Official Debate: Paying for grades
School districts around the country are experimenting with programs that give students cash rewards for attending school, getting good grades, and performing well on standardized tests. Supporters of these programs think the financial incentives will motivate students to go to school and study, especially in poor and minority neighborhoods. Those opposed to paying students for good grades or school attendance believe that it sends the wrong message to students about their responsibility to learn. They argue that the money invested in these programs could be better used to improve education. While some districts using cash award programs have seen improvements in attendance and performance, the long-term impact of such programs is unknown.
Should students be paid for good grades?
Pay for grades is motivation
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Pay for grades is bad for kids
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Paying for grades would be motivation to kids. I know if i were getting paid I'd look at school a lot differently. Studies show that minorities typically have lower scores than whites. "Studies show students taking the SAT tests, children from black families that earn $60,000 a year score the same as white children from families earning $20,000 a year." I think that paying for grades would help children that are not interested in school get more involved. Students that already try will not be affected they are already involved they will just get even more rewards for their efforts. Whitmire, Richard. "The Education Gap: Why Minority Test Scores Lag." Gannett News Service. Nov. 5 1997: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Apr. 2014 Side: Pay for grades is motivation
If kids are going to pay other for grades then I say let them. Where will it get them? NO ONE possibly has enough money to get them through college and graduate college by paying for the grades. Thus once through high school the student will be revealed as someone who paid their way to where there are now. Some magazines say there's no way to tell if homework is done by the student or not unless you give them the test. In our society today it is very easy to take an online class and pay someone to do it by doing this no one has a clue who is actually doing the work. Baca, Suzanna De. "Paying for Grades: What to Consider Before Promising Your Kids Cash in Return for A's." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
Getting paid for grades is the greatest idea since diesel trucks. If that were an option here I would study and make sure every grade is really high. It would be very helpful to my cause of paying for my truck, gas, insurance, etc. maybe us that do that wouldn't have to work so hard and be so busy all the time. MDRC plans to test cash incentives at community and state colleges in California, New Mexico, New York and Ohio. This was stated in a TIME magazine. Despite the study's impressive, albeit short-term results, some critics in higher education are concerned that cash incentives will encourage students to start taking easier courses to ensure they'll do well enough to pocket the money. This is the only downfall there should definitely be a strength of schedule rule too. Really look at this if the kids are taking the time to study and actually learn the stuff, then they are benefiting themselves in two ways not only with the money, but a better education. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
I do not take school very seriously and I know for a fact that a lot of people don't either. But really, if we were getting paid for doing good and getting good grades I'd have an entirely new outlook of school. Sure you could argue that we aren't doing good in school because we want to learn but instead make the money but honestly whether we want to learn it or not, just by doing it we'll learn it anyway. And students having this extra source of income would allow them to help out with expenses at home or help them be more financially stable when they get to college. In the end I can see no real downside to this but if you do please dispute me. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
I believe that parents shouldn't be paying kids for their grades. In all actuality, kids are suppose to go to school. It a part of everyone's life. What happens if the parents have other kids and the other kids don't get as good as grades as one of the other kids? Someone is going to get upset. In the article, "Paying for Grades: What to Consider Before Promising Your Kids Cash for A's" states " Consider how your approach communicates your views on the role of education in your child’s life. I’ve heard parents say that school is their children’s “job,” and that paying them based on their performance will prepare them for the realities of the working world. Others believe that kids shouldn’t be paid to do what they’re already supposed to be doing — attending school and learning. In this way, it could be detrimental to teach your children to anticipate payment or recognition for doing what is expected." This statement is absolutely true. If you want to know more about this article, click the link below.
