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Money for Nothing?Navigation: Main page Author: Unknown News Debate
Kids Cash in on School Incentive Programs A Ford Mustang with leather seats and a six-CD changer. A laptop computer. A check for $500. Prizes on a game show? Nope. At some schools, those rewards can be yours for simply coming to class. In a bold effort to keep kids in the classroom, many schools have created incentive programs that reward attendance with money or prizes that range from prepaid gift cards to cars. This fall, Chelsea High School in Chelsea, Mass., began offering students $25 a quarter for perfect attendance. The payoff for a senior â€" with bonus money thrown in for hitting yearly attendance goals â€" could be as much as $500. Students receive their checks upon graduation. The program is funded through private donations. But does paying kids to do something they should do anyway send a good message? Critics say that rewarding students with money or prizes for going to school devalues the real reward: getting an education. Hard Work Pays OffChelsea school officials say they must boost the attendance rate â€" currently at 90 percent â€" to meet state and federal standards. "If I'm a student attending 90 percent of the time, I'm still missing three and a half weeks of school, which is unacceptable," says Chelsea school committee member Morrie Seigal. At Trimble Technical High School in Fort Worth, Texas, the incentive program has paid off. Attendance has increased nearly 2 percent â€" to 94.7 percent â€" since 2003, when the school began giving away a car. A local business donates money to buy the car. The more days students show up, the more chances they have to win the car. Bonuses are awarded for days when students are more likely to call in sick (before a holiday, for example). "If you're here, you're learning. You're preparing for … exams," says Trimble's principal, E. Omar Ramos. "Attendance equals achievement." Education Is PricelessSome people say that using an attendance incentive program is like bribing students to come to school. The rewards don't inspire students to achieve academically because the incentives are linked to just showing up, says Garrett Duncan, associate professor of education at Washington University in St. Louis. "The programs are basically saying there's no value in education," he says. "They reinforce notions about youth in general â€" that they're impulsive and irresponsible." Students may become cynical, believing school is only about getting paid, Duncan says. The money going toward incentives would be better spent on things that make students excited about learning, such as updated science labs, he says. There are practical concerns as well. Some people worry that students who are honestly sick might force themselves to attend class in order to remain eligible for the reward at year's end. In addition, once a student misses class and is no longer in the running for the reward, showing up at school becomes less important. Make it count! Take part in an instant Current Events poll on this news debate. Go to www.weaklyreader.com/ce and make your opinion count! PHOTO (COLOR): Aaron Casioce of California jumps for joy after winning a car for perfect attendance. in the Fair Use guidelines of the 1976 U.S. Copyright Act. info [at] singlearticles.com Powered by CommonSense |
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