can be a huge motivator.

We've had the benefit of watching our amazing school partners create fun event rewards behind this Point Goal system. A few of our favorites:

  • A Pumpkin Carving (or Pumpkin Smashing) party
  • Ice Cream Social
  • Karaoke Competition (with both students and teachers as performers, of course)
  • Student vs Teacher Kickball Game
  • Popcorn and a Movie
  • Xbox Tournament
  • Science Fair
  • Field Day
  • Free time in Gym
  • Hot Chocolate Party

How to Maximize Point Goals as Student Motivators

We think Point Goals is the simplest way to launch a motivation system for a school just getting started. Here are a a few tips:

  • Thinking about launching a store? Make it a second step. The Reward Store functionality in LiveSchool makes it easy to run a store, but building the in-person logistics and inventory can take time and effort. Launching your system around a well-structured Point Goal is a great way to introduce staff and students to your culture system while delaying some of the store setup work.
  • Layer it with a store. It's not an "either or" decision with LiveSchool between Point Goals and a Reward Store. Many schools — like Global Academies — run a Reward Store and a Point Goal simultaneously. This allows them to motivate students more deeply. Students have a clear weekly goal tied to a cultural event that they believe in, but they still have agency to spend their points in the Reward Store for things that motivate them personally.
  • Mix it up and find what motivates students. Not all students are motivated the same way, and Point Goals become a way to create motivators that work. For example: maybe the physical items in your Reward Store don't motivate your older students like their younger peers; set a social privilege Point Goal for the older students that they'd hate to miss out on.

Running a Point Goal you're really proud of? Got amazing reward ideas? Share with us @whyliveschool on twitter!

quote icon
Back
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

Initially, attendance to the party was an item students could purchase with their LiveSchool points in their Reward Store. However, Paul observed that students shied away from purchasing attendance in favor of physical goods. Because he believed that the parties would be powerful tools for building better relationships, Paul made earning attendance automatic: when students earn 50 points in the week, they were on the attendance list.

Immediately, LiveSchool Parties changed. More students got to experience them each week, which made the parties more fun. Student motivation to earn 50 points per week increased, because no one wanted to feel left out from the attendance list. And the culture at Global Academies changed, because students were more engaged with the point system and then building better relationships with staff at the parties.

Why Point Goals?

We call the system Global Academies adopted for their parties "Point Goals" and it's perhaps the simplest way to run rewards in a school. It can be used as the ONLY rewards system a school adopts, or layer on top of other systems like a Reward Store.

Jay Maines, Principal at Del Valle Elementary School, says this about the value of a Point Goals mechanic: "We try to have as many different types of rewards as possible to try to reach as many students as possible. My preference is to not give "trinkets" for good behavior — I feel offering students experiences is more powerful. I use the the 'carrot or the stick' analogy: we want many short term and long-term carrots as motivators. I see Point Goal rewards as longer-term carrots that allow students to develop intrinsic motivation and experience setting and achieving goals."

How To Run Point Goals

Running a Point Goal system is simple. Here's how it breaks down.

  1. Set a timeframe. Your timeframe is 100% up to you — weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly. Ultimately, match the timeframe with your reward, and make sure it's something that is sustainable.
  2. Pick a reward. The reward can be a tangible item or a privilege. This type of system works particularly well for privilege rewards, because pulling the list of students who met the goal becomes your "attendance" list. Consider low-cost privileges that are easy to deliver logistically. You'll find more suggestions later in this article!
  3. Select a goal. This is the number of points students must earn within the timeframe to unlock the reward. Consider a goal value in accordance with how many students should be able to earn this reward. Ideally, the goal is something that all students can achieve — setting the goal too high may be de-motivating for some students. If possible, use existing data to find that sweet spot where the reward will motivate evenly and consistently.
  4. Promote the goal. Students have to know what the goal is to find it motivating! Consider you'll promote the goal regularly. Talk about it regularly on the morning announcements, hang posters in the building, put it in your newsletter, and encourage homeroom teachers to mention it each week. Strive for repetition, especially initially; once the system becomes part of the culture, it will be self-sustaining.
  5. Develop the logistics. Someone must be responsible for pulling data each week, and running the operations of reward fulfillment. This can be an individual or a small team — it ultimately depends on the type of reward you offer.
  6. Pull the data! Your assigned "owner" will use LiveSchool's Scoreboards report to pull a list of students who achieved the goal upon the arrival of the close of each timeframe. The Scoreboard report is outlined here. Just remember to change the Time Period to match your timeframe, and then filter based on points earned. Download a CSV of the data, and use that as your list of who gets the reward.

One last tip: any member of your staff can use the Scoreboard report at any time. To keep student buy-in high, coach your staff to use the Scoreboard report and filter to the right roster + timeframe so students can see where they stand against the Point Goal. You can ask homeroom teachers to show this at a few key points during the timeframe.

Point Goal Reward Ideas

Obviously, the quality of the reward makes a huge difference in your Point Goal system — you want a goal that engages as many students as possible. Point Goals let you offer any kind of reward you want, but consider the following.