Supporting Evidence:
Paying for Grades: What to Consider Before Promising Your Kids Cash for A's
(healthland.time.com)
Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
I think kids should get paid for their good grades because if they work hard enough on getting the good grades they deserve to be rewarded. In greatschools.com a school in Chicago says the average student would earn $800 and a very good student would get $2000 a year. With this program when the student deposits the money the bank will teach them to manage their accounts. I think that is a very good thing. If students get money to that would be great motivation. I think kids in our school would benefit from this but our school doesn’t have the money. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
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I think students that don't like working and take school seriously would like the idea of paying for grades. It'd be like there job instead of working at night they'd be studying and trying hard to get there good grades so they could make more money the better the grades the more money they make! Researchers say that low financial incentives of $10 offered for an improvement in test scores and announced immediately before the test elicited effort in only one setting, whereas high financial incentives of $20 worked well in two out of the three settings. It'd be like your bribing the students so they do good in school an so it makes there school look smart and so I think that this idea work work well. Kuczynski-Brown, Alex. "Study Finds Chicago Students Motivated To Perform Well On Tests When Promised Money, Trophies." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 21 June 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
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One problem with this is it going to effect children in the work force? We teenagers work to pay for our gas, going out, our vehicles and insurance, cell phones, and other things. Is being paid for our grades going to inhibit our ability to work? Were going to be paid from elementary to high school. Then we graduate and the money stops. What are we going to do then? Oh yeah, its called a job. An 18 year old for the first time getting a job and working. This program would be really nice if it would actually hurt. I would love to not work throughout high school because I get burned out. Between school, work, and homework, I get overloaded. Honestly though, were is the money going to come from in order to pay for these grades? Taxes are going to increase and parents are not going to be happy about that. There is so many problems with these programs that it just would not work. It is a really nice thought but in reality, it will never happen. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
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Kents right if the students who dont take school seriously could see there was a short-term reward for their effort then they might try harder in school. Even if the schools were unwilling to pay students parents could pay their children money. For high school students they would probably be more willing to work at school than have other jobs if they were paid for grades. Students would have more drive to get good test scores if they were paid. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
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Kents right if the students who dont take school seriously could see there was a short-term reward for their effort then they might try harder in school. Even if the schools were unwilling to pay students parents could pay their children money. For high school students they would probably be more willing to work at school than have other jobs if they were paid for grades. Students would have more drive to get good test scores if they were paid. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
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I agree with your statement because in school we are always told that school is our job. Technically it is bribing, but is it so bad if it works? I wouldn't think so. According to www.content.time.com, not only would student's grades improve, but so would their attendance. In my point of view, it seems like a win-win situation. Sure, there are cons to this, but if the good outweighs the bad, it should be worth a try. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
I admit if I got paid to come to school like I do when I go to work I would be here everyday and not wanna miss so much. I've told my mom that so many times. Like a job you have responsibilities to do and you do them because you are getting money. I believe that if students got paid to come to school, do their homework, and do well on test that grade point averages will go up. "Students succeed academically only if they want to succeed and feel capable of doing so. If they lack either desire or confidence, they will not be successful". The only reason people go to their job everyday is because they have stuff they have to pay for. If students got money from anyone they would be able to help out at home and pay some expenses. Because if anyone lives with a single parent and they only have one income then they know the struggles of what it is like. Your mom or dad is always so stressed out and you can't do anything about it because you have to go to school then you have so much homework that you can't really have a job or just that you can't get a job because you have to take care of your younger siblings. Getting paid for grades would be such a great motivation and a great reward to the people who do try and do succeed. Yeah money isn't always going to be handed to you when you do something amazing and good, but it gives students what its like in the real world when you have a job and you do well you can get raises and all that good stuff. Stiggins, Richard J. "Assessment, Student Confidence, and School Success." Phi Delta Kappan. Nov. 1999: 191-198. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
