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The Edutopia Poll
by Sara Bernard
A school district in central Ohio is trying a new kind of incentive pay -- for students. In return for doing well on annual exams, each student can earn up to $100. And in schools near Miami, students can win pizza parties, tickets to the prom, and even iPods in exchange for passing scores on their new state science exam. Proponents of these kinds of incentives maintain that this is one way among many to encourage academic achievement, particularly when many schools' livelihoods depend on test scores. Others argue that these are bribes, and don't encourage meaningful learning. What do you think?
I'm struggling with this
Submitted by Dusty (not verified) on November 29, 2007 - 15:11.
Both my husband and I are high school teachers in very low income schools (with up to 70% of the students non-native English speakers). Many of my students have parents who had very little education and don't see much value in it. But when my husband proposed the idea of "paying for grades," I was horrified. Like many of the ivory tower respondents to this issue, I have always believed that the love of learning should be motivation enough. However, as I am preparing to offer a compensatory ed, after-school program for students who have failed the reading section of the state-required test, I am seriously reconsidering my position. How else am I going to get these kids to this class? Talking to their parents will do no good. I know that once I start working with them, I can light a fire under (some of) them, but if I don't offer some kind of incentive for coming to the classes and working hard, I'm going to be sitting in an empty classroom, and these students are going to be in the same (failing) boat as before. So, do I become a Pied Piper and lure them in with McDonald's coupons and promises of pizza? Or do I expect that somehow, the magic fairy of intrisic motivation will alight upon them and they'll eagerly give up their after-school time to absorb the nuggets of wisdom (and test-taking skills) that I will be so kind as to shower upon them?
Sometimes reality bites, but I have a feeling I'm going to end up paying, no matter how distasteful it is.
I NEVER reward my own
Submitted by Doreen Warren (not verified) on February 7, 2007 - 17:29.
I NEVER reward my own children with money or "prizes" for good grades. I have been a teacher for twelve years and I am completely against this notion. Our Administration tried various versions of it year after year and it NEVER made students value their education more.......It did not turn any of them in curious students. Kids who value education come to school, even when they are sick and kids who don't value education....simply don't. The reward for studying or performing well is the education itself! It is something the student will possess forever.
Unfortunately, "incentives
Submitted by Patricia Chesbro (not verified) on February 7, 2007 - 22:56.
Unfortunately, "incentives for learning" serve to trivialize the learning rather than promote it. The default is the right answer rather than the learning. I think the key to motivating students to learn is using authentic pedagogy to engage them in construction of knowledge, within the context of disciplined inquiry, that offers value beyond school. Then assessments should be authentic measures of performance that allow for self-evaluation and improvement. I think the research from the Center of Organization and Restruturing of Schools at the University of Wisconsin in Madison clearly illustrates the importance of authentic pedagogy. I don't think we'd need external incentives if we employed these strategies.
Rather than reward students
Submitted by Donna Moore Ramsey (not verified) on February 8, 2007 - 00:12.
Rather than reward students for grades, if we are going down that road, I would rather reward parents for their contributions to their students academic successes. This could include attendance at PTA meetings, parenting workshops, completing their GED or taking post secondary classes, graduating from college, working with their students on the week-ends, attending classes/seminars with their students, working as a teacher's aide one day a week, participating as a member of a parental group that designs/provides collaborative learning experiences for students that are community based.....I could go a step further and talk about establishing child care services in the libraries this would allow parents with the opportunity to assist and support their older children's academic activities after school and/or in the evenings/weekends. The parents in so many of our large, urban and small/rural areas are needy--financially and academically. They need assistance in assisting and supporting their children academically.
I agree with many earlier
Submitted by R. H. Richardson (not verified) on February 7, 2007 - 23:03.
I agree with many earlier comments to a great extent. With a good learning environments the incentive becomes the thrill of discovery and gaining skills. With "standardized" exams we treat students as "widgets" that are mass produced to earn only symbolic "value" as grades. As performance and student enthusiasm develop, they may need appropriate opportunities to recognize that they are of value in society, and that they can find opportunities by their own motivation and effort invested in themselves. The value of "self starters" is impossible to measure in our society, and uniquely valuable to the individual. This lesson learned early becomes the wind in their sails for the rest of their lives. Of course, we need teachers rewarded for their support and skills since the students become a social value with many kinds of values, including economic value.
I think generally we should
Submitted by David Haigh (not verified) on February 8, 2007 - 01:24.
I think generally we should stay away from incentives for learning. Children should be modeling society at large, you do not get any points for doing what is expected of you. That being said, I believe there might be times and situations that could call for some kind of incentive program. A program that uses them should also teach what happens when the rewards stop.
Emphatically, no incentives
Submitted by Lourdes Andre (not verified) on February 8, 2007 - 02:27.
Emphatically, no incentives should be offered for academic performance! It's like paying your children for making their beds or cleaning their rooms. These are things that just need to be done for their own sake and the sake of society. In the case of beds, etc. the society is the immediate family. In the case of academic performance, I won't go the route of "learning for the pleasure of learning" although I have derived such pleasure but not as a K-12 student. Children should learn to take pride in everything they do, regardless of the external/material rewards. If we start offering material incentives, we undermine that pride, that sense of accomplishment, that understanding of cause (hard work) and effect (recognition, acknowledgement, advancement, success); the things that will make them contributing members of our society.
I love Ms. Ramsey's
Submitted by Christina Moser (not verified) on February 8, 2007 - 02:49.
I love Ms. Ramsey's perspective. I too believe parents and students' home environments create the groundwork for their learning attitudes. Offering incentives and/or support for parents may interest and/or allow more parents to become involved in their child's education. These incentives and types of support can not be generalized but based on the school district and the socio-economic needs of the families. I don't see anything wrong in offering pizza parties or other food related celebrations. These parties allow for students to engage in social situations in a structured environment requiring (and/or teaching) good manners (hopefully). I am opposed to offering students money for their scores. Students will perform to their best ability if the learning environment at home and in school are positive. Effective Teachers KNOW who tried and most of the time know why "their" students didn't perform well. My bet is what's going on at home!
Colleges do it ! Employers
Submitted by Nancy Austin (not verified) on February 8, 2007 - 05:36.
Colleges do it ! Employers do it ! Excellence is rewarded by scholarships, promotions, etc. It is a way of life...but as far as teaching to it ? Shouldn't a student WANT to learn ? And shouldn't a teacher WANT to teach ? Maybe we're a too giving society !
It is interesting that we
Submitted by Stephen Zimmerman (not verified) on February 8, 2007 - 15:02.
It is interesting that we monitize everything in our society except education which we primarily use for the purpose of achieving better roles within the capitalist economic system. Schools are not emphasizing fine and performing arts, world languages, philosophy, ecology and other subjects with little economic benefit, we're emphasizing litaracy, numeracy and the hard sciences that drive the economic engine of the world economy. Call it what it is - let's not have some holier than thou attitude toward education when our local unions are constantly begging for more pay for teachers. Paying students is a reasonable way to show students the benefit for getting an education. I'm sure that many middle and upper class parents do this already without the schools knowledge. Why not allow this in schools where students easily see the economic benefit of dropping out of school to enter illegal drug and theft rings. I want to hear from a male who believes that 14 year old boys believe in education for its own sake. Please. I'm a well-educated teacher/administrator who remembers well the days of middle school and high school when the last thing on my mind was my education. wiffle Ball, basketball, girls, video games, etc. . . that's where our minds are. Reasonable monetary aid to students may also help keep some parents from 'home schooling' their kids and using them to work on the family farm or home day-care. Impossible to fund, but a good idea in theory.
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