  • Physical rewards can work, but think through it carefully! Physical rewards may lose value if your Point Goal repeats regularly (example: every two weeks) and the items don't change. Physical rewards may also become expensive if the goal is something attainable for most students — and it should be, lest it become unintentionally demotivating.
  • Privilege rewards are exciting, cost-effective, and they scale well. We see that Point Goals are most common with "experiential" rewards, like Global Academies weekly LiveSchool Party attendance. We've seen schools turn unique events, special guest speakers, extra recess, homework passes, and field trip access into Point Goal rewards. Remember that extra options for social time — especially for older students — can be a huge motivator.

We've had the benefit of watching our amazing school partners create fun event rewards behind this Point Goal system. A few of our favorites:

  • A Pumpkin Carving (or Pumpkin Smashing) party
  • Ice Cream Social
  • Karaoke Competition (with both students and teachers as performers, of course)
  • Student vs Teacher Kickball Game
  • Popcorn and a Movie
  • Xbox Tournament
  • Science Fair
  • Field Day
  • Free time in Gym
  • Hot Chocolate Party

How to Maximize Point Goals as Student Motivators

We think Point Goals is the simplest way to launch a motivation system for a school just getting started. Here are a a few tips:

  • Thinking about launching a store? Make it a second step. The Reward Store functionality in LiveSchool makes it easy to run a store, but building the in-person logistics and inventory can take time and effort. Launching your system around a well-structured Point Goal is a great way to introduce staff and students to your culture system while delaying some of the store setup work.
  • Layer it with a store. It's not an "either or" decision with LiveSchool between Point Goals and a Reward Store. Many schools — like Global Academies — run a Reward Store and a Point Goal simultaneously. This allows them to motivate students more deeply. Students have a clear weekly goal tied to a cultural event that they believe in, but they still have agency to spend their points in the Reward Store for things that motivate them personally.
  • Mix it up and find what motivates students. Not all students are motivated the same way, and Point Goals become a way to create motivators that work. For example: maybe the physical items in your Reward Store don't motivate your older students like their younger peers; set a social privilege Point Goal for the older students that they'd hate to miss out on.

Running a Point Goal you're really proud of? Got amazing reward ideas? Share with us @whyliveschool on twitter!

Run a Simple Recurring Incentive System with Point Goals

A reward store is not the only way to motivate students with LiveSchool. Learn about setting Point Goals.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
July 5, 2021

Initially, attendance to the party was an item students could purchase with their LiveSchool points in their Reward Store. However, Paul observed that students shied away from purchasing attendance in favor of physical goods. Because he believed that the parties would be powerful tools for building better relationships, Paul made earning attendance automatic: when students earn 50 points in the week, they were on the attendance list.

Immediately, LiveSchool Parties changed. More students got to experience them each week, which made the parties more fun. Student motivation to earn 50 points per week increased, because no one wanted to feel left out from the attendance list. And the culture at Global Academies changed, because students were more engaged with the point system and then building better relationships with staff at the parties.

Why Point Goals?

We call the system Global Academies adopted for their parties "Point Goals" and it's perhaps the simplest way to run rewards in a school. It can be used as the ONLY rewards system a school adopts, or layer on top of other systems like a Reward Store.

Jay Maines, Principal at Del Valle Elementary School, says this about the value of a Point Goals mechanic: "We try to have as many different types of rewards as possible to try to reach as many students as possible. My preference is to not give "trinkets" for good behavior — I feel offering students experiences is more powerful. I use the the 'carrot or the stick' analogy: we want many short term and long-term carrots as motivators. I see Point Goal rewards as longer-term carrots that allow students to develop intrinsic motivation and experience setting and achieving goals."

How To Run Point Goals

Running a Point Goal system is simple. Here's how it breaks down.

  1. Set a timeframe. Your timeframe is 100% up to you — weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly. Ultimately, match the timeframe with your reward, and make sure it's something that is sustainable.
  2. Pick a reward. The reward can be a tangible item or a privilege. This type of system works particularly well for privilege rewards, because pulling the list of students who met the goal becomes your "attendance" list. Consider low-cost privileges that are easy to deliver logistically. You'll find more suggestions later in this article!
  3. Select a goal. This is the number of points students must earn within the timeframe to unlock the reward. Consider a goal value in accordance with how many students should be able to earn this reward. Ideally, the goal is something that all students can achieve — setting the goal too high may be de-motivating for some students. If possible, use existing data to find that sweet spot where the reward will motivate evenly and consistently.
  4. Promote the goal. Students have to know what the goal is to find it motivating! Consider you'll promote the goal regularly. Talk about it regularly on the morning announcements, hang posters in the building, put it in your newsletter, and encourage homeroom teachers to mention it each week. Strive for repetition, especially initially; once the system becomes part of the culture, it will be self-sustaining.
  5. Develop the logistics. Someone must be responsible for pulling data each week, and running the operations of reward fulfillment. This can be an individual or a small team — it ultimately depends on the type of reward you offer.
  6. Pull the data! Your assigned "owner" will use LiveSchool's Scoreboards report to pull a list of students who achieved the goal upon the arrival of the close of each timeframe. The Scoreboard report is outlined here. Just remember to change the Time Period to match your timeframe, and then filter based on points earned. Download a CSV of the data, and use that as your list of who gets the reward.