I think that kids should get paid for GOOD grades, that way they can be motivated to do better and learn more. I wouldn't necessarily say pay them a lot but maybe 5 dollars per test if they get a good grade wouldn't be so bad. I also think that the school shouldn't have to pay the student but the government itself. There would also be a less chance of dropping out and kids can save up for college in the future. Students also wouldn't have to beg their parents for something they want, instead they could work hard and study more for tests. With the money they earn they could get whatever they wanted or save up. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
The government shouldn't pay for this because it is already 17 trillion in debt. We don't need to add to that. If we are paid 5 dollars a test for doing good that is not going to be enough to save up for college or get things you want. If kids want a source of income they should go get a job. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
I am for paying kids cash for good grades. The first question we need to ask ourselves though, is what is considered good enough grades to receive pay for? But I read an article called “Paying for Grades” on healthland.time.com that said if students get payed to have good grades, it will make them work all the more harder. It will also teach them an important lesson for when they are older that the better quality of work you do, the more money you will receive. I have always felt that students need a little more incentive to do well on their homework, and I believe this is just the thing! Side: Pay for grades is motivation
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I think getting paid for grades would be an excellent motivator for students who don't have jobs and who don't have the will to do their homework, I know that kids would be most likely to do their homework if they knew that they would be paid. Kids would soon be more willing to do their work. The problem would be, as to where they would come up with money for 500 kids and how much money will be paid each, and how much money will be paid depending on the grade. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
A lot of people choose to fail and if one day people just started paying other students for doing good then the people who choose to fail will most likely choose to pass and do well. Paying for grades is one of the smartest things I have ever heard of. You will have higher GPA's and higher grades. Doesn't everyone want that? I know I do. If you do well in school you can find a great college that will accept you. You will find a better job to do. Every student and every parents want to see students passing. Everyone ioves money so what a better way to get students to pass than to basically bribe them with money? Side: Pay for grades is motivation
Getting paid to come to school everyday would be amazing! I would probably never miss school. If I got paid for my good grades, that would be even better. I know that we get paid with knowledge, but cash would be better. I would quit my after school job and focus more on my studies and attendance. If my parents paid me to get an A in Algebra II, I would put more effort into studying. It's a challenging course and sometimes getting paid "knowledge" isn't enough. A study was done to see how adults felt about their children getting paid for grades. More than half of the 74 CEOs, chairmen and presidents surveyed last month by USA TODAY said they think paying for grades is a good idea. When asked if they pay, or have paid, their own kids for grades, 33 of 66 said yes. I'm actually surprised that the number isn't higher. I really do believe grades and attendance would increase if a payment was awarded. Jones, Del. "CEOs Split on Paying for Good Grades." USA TODAY. Sept. 10 2008: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
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Just as any topic, this one has many pros and cons. I’m certainly all for getting paid for my grades, who couldn’t use some extra money? I already have pretty good motivation to get good grades just because I want to be successful and get into a good college, but getting paid would be even more of a motivation. According to www.greatschools.org, one of the cons to this would be that “Cash-for-grades programs may jump-start students' motivation by providing real-world rewards for their effort and performance. Proponents like these rewards to an adult getting a raise or bonus for performing well on a job.” I can easily see where this statement makes sense. Getting paid for grades is exactly like getting a bonus for performing well. You do well in school and work hard, you’ll get paid. You do well in your job and work hard, you’ll get paid and maybe even get a bonus. It’s essentially just showing you what hard work will get you. "Cash for Good Grades? Some Schools Give It a Try." - Academic Skills. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
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Paying the students for grades wouldn't necessarily have the best results, though it would still have more. If they pay for the daily work, then the results have shown to be much more. A study was done by Harvard University (found on www.npr.org) that found that paying them for their daily work, the results were increased. It's biggest impact was on second grade reading, where it encouraged kids to read more often, increasing in their own comprehension. Even more so, it increases productivity, and education. If you pay for the daily work, then they will be more inclined to do it, and that's where the learning really is. If you can convince the students to do the daily work, all of the time, it would reflect on the tests, and increase the over all GPA of these students. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
