Should we