One last tip: any member of your staff can use the Scoreboard report at any time. To keep student buy-in high, coach your staff to use the Scoreboard report and filter to the right roster + timeframe so students can see where they stand against the Point Goal. You can ask homeroom teachers to show this at a few key points during the timeframe.

Point Goal Reward Ideas

Obviously, the quality of the reward makes a huge difference in your Point Goal system — you want a goal that engages as many students as possible. Point Goals let you offer any kind of reward you want, but consider the following.

  • Physical rewards can work, but think through it carefully! Physical rewards may lose value if your Point Goal repeats regularly (example: every two weeks) and the items don't change. Physical rewards may also become expensive if the goal is something attainable for most students — and it should be, lest it become unintentionally demotivating.
  • Privilege rewards are exciting, cost-effective, and they scale well. We see that Point Goals are most common with "experiential" rewards, like Global Academies weekly LiveSchool Party attendance. We've seen schools turn unique events, special guest speakers, extra recess, homework passes, and field trip access into Point Goal rewards. Remember that extra options for social time — especially for older students — can be a huge motivator.

We've had the benefit of watching our amazing school partners create fun event rewards behind this Point Goal system. A few of our favorites:

  • A Pumpkin Carving (or Pumpkin Smashing) party
  • Ice Cream Social
  • Karaoke Competition (with both students and teachers as performers, of course)
  • Student vs Teacher Kickball Game
  • Popcorn and a Movie
  • Xbox Tournament
  • Science Fair
  • Field Day
  • Free time in Gym
  • Hot Chocolate Party

How to Maximize Point Goals as Student Motivators

We think Point Goals is the simplest way to launch a motivation system for a school just getting started. Here are a a few tips:

  • Thinking about launching a store? Make it a second step. The Reward Store functionality in LiveSchool makes it easy to run a store, but building the in-person logistics and inventory can take time and effort. Launching your system around a well-structured Point Goal is a great way to introduce staff and students to your culture system while delaying some of the store setup work.
  • Layer it with a store. It's not an "either or" decision with LiveSchool between Point Goals and a Reward Store. Many schools — like Global Academies — run a Reward Store and a Point Goal simultaneously. This allows them to motivate students more deeply. Students have a clear weekly goal tied to a cultural event that they believe in, but they still have agency to spend their points in the Reward Store for things that motivate them personally.
  • Mix it up and find what motivates students. Not all students are motivated the same way, and Point Goals become a way to create motivators that work. For example: maybe the physical items in your Reward Store don't motivate your older students like their younger peers; set a social privilege Point Goal for the older students that they'd hate to miss out on.

Running a Point Goal you're really proud of? Got amazing reward ideas? Share with us @whyliveschool on twitter!

No items found.

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.

Run a Simple Recurring Incentive System with Point Goals

A reward store is not the only way to motivate students with LiveSchool. Learn about setting Point Goals.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
July 5, 2021

About the Event

Initially, attendance to the party was an item students could purchase with their LiveSchool points in their Reward Store. However, Paul observed that students shied away from purchasing attendance in favor of physical goods. Because he believed that the parties would be powerful tools for building better relationships, Paul made earning attendance automatic: when students earn 50 points in the week, they were on the attendance list.

Immediately, LiveSchool Parties changed. More students got to experience them each week, which made the parties more fun. Student motivation to earn 50 points per week increased, because no one wanted to feel left out from the attendance list. And the culture at Global Academies changed, because students were more engaged with the point system and then building better relationships with staff at the parties.

Why Point Goals?

We call the system Global Academies adopted for their parties "Point Goals" and it's perhaps the simplest way to run rewards in a school. It can be used as the ONLY rewards system a school adopts, or layer on top of other systems like a Reward Store.

Jay Maines, Principal at Del Valle Elementary School, says this about the value of a Point Goals mechanic: "We try to have as many different types of rewards as possible to try to reach as many students as possible. My preference is to not give "trinkets" for good behavior — I feel offering students experiences is more powerful. I use the the 'carrot or the stick' analogy: we want many short term and long-term carrots as motivators. I see Point Goal rewards as longer-term carrots that allow students to develop intrinsic motivation and experience setting and achieving goals."

How To Run Point Goals

Running a Point Goal system is simple. Here's how it breaks down.

  1. Set a timeframe. Your timeframe is 100% up to you — weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly. Ultimately, match the timeframe with your reward, and make sure it's something that is sustainable.
  2. Pick a reward. The reward can be a tangible item or a privilege. This type of system works particularly well for privilege rewards, because pulling the list of students who met the goal becomes your "attendance" list. Consider low-cost privileges that are easy to deliver logistically. You'll find more suggestions later in this article!
  3. Select a goal. This is the number of points students must earn within the timeframe to unlock the reward. Consider a goal value in accordance with how many students should be able to earn this reward. Ideally, the goal is something that all students can achieve — setting the goal too high may be de-motivating for some students. If possible, use existing data to find that sweet spot where the reward will motivate evenly and consistently.
  4. Promote the goal. Students have to know what the goal is to find it motivating! Consider you'll promote the goal regularly. Talk about it regularly on the morning announcements, hang posters in the building, put it in your newsletter, and encourage homeroom teachers to mention it each week. Strive for repetition, especially initially; once the system becomes part of the culture, it will be self-sustaining.
  5. Develop the logistics. Someone must be responsible for pulling data each week, and running the operations of reward fulfillment. This can be an individual or a small team — it ultimately depends on the type of reward you offer.
  6. Pull the data! Your assigned "owner" will use LiveSchool's Scoreboards report to pull a list of students who achieved the goal upon the arrival of the close of each timeframe. The Scoreboard report is outlined here. Just remember to change the Time Period to match your timeframe, and then filter based on points earned. Download a CSV of the data, and use that as your list of who gets the reward.