If the schools would start paying for all the daily work , that would raise the amount of money they have to pay each student. Which most schools don’t have enough money to fund paying students for good grades. If they also pay the students to get good grades, kids will turn it from learning to just getting money for the grades they got. "Pros and Cons of Paying Kids for Good Behavior and Grades - San Diego Bargain Mama." San Diego Bargain Mama. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
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Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards, said research confirms that "the bigger the reward, the more damage it does" by encouraging students to focus on the treats and goodies, not the learning. "The more you use cell phones, T-shirts, money or whatever, the more you undermine motivation for becoming engaged and prolific learners," he said. This is a great quote because its true. The more the incentive is the bigger the problem we are going to have. These studies suggest that instead of developing a love for learning, students are being trained to do the minimum amount of work needed to get the reward, and then they lose interest. They soon will get tired of these programs and go back to the way they were before. Most students are able to go to their parents and get money or have a job. Why should they work hard to get good grades when they have other ways of obtaining money? Critics of these programs say school administrators should not be turning the schoolhouse into a workplace. These programs cheapen the educational experience by using bribes to win temporary obedience. Psychological studies going back as far as the early 1970's have found that rewards programs may produce less engaged students. Although these programs are unique and I would not mind having one in our school, they are just not realistic. Even if they were to work, where are we getting all this money to pay for the programs? That is a lot of money per school and we have a lot of schools in the United States. Where in the world is this money going to come from? The best answer would be the parents pockets. If these programs were to be started, taxes would certainly increase. There is no other way to fund these programs. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
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According to Iowa Aea online, some people think that students should not be paid for good grades because kids go to school to learn not to earn money. The school giving students money for good grades can be considered bribery. Bribery doesn’t help students learn the information for the right reason. Also paying the kids for their good grades is expensive. Especially for schools that have large numbers of students. "Clash over cash: should students get paid for doing well in school?" WR News, Senior Edition [including Science Spin] 25 Sept. 2009: 3. General OneFile. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
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I agree with you students shouldn't get paid for good grades. Paying kids for grades isn't going to help them anywhere in life. Students do just go to school and do work for money they go to school to learn and to get a better education in the future. Giving students money doesn't help them learn what they are in school to learn. 30 percent of college freshmen last year had to take remedial courses. Teachers tended to feel a little frustrated, and there was concern about how many students would pass or fail. There has been a noticeable grade increase within the last 15-20 years. Mezzacappa, Dale. "When Student's A Is Not an A." Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA). Aug. 31 1997: A1+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
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According to community.ally.com paying kids to do better in school can have various results depending on how the money is distributed. Roland Fryer, a Harvard economist who conducted a 2010 study, concluded that just paying students money for good grades might not work because they may not know how to go about getting good grades but rather should pay students for doing things they can control like turning in their work and reading would be a be a better alternative. This article also states that we don't know the long-term impact of using money as an incentive. "It may be difficult for children to recognize the long-term impact of a good performance in school when they're only anticipating their next 'paycheck.'" Will students grades fall once they stop getting paid to do well? Are students able to understand the importance of doing well just because they should if they're getting paid? These are a few questions that are commonly asked. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
We know that living in a small town kids pay other kids to do their homework. It may be stated that kids would rather pay for reading but that's not what most kids are worried about, they are worried about the homework that is assigned in class. There is really no good solution on how to solve this problem and how to prevent the kids from continuing to do these types of things. The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
