Several AU students see flaws in the D.C. public schools plan to begin providing cash incentives to high-achieving students.
Starting in October, 14 middle schools in the D.C. area will reward high academic achievement by paying 3,000 students in grades six through eight up to $100 per month, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee said in a press release on Aug. 21.
The cash incentive program, called Capital Gains by the DCPS, will allocate money to students based on a points system. Students will be eligible to earn up to 50 points a month, and will be paid $2 per point if they have good attendance, turn in their homework, display good manners and earn high grades. DCPS reserved nearly $3 million for the Capital Gains program through their own funds and a grant from Harvard's American Inequity Lab, according to The Washington Post.
Rhee views the new cash incentive program as one of many ways DCPS is attempting to improve the school systems, she said on Tuesday in an e-mail.
Sarah Irvine Belson, dean of the School of Education, Teaching and Health, said she does not feel that cash rewards will motivate students in the right way. "Although students may be motivated by money to turn in homework or even do well on tests, it is unlikely that external rewards will develop a true love of learning," she said.
Elise Tisdale, a junior in the Kogod School of Business, recognizes both the pros and cons of the Capital Gains program.
"It will give [students] a real-world incentive," she said. Tisdale said she thinks the students will get paid for their hard work like they would if they had a job. However, Tisdale said she is worried that students' motivation will decrease once they stop getting paid for good grades.
Zach Gavin, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he thinks it is a bad idea to offer cash incentives to students in some schools and not in others.
"I disagree with the program because it is unfair to students in districts that are already doing well," said
Rosie-Jean Adams, a sophomore in CAS, does not think cash rewards will create positive changes in D.C. students' academic performances.
While D.C. public schools have some of the highest per-student spending in the country, their students have some of the lowest rankings in math and reading proficiency. Since taking over the DCPS chancellor position, Rhee has made dramatic changes in the faculty of many D.C. schools, according to The Post.
Tisdale said she thinks the low academic performance in D.C. schools cannot be solved easily.
"The whole mentality needs to change," she said. "Parents need to be involved."
If the Capital Gains program is a success, DCPS will begin planning how to expand it to other schools in the District. To judge whether the initiative is successful, DCPS will be tracking five areas of performance: attendance, behavior and three areas chosen by each school. They will collect data every two weeks and compare the results with non-participating middle schools, Rhee said on Tuesday in an e-mail.
You can reach this staff writer at mkendall@theeagleonline.com.