One last tip: any member of your staff can use the Scoreboard report at any time. To keep student buy-in high, coach your staff to use the Scoreboard report and filter to the right roster + timeframe so students can see where they stand against the Point Goal. You can ask homeroom teachers to show this at a few key points during the timeframe.

Point Goal Reward Ideas

Obviously, the quality of the reward makes a huge difference in your Point Goal system — you want a goal that engages as many students as possible. Point Goals let you offer any kind of reward you want, but consider the following.

  • Physical rewards can work, but think through it carefully! Physical rewards may lose value if your Point Goal repeats regularly (example: every two weeks) and the items don't change. Physical rewards may also become expensive if the goal is something attainable for most students — and it should be, lest it become unintentionally demotivating.
  • Privilege rewards are exciting, cost-effective, and they scale well. We see that Point Goals are most common with "experiential" rewards, like Global Academies weekly LiveSchool Party attendance. We've seen schools turn unique events, special guest speakers, extra recess, homework passes, and field trip access into Point Goal rewards. Remember that extra options for social time — especially for older students — can be a huge motivator.

We've had the benefit of watching our amazing school partners create fun event rewards behind this Point Goal system. A few of our favorites:

  • A Pumpkin Carving (or Pumpkin Smashing) party
  • Ice Cream Social
  • Karaoke Competition (with both students and teachers as performers, of course)
  • Student vs Teacher Kickball Game
  • Popcorn and a Movie
  • Xbox Tournament
  • Science Fair
  • Field Day
  • Free time in Gym
  • Hot Chocolate Party

How to Maximize Point Goals as Student Motivators

We think Point Goals is the simplest way to launch a motivation system for a school just getting started. Here are a a few tips:

  • Thinking about launching a store? Make it a second step. The Reward Store functionality in LiveSchool makes it easy to run a store, but building the in-person logistics and inventory can take time and effort. Launching your system around a well-structured Point Goal is a great way to introduce staff and students to your culture system while delaying some of the store setup work.
  • Layer it with a store. It's not an "either or" decision with LiveSchool between Point Goals and a Reward Store. Many schools — like Global Academies — run a Reward Store and a Point Goal simultaneously. This allows them to motivate students more deeply. Students have a clear weekly goal tied to a cultural event that they believe in, but they still have agency to spend their points in the Reward Store for things that motivate them personally.
  • Mix it up and find what motivates students. Not all students are motivated the same way, and Point Goals become a way to create motivators that work. For example: maybe the physical items in your Reward Store don't motivate your older students like their younger peers; set a social privilege Point Goal for the older students that they'd hate to miss out on.

Running a Point Goal you're really proud of? Got amazing reward ideas? Share with us @whyliveschool on twitter!

Register Now

About the Event

Initially, attendance to the party was an item students could purchase with their LiveSchool points in their Reward Store. However, Paul observed that students shied away from purchasing attendance in favor of physical goods. Because he believed that the parties would be powerful tools for building better relationships, Paul made earning attendance automatic: when students earn 50 points in the week, they were on the attendance list.

Immediately, LiveSchool Parties changed. More students got to experience them each week, which made the parties more fun. Student motivation to earn 50 points per week increased, because no one wanted to feel left out from the attendance list. And the culture at Global Academies changed, because students were more engaged with the point system and then building better relationships with staff at the parties.

Why Point Goals?

We call the system Global Academies adopted for their parties "Point Goals" and it's perhaps the simplest way to run rewards in a school. It can be used as the ONLY rewards system a school adopts, or layer on top of other systems like a Reward Store.

Jay Maines, Principal at Del Valle Elementary School, says this about the value of a Point Goals mechanic: "We try to have as many different types of rewards as possible to try to reach as many students as possible. My preference is to not give "trinkets" for good behavior — I feel offering students experiences is more powerful. I use the the 'carrot or the stick' analogy: we want many short term and long-term carrots as motivators. I see Point Goal rewards as longer-term carrots that allow students to develop intrinsic motivation and experience setting and achieving goals."

How To Run Point Goals

Running a Point Goal system is simple. Here's how it breaks down.