Paying students for grades is just sending them the wrong message. Just because they get a good grade doesn't mean they should get paid for it. In the future, they are going to think that every time they do something good they will get paid for it. So if parents want to pay students for good grades then they should be prepared to pay their kid or kids throughout their whole life. The article, "What's an 'A' Worth?" states "Paying for A's can actually discourage some kids from working hard. It can create frustration and resentment among kids with siblings. In fact, if the ultimate goal is to encourage the character traits that will help children fulfill their potential throughout life, paying for A's can fail." This statement is true. If the student thinks that they will get paid for a good grade, they could copy other students or look up answers online instead of doing it by themselves. Which that could lead to frustration when it comes to tests because they don't know anything if they copy other students. Another statement from the article says, "That's not just a philosophical issue; it has practical implications. Some students will quit trying to learn once they've earned a reward for reaching a specific goal, experts say. So the student who gets an A without too much effort might coast the rest of the way, never reaching his or her full potential." I think that students shouldn't be paid for getting good grades. They should get a compliment to make them feel proud and let them know that you are proud of them, but parents shouldn't pay them. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
I agree with you because if you would start paying students for good grades they may start not trying as hard. I also agree that students would do anything possible to get the “A” to get the money and then they could possibly fail the test and get frustrated. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
I think school districts that pay students to come to school and get good grades is a terrible idea. The only thing the student will get out of the idea is to stick their nose into their books and they will get paid. They won't develop study skills. Also according to www.kiplinger.com, the only students that would get the money would be the high-achieving students, not the underachievers. The underachievers will give up and fail, because they know they won't be getting any money. So the schools are wasting their money, not to mention that the district could spend their money on better things. Also teachers always say students are getting paid anyway. Students get paid through the knowledge they gain, and by choosing the career of their choice. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
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Schools who pay their students to get good grades is an overall bad idea. Parents paying their children for good grades is a whole other ballpark. Granted, school feels like a job - or more than a job since we A L W A Y S have homework to take home after our 'job'. We come to school for 7 full hours and work the whole time, kind of sounds like we should get paid. Unfortunately, that's not what we're there for. At the beginning of the article I read called "What's an A Worth?", it talked about middle schoolers getting paid for good grades. Now, THAT is so unreasonable I cannot even begin to tell you. Middle schoolers are barely preteens, they shouldn't be getting paid to go to school, afterall, it is ONLY MIDDLE SCHOOL! It's not like they have to achieve big things before they reach the 9th grade. Sure, they should get decent grades, but paying middle schoolers is not one of the better ideas. Paying high schoolers to get good grades isn't something I would recommend doing either, but it's better than middle school for the simple fact that grades matter in high school when it comes to colleges - they look at things like grades, GPA, and class rank. Sure, it will motivate the students, but it's for all the wrong reasons. I don't understand why everything in this world has to be a competition. This is just asking for kids to cheat. The higher the grade, the higher the pay, so why not look up as many answers as possible or get them from someone else? Students should be going to school to get a genuine education, not with the thought of how much money they're earning at the back of their mind. If students want money, they should get a real job like everyone else. Mantell, Ruth. "What's an 'A' Worth?." Wall Street Journal. 17 Dec. 2012: R.4. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
I think that paying a child for having good grades is a bad idea. Yes it may push them to work harder for better grades but in the end they will get tired of putting in that extra effort and most likely end up cheating or going back to slacking in their classes. Even though school is our job for right now, we may not be getting paid is cold, hard cash but our payoff will be when we graduate and are able to go to college or get a job. Another example of payment benefit of being in school in a classroom with other students learning, having the opportunity to learn and have a quality education. Giving a child this incentive will teach them that money is all that really matters, it's the goal for everything. If the child were to start doing bad in school again how would the student be punished? Take away driving privileges? Friend time? Or just threaten to stop paying them? Is the threat of money enough to get students to buckle down in school and really take it seriously? Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
I think getting paid to have a good grade is not right. A good grade should be enough satisfaction. Time Magazine said “It could destroy any chance of fostering a love of learning.” and I think this is very true. If we weren’t required to go to school I don’t think most people would show up. School can be a bore, but you have to get past that and learn to love the knowledge you are given and not just do it for a paycheck. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
