Want kids to perform? Reward them

That's the idea behind a bill that's on its way to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.

California Democrats contend that one way to motivate students to do well on statewide tests is to pay them for high achievement or improvement, the Sacramento Bee reports. "It's a way to help kids do better in school," state Sen. Elaine Alquist, the bill's sponsor, said. "Isn't that what we all want?"

The idea has come up here in Florida. Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future, for instance, has suggested that more students might take AP tests if there were money offered to students who earn top marks. New York schools have dabbled in the concept, too.

The big question is whether paying kids for test results is a good idea. Critics have arisen in California to oppose the measure there. Still no word on whether Schwarzenegger plans to sign it into law.

Comments

[Diane]

John,
I read that book already. I hope there will be a Part Two. I am not at all surprised Jeb's foundation would try to lure more into our already over crowded AP program, where many fail and thus have spent their time
being unsuccessful rather than in an environment which could have actually
helped them. IMHO, Jeb and friends would love to have more illusions of good things which disappear upon closer inspection. Maybe my pets can get a seat in AP (even my cat who runs into walls)..that would be good for school grades data. Would teachers be inclined to overlook cheating as they get a bonus for a passing score? High stakes create incentives for corruption. Bonus money for the adults, shiny reputations, and sanctions are doled out in Florida based on faulty indicators. Everyone smiles, thinking an A means all is well. The decption continues.

[John Perry]

You hit the nail on the head, Diane. Another good book, one that goes into detail about the point you make is Collatoral Damage: How High-Stakes Testing Corrupts America's Schools by Sharon Nichols and David Berliner.

[Diane Hanfmann]

Doesn't offering a reward change the
"standardized" administration environment or doesn't that matter if a passing test score is the end result, by hook or by crook? Imagine the cheating that could go on as high schoolers vie for money! AP pass rates could skyrocket, the state could brag, and our graduates would still need remediation in college. Ideas on how to manipulate data are quite popular, aren't they?

[oops - parents are not driving these rewards]

I hate when that happens -

the previous post should have said "parents are not driving these reward programs."

[Parents are not sponsoring the legislation]

Although it would be enlightening for parents to read any relevant material, the point remains that parents are driving these "reward programs".

[Vann]

Kudos, John Perry. The book is great, and should be a must read for all parents. My children have attended Montessori schools their whole lives. Both at school and at home they have learned that the reward is the pride they take in themselves for a job well done, and the effort it took to get there. I preach it at home, as well. This concept has taken them to high levels of academic success, and will carry them as far as they want to go in the real world as adults.

[publicschoolteacher]

I totally agree that it is a parent's responsibility to reward/penalize their children based on what shows up on the report card. In my house, As and Bs were EXPECTED. There was no reward. Anything less than Bs came with severe consequences. After awhile, earning good grades was the reward itself. We became extremely intrinsically motivated, and to this day, I still take pride in a job well done.

[terminator]

what a crock of sh*t!.

Jeb and his buddies couldn't even pay the teachers a decent wage. How do they think they'd come up with the money to pay students?

Maybe Jeb and his voucher school buddies could donate their millions?

Will these chuckleheads ever get a life?

[Hey Frustrated - Are Parents Sponsoring This Bill?]

"Frustrated" comment of 7/21 5:15:"Parents have to take responsibility for their kids and stop expecting the state to raise them right".

Agreed.

However, I don't see where the parents are sponsoring this bill.

[Frustrated]

Isn't it the PARENT'S job to be setting the example and rewarding their children for bringing home good grades (and punishing them for bad ones)? Parents have to take responsibility for their kids and stop expecting the state to raise them right.

[John Perry]

I suggest Schwarzenegger, Bush, and everone else read Alfie Kohn's Punished By Rewards. Such "rewards" are counterproductive, and tons of research supports that conclusion.