  1. Set a timeframe. Your timeframe is 100% up to you — weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly. Ultimately, match the timeframe with your reward, and make sure it's something that is sustainable.
  2. Pick a reward. The reward can be a tangible item or a privilege. This type of system works particularly well for privilege rewards, because pulling the list of students who met the goal becomes your "attendance" list. Consider low-cost privileges that are easy to deliver logistically. You'll find more suggestions later in this article!
  3. Select a goal. This is the number of points students must earn within the timeframe to unlock the reward. Consider a goal value in accordance with how many students should be able to earn this reward. Ideally, the goal is something that all students can achieve — setting the goal too high may be de-motivating for some students. If possible, use existing data to find that sweet spot where the reward will motivate evenly and consistently.
  4. Promote the goal. Students have to know what the goal is to find it motivating! Consider you'll promote the goal regularly. Talk about it regularly on the morning announcements, hang posters in the building, put it in your newsletter, and encourage homeroom teachers to mention it each week. Strive for repetition, especially initially; once the system becomes part of the culture, it will be self-sustaining.
  5. Develop the logistics. Someone must be responsible for pulling data each week, and running the operations of reward fulfillment. This can be an individual or a small team — it ultimately depends on the type of reward you offer.
  6. Pull the data! Your assigned "owner" will use LiveSchool's Scoreboards report to pull a list of students who achieved the goal upon the arrival of the close of each timeframe. The Scoreboard report is outlined here. Just remember to change the Time Period to match your timeframe, and then filter based on points earned. Download a CSV of the data, and use that as your list of who gets the reward.

One last tip: any member of your staff can use the Scoreboard report at any time. To keep student buy-in high, coach your staff to use the Scoreboard report and filter to the right roster + timeframe so students can see where they stand against the Point Goal. You can ask homeroom teachers to show this at a few key points during the timeframe.

Point Goal Reward Ideas

Obviously, the quality of the reward makes a huge difference in your Point Goal system — you want a goal that engages as many students as possible. Point Goals let you offer any kind of reward you want, but consider the following.

  • Physical rewards can work, but think through it carefully! Physical rewards may lose value if your Point Goal repeats regularly (example: every two weeks) and the items don't change. Physical rewards may also become expensive if the goal is something attainable for most students — and it should be, lest it become unintentionally demotivating.
  • Privilege rewards are exciting, cost-effective, and they scale well. We see that Point Goals are most common with "experiential" rewards, like Global Academies weekly LiveSchool Party attendance. We've seen schools turn unique events, special guest speakers, extra recess, homework passes, and field trip access into Point Goal rewards. Remember that extra options for social time — especially for older students — can be a huge motivator.

We've had the benefit of watching our amazing school partners create fun event rewards behind this Point Goal system. A few of our favorites:

  • A Pumpkin Carving (or Pumpkin Smashing) party
  • Ice Cream Social
  • Karaoke Competition (with both students and teachers as performers, of course)
  • Student vs Teacher Kickball Game
  • Popcorn and a Movie
  • Xbox Tournament
  • Science Fair
  • Field Day
  • Free time in Gym
  • Hot Chocolate Party

How to Maximize Point Goals as Student Motivators

We think Point Goals is the simplest way to launch a motivation system for a school just getting started. Here are a a few tips:

  • Thinking about launching a store? Make it a second step. The Reward Store functionality in LiveSchool makes it easy to run a store, but building the in-person logistics and inventory can take time and effort. Launching your system around a well-structured Point Goal is a great way to introduce staff and students to your culture system while delaying some of the store setup work.
  • Layer it with a store. It's not an "either or" decision with LiveSchool between Point Goals and a Reward Store. Many schools — like Global Academies — run a Reward Store and a Point Goal simultaneously. This allows them to motivate students more deeply. Students have a clear weekly goal tied to a cultural event that they believe in, but they still have agency to spend their points in the Reward Store for things that motivate them personally.
  • Mix it up and find what motivates students. Not all students are motivated the same way, and Point Goals become a way to create motivators that work. For example: maybe the physical items in your Reward Store don't motivate your older students like their younger peers; set a social privilege Point Goal for the older students that they'd hate to miss out on.

Running a Point Goal you're really proud of? Got amazing reward ideas? Share with us @whyliveschool on twitter!

About the Presenter

You know what they teamwork makes the dream work. These articles have been written by the wonderful members of our team.

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.

Run a Simple Recurring Incentive System with Point Goals

A reward store is not the only way to motivate students with LiveSchool. Learn about setting Point Goals.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
July 5, 2021

At Global Academies in Philadelphia, PA, Fridays are the days for LiveSchool Parties. Paul Kennedy, Director of Scholar Advancement, says his school culture wouldn't be the same without them -- these parties let students have fun and celebrate their success. And, most importantly, these simple, low-cost rewards are key opportunities for relationship building between students and staff. They're a key part of the culture. But they didn't begin to flourish at Global Academies until Paul changed the way they were earned.

Initially, attendance to the party was an item students could purchase with their LiveSchool points in their Reward Store. However, Paul observed that students shied away from purchasing attendance in favor of physical goods. Because he believed that the parties would be powerful tools for building better relationships, Paul made earning attendance automatic: when students earn 50 points in the week, they were on the attendance list.

Immediately, LiveSchool Parties changed. More students got to experience them each week, which made the parties more fun. Student motivation to earn 50 points per week increased, because no one wanted to feel left out from the attendance list. And the culture at Global Academies changed, because students were more engaged with the point system and then building better relationships with staff at the parties.