Don't you think that if students received money for good grades that it would make them work harder? I know this whole concept is a little messed up, but we should be doing absolutely anything in our power to make students want to work harder and get better grades. And if paying them is the solution, then so be it. Side: Pay for grades is motivation
According to moneycrashers.com, parents paying their children to succeed in grades is not the right thing to do. Some parents will argue with this because they believe that school is a child's job. With this practice of paying for getting good grades, this will just set them up for failure when they get a real job and the pay isn't the same. For instance, parents do not get paid to clean the house. How would this be any different? It's not. This is why people should just work hard for their grades and not get paid. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
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Research has been done on this topic by a Harvard economics professor, Roland Fryer. Fryer is also the founder of Harvard's Education Innovation Laboratory. Fryer studied nearly 40,000 students at low performing urban public schools throughout Houston, Dallas, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Fryer found that paying for grades results in a very small, if any, impact on improving grades. For example, in Chicago, Fryer paid 9th graders for their report card grades. He gave them $50 for an A, $35 for a B, $20 for a C, and nothing for a D or less. The result of this experiment was depressing. According to Fryer, the students' overall GPAs at the end of the year, increased only slightly, with the average 9th grader's GPA increasing from 1.9 to 2.0. In New York, Fryer investigated whether financial rewards improved performance on standardized exams. For each exam, 4th graders earned $5 for simply completing the test. The 4th graders could then get $25 for a perfect score. He then did this study with 7th graders. They received $10 to simply finish the test and $50 for getting all the answers correct. Again, the result was that students in the 4th and 7th grades showed no improvement on standardized test scores even when money was dangled in front of their faces. One theory on why money can't buy good grades is because students don’t know how to improve. For example, when Fryer's team asked students in New York what the best strategies were to raise their exam scores, they said they'd try to read the test questions more carefully, re-read their answers to make sure they entered them correctly, and take their time rather than race to see who could finish first. Although these are all reasonable ideas, Fryer pointed out that no student mentioned the techniques that are probably the most critical ingredients to boosting scores such as: reading the textbook more carefully, studying harder or asking a teacher for help. Just like in New York, students in Chicago did not seem to know the most efficient strategies to improve their grades. Maybe parents and teachers are demanding improvement without showing students the right paths they need to take to get there. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
Honestly who came up with the ideal that kids should get money just for good grades. Its just terrible and i'm going to explain why it is. On this document I found on the internet. This man states that, in his own words, "it sends the wrong message to young students, making cash rewards overshadow the real value of hard work in the classroom, that of it leading to a much larger payday when applying that education in the workplace." Also there is suck thing as, "easy classes," and I bet that every kind will get on that once they hear the word "money" involved into this. Its just stupid to say the least about paying for something you should just do naturally. I rest my case on Paying for Grades. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
Honestly who came up with the ideal that kids should get money just for good grades. Its just terrible and i'm going to explain why it is. On this document I found on the internet. This man states that, in his own words, "it sends the wrong message to young students, making cash rewards overshadow the real value of hard work in the classroom, that of it leading to a much larger payday when applying that education in the workplace." Also there is suck thing as, "easy classes," and I bet that every kind will get on that once they hear the word "money" involved into this. Its just stupid to say the least about paying for something you should just do naturally. I rest my case on Paying for Grades. Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
Paying students for doing good on tests is the wrong way to improve student behavior. Going to school is an investment in your future. The school should not have to pay us to do good on tests when we should be doing our best to begin with. In a study performed with nearly 40,000 students, researchers gave 6.3 million dollars in rewards to 261 school district. These schools then used the money to pay students for finishing books, doing good on tests, etc. Once the experiment was over the researchers found out that the incentive of getting paid did not increase student achievement. This means that even though the students had an opportunity to get paid for getting good grades, hardly anyone took advantage of it. Being paid for grades did not work. Students who were happy with their grades were unwilling to do a little extra work for a little more spending money, and the amount of money that the students would get paid probably was too low for the students to really get excited about it.
Supporting Evidence:
"Paying Students To Do Well in School: What Economists Are Learning about Pay-4-Performance." Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
(larrycuban.wordpress.com)
Side: Pay for grades is bad for kids
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