By Yadira Palencia
Many students receive money from their parents when they get an outstanding grade on a test, but did you know that some schools give students money for excellent test scores? All schools need to do is apply for a program like the Paper Project in Chicago, which rewards students with money for their test scores. These programs are funded by private donors and award pupils by check. But does payment influence students in a positive or negative way?
Reward money can influence students in a positive way by encouraging students to do better on tests. Out of 54 students at Sun Valley Magnet School, 80% said they would do better on tests if they received money for a good test score. This could possibly make the F’s on report cards become B’s or even A’s. This happened in some Chicago schools. The Paper Project showed that the right kind of reward can make students improve as much as six months beyond what was expected.
Seventh grader Victoria Reyes said, “I would definitely do better on tests if I were paid for a good test score.” This suggests that students would do better on tests, but several teachers disagree, saying that rewarding students with money for their test scores will affect pupils in a negative way.
Ms. Xiomara Antoine, Sun Valley Magnet School’s Testing Coordinator, agrees with those teachers. She said, “It will affect students in a negative way because they would want to cheat and only learn what is going to be on the test and none of the other necessary standards.”
This is true because students will be under even more pressure when taking a test because they will know that money is at stake. This may cause students to cheat to earn money.
According to a recent national Phi Delta Kappa poll, only one out of four Americans says students should be paid for good grades and test scores.
After closely considering both sides, I have concluded that students should not be rewarded money for good test scores. They should be rewarded something smaller than money like a trophy. Just like our Testing Coordinator, Ms. Antoine, said, “Students should be rewarded for good test scores, but not with money.”