Why Point Goals?

We call the system Global Academies adopted for their parties "Point Goals" and it's perhaps the simplest way to run rewards in a school. It can be used as the ONLY rewards system a school adopts, or layer on top of other systems like a Reward Store.

Jay Maines, Principal at Del Valle Elementary School, says this about the value of a Point Goals mechanic: "We try to have as many different types of rewards as possible to try to reach as many students as possible. My preference is to not give "trinkets" for good behavior — I feel offering students experiences is more powerful. I use the the 'carrot or the stick' analogy: we want many short term and long-term carrots as motivators. I see Point Goal rewards as longer-term carrots that allow students to develop intrinsic motivation and experience setting and achieving goals."

How To Run Point Goals

Running a Point Goal system is simple. Here's how it breaks down.

  1. Set a timeframe. Your timeframe is 100% up to you — weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly. Ultimately, match the timeframe with your reward, and make sure it's something that is sustainable.
  2. Pick a reward. The reward can be a tangible item or a privilege. This type of system works particularly well for privilege rewards, because pulling the list of students who met the goal becomes your "attendance" list. Consider low-cost privileges that are easy to deliver logistically. You'll find more suggestions later in this article!
  3. Select a goal. This is the number of points students must earn within the timeframe to unlock the reward. Consider a goal value in accordance with how many students should be able to earn this reward. Ideally, the goal is something that all students can achieve — setting the goal too high may be de-motivating for some students. If possible, use existing data to find that sweet spot where the reward will motivate evenly and consistently.
  4. Promote the goal. Students have to know what the goal is to find it motivating! Consider you'll promote the goal regularly. Talk about it regularly on the morning announcements, hang posters in the building, put it in your newsletter, and encourage homeroom teachers to mention it each week. Strive for repetition, especially initially; once the system becomes part of the culture, it will be self-sustaining.
  5. Develop the logistics. Someone must be responsible for pulling data each week, and running the operations of reward fulfillment. This can be an individual or a small team — it ultimately depends on the type of reward you offer.
  6. Pull the data! Your assigned "owner" will use LiveSchool's Scoreboards report to pull a list of students who achieved the goal upon the arrival of the close of each timeframe. The Scoreboard report is outlined here. Just remember to change the Time Period to match your timeframe, and then filter based on points earned. Download a CSV of the data, and use that as your list of who gets the reward.

One last tip: any member of your staff can use the Scoreboard report at any time. To keep student buy-in high, coach your staff to use the Scoreboard report and filter to the right roster + timeframe so students can see where they stand against the Point Goal. You can ask homeroom teachers to show this at a few key points during the timeframe.

Point Goal Reward Ideas

Obviously, the quality of the reward makes a huge difference in your Point Goal system — you want a goal that engages as many students as possible. Point Goals let you offer any kind of reward you want, but consider the following.

  • Physical rewards can work, but think through it carefully! Physical rewards may lose value if your Point Goal repeats regularly (example: every two weeks) and the items don't change. Physical rewards may also become expensive if the goal is something attainable for most students — and it should be, lest it become unintentionally demotivating.
  • Privilege rewards are exciting, cost-effective, and they scale well. We see that Point Goals are most common with "experiential" rewards, like Global Academies weekly LiveSchool Party attendance. We've seen schools turn unique events, special guest speakers, extra recess, homework passes, and field trip access into Point Goal rewards. Remember that extra options for social time — especially for older students — can be a huge motivator.

We've had the benefit of watching our amazing school partners create fun event rewards behind this Point Goal system. A few of our favorites:

  • A Pumpkin Carving (or Pumpkin Smashing) party
  • Ice Cream Social
  • Karaoke Competition (with both students and teachers as performers, of course)
  • Student vs Teacher Kickball Game
  • Popcorn and a Movie
  • Xbox Tournament
  • Science Fair
  • Field Day
  • Free time in Gym
  • Hot Chocolate Party

How to Maximize Point Goals as Student Motivators

We think Point Goals is the simplest way to launch a motivation system for a school just getting started. Here are a a few tips:

  • Thinking about launching a store? Make it a second step. The Reward Store functionality in LiveSchool makes it easy to run a store, but building the in-person logistics and inventory can take time and effort. Launching your system around a well-structured Point Goal is a great way to introduce staff and students to your culture system while delaying some of the store setup work.
  • Layer it with a store. It's not an "either or" decision with LiveSchool between Point Goals and a Reward Store. Many schools — like Global Academies — run a Reward Store and a Point Goal simultaneously. This allows them to motivate students more deeply. Students have a clear weekly goal tied to a cultural event that they believe in, but they still have agency to spend their points in the Reward Store for things that motivate them personally.
  • Mix it up and find what motivates students. Not all students are motivated the same way, and Point Goals become a way to create motivators that work. For example: maybe the physical items in your Reward Store don't motivate your older students like their younger peers; set a social privilege Point Goal for the older students that they'd hate to miss out on.

Running a Point Goal you're really proud of? Got amazing reward ideas? Share with us @whyliveschool on twitter!

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Glow Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Silly Science Experiments
Grades K-5
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Pet
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Game Week
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Hat Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Early Lunch Dismissal
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
The Love Soiree
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Theme Party
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
School Assembly
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Rolling Chair Rental
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Locker Choice
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Special Screening
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Homework Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Final Fridays
Grades K-8
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Messenger
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
School Assembly
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Board Game Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Firebird of the Month
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Books
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Camp Read Away
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch With the Teacher
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Dance Party
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Snowball Fights (& Popsicles!)
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Event Ideas for Schools

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Game of Thrones
🎉
👑
🎁
Hat Pass
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Concert
🎉
👑
🎁
School Spirit Day
🎉
👑
🎁
Vote
🎉
👑
🎁
Homework Pass
🎉
👑
🎁
Camp Read Away
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Book
🎉
👑
🎁
Locker Choice
🎉
👑
🎁
Tutor

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Be a Comedian.
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Loudspeaker Shoutout
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Art Contest
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
School Supplies & Merch
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Game-Based Simulation Learning
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Technology
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Blood Drive
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Movie Night
Grades 9-12
Student
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Awards Show Afterparty
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Dress Up or Down Day
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Silent Disco
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Silly School Leader
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Glow Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Meet the Teacher
Grades K-8
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Serenade
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snowball Fights (& Popsicles!)
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Backpack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Dance Party
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
The A-List
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher v Student Competition
Grades 6-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Homework Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Teacher for the Day
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Class Pet
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Gift Cards
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Color a Teacher’s Hair
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Talk Time
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Early Lunch Dismissal
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Stuffed Animal in Class
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Parking Spots
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Special Screening
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Principal for a Day
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Stickers
Grades K-5
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
See all Rewards

Want more ideas?

Rewards that Rock 🎸 has 100+ rewards, incentives, and event ideas to build your school culture.
Find Rewards
Learn more about the author, 
The Liveschool Team
 

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.

Run a Simple Recurring Incentive System with Point Goals

A reward store is not the only way to motivate students with LiveSchool. Learn about setting Point Goals.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
July 5, 2021

At Global Academies in Philadelphia, PA, Fridays are the days for LiveSchool Parties. Paul Kennedy, Director of Scholar Advancement, says his school culture wouldn't be the same without them -- these parties let students have fun and celebrate their success. And, most importantly, these simple, low-cost rewards are key opportunities for relationship building between students and staff. They're a key part of the culture. But they didn't begin to flourish at Global Academies until Paul changed the way they were earned.

Initially, attendance to the party was an item students could purchase with their LiveSchool points in their Reward Store. However, Paul observed that students shied away from purchasing attendance in favor of physical goods. Because he believed that the parties would be powerful tools for building better relationships, Paul made earning attendance automatic: when students earn 50 points in the week, they were on the attendance list.

Immediately, LiveSchool Parties changed. More students got to experience them each week, which made the parties more fun. Student motivation to earn 50 points per week increased, because no one wanted to feel left out from the attendance list. And the culture at Global Academies changed, because students were more engaged with the point system and then building better relationships with staff at the parties.

Why Point Goals?

We call the system Global Academies adopted for their parties "Point Goals" and it's perhaps the simplest way to run rewards in a school. It can be used as the ONLY rewards system a school adopts, or layer on top of other systems like a Reward Store.

Jay Maines, Principal at Del Valle Elementary School, says this about the value of a Point Goals mechanic: "We try to have as many different types of rewards as possible to try to reach as many students as possible. My preference is to not give "trinkets" for good behavior — I feel offering students experiences is more powerful. I use the the 'carrot or the stick' analogy: we want many short term and long-term carrots as motivators. I see Point Goal rewards as longer-term carrots that allow students to develop intrinsic motivation and experience setting and achieving goals."

How To Run Point Goals

Running a Point Goal system is simple. Here's how it breaks down.

  1. Set a timeframe. Your timeframe is 100% up to you — weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly. Ultimately, match the timeframe with your reward, and make sure it's something that is sustainable.
  2. Pick a reward. The reward can be a tangible item or a privilege. This type of system works particularly well for privilege rewards, because pulling the list of students who met the goal becomes your "attendance" list. Consider low-cost privileges that are easy to deliver logistically. You'll find more suggestions later in this article!
  3. Select a goal. This is the number of points students must earn within the timeframe to unlock the reward. Consider a goal value in accordance with how many students should be able to earn this reward. Ideally, the goal is something that all students can achieve — setting the goal too high may be de-motivating for some students. If possible, use existing data to find that sweet spot where the reward will motivate evenly and consistently.
  4. Promote the goal. Students have to know what the goal is to find it motivating! Consider you'll promote the goal regularly. Talk about it regularly on the morning announcements, hang posters in the building, put it in your newsletter, and encourage homeroom teachers to mention it each week. Strive for repetition, especially initially; once the system becomes part of the culture, it will be self-sustaining.
  5. Develop the logistics. Someone must be responsible for pulling data each week, and running the operations of reward fulfillment. This can be an individual or a small team — it ultimately depends on the type of reward you offer.
  6. Pull the data! Your assigned "owner" will use LiveSchool's Scoreboards report to pull a list of students who achieved the goal upon the arrival of the close of each timeframe. The Scoreboard report is outlined here. Just remember to change the Time Period to match your timeframe, and then filter based on points earned. Download a CSV of the data, and use that as your list of who gets the reward.

One last tip: any member of your staff can use the Scoreboard report at any time. To keep student buy-in high, coach your staff to use the Scoreboard report and filter to the right roster + timeframe so students can see where they stand against the Point Goal. You can ask homeroom teachers to show this at a few key points during the timeframe.

Point Goal Reward Ideas

Obviously, the quality of the reward makes a huge difference in your Point Goal system — you want a goal that engages as many students as possible. Point Goals let you offer any kind of reward you want, but consider the following.

  • Physical rewards can work, but think through it carefully! Physical rewards may lose value if your Point Goal repeats regularly (example: every two weeks) and the items don't change. Physical rewards may also become expensive if the goal is something attainable for most students — and it should be, lest it become unintentionally demotivating.
  • Privilege rewards are exciting, cost-effective, and they scale well. We see that Point Goals are most common with "experiential" rewards, like Global Academies weekly LiveSchool Party attendance. We've seen schools turn unique events, special guest speakers, extra recess, homework passes, and field trip access into Point Goal rewards. Remember that extra options for social time — especially for older students — can be a huge motivator.

We've had the benefit of watching our amazing school partners create fun event rewards behind this Point Goal system. A few of our favorites:

  • A Pumpkin Carving (or Pumpkin Smashing) party
  • Ice Cream Social
  • Karaoke Competition (with both students and teachers as performers, of course)
  • Student vs Teacher Kickball Game
  • Popcorn and a Movie
  • Xbox Tournament
  • Science Fair
  • Field Day
  • Free time in Gym
  • Hot Chocolate Party

How to Maximize Point Goals as Student Motivators

We think Point Goals is the simplest way to launch a motivation system for a school just getting started. Here are a a few tips:

  • Thinking about launching a store? Make it a second step. The Reward Store functionality in LiveSchool makes it easy to run a store, but building the in-person logistics and inventory can take time and effort. Launching your system around a well-structured Point Goal is a great way to introduce staff and students to your culture system while delaying some of the store setup work.
  • Layer it with a store. It's not an "either or" decision with LiveSchool between Point Goals and a Reward Store. Many schools — like Global Academies — run a Reward Store and a Point Goal simultaneously. This allows them to motivate students more deeply. Students have a clear weekly goal tied to a cultural event that they believe in, but they still have agency to spend their points in the Reward Store for things that motivate them personally.
  • Mix it up and find what motivates students. Not all students are motivated the same way, and Point Goals become a way to create motivators that work. For example: maybe the physical items in your Reward Store don't motivate your older students like their younger peers; set a social privilege Point Goal for the older students that they'd hate to miss out on.

Running a Point Goal you're really proud of? Got amazing reward ideas? Share with us @whyliveschool on twitter!

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Dress Up or Down Day
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Stairway Messages
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Glow Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Seat Swap
Grades 3-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Game Week
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Get-to-Know-You Bingo
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
“Let's Make A Difference Week"
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Meet the Teacher
Grades K-8
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Career Day
Grades 3-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Assist the Custodian.
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
The Love Soiree
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Old School Cookout
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Messenger
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Music Fest
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Art Contest
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Ice Cream Sundae Party
Grades K-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Sweatshirt
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Tech Time
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Backpack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Drop Lowest Quiz
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Design the Bulletin Board
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Read Across America
Grades K-8
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Family Feast
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Seat Swap
Grades 3-5
Student
Privilege
Free

All Event Ideas for Schools

💰
🎨
Final Fridays
💰
🎨
Fake The Funk
💰
🎨
Game Week
💰
🎨
Movie Night
💰
🎨
The A-List
💰
🎨
Career Day
💰
🎨
House Induction
💰
🎨
Music Fest
💰
🎨
Art Contest
💰
🎨
Silent Disco

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Hallway High-Five
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Reading Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
🎉
👑
🎁
Tutor
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
🎉
👑
🎁
Operate Equipment.
🎉
👑
🎁
Parking Spots
🎉
👑
🎁
The Big Ticket

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
TikTok with the Teacher
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Parking Spots
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Video Game Rewards
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Uber by a Principal
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Amazing Race
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Game-Based Simulation Learning
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Silent Disco
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher v Student Competition
Grades 6-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Career Day
Grades 3-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Kickback Vibes
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Camp Read Away
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Old School Cookout
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Cut the Principal’s Tie
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Toys
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Silent Disco
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
School Supplies & Merch
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Hat Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Be a Comedian.
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Homework Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Board Game Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Hallway High-Five
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
House Induction
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Color a Teacher’s Hair
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Technology
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Lunch Reservations
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Class Book
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Dress Up or Down Day
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Vote
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Early Lunch Dismissal
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
See all Rewards

Want more ideas?

Rewards that Rock 🎸 has 100+ rewards, incentives, and event ideas to build your school culture.
Find Rewards
Learn more about the author, 
The Liveschool Team
 

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.

Bring a positive culture to life with school-wide points

Schedule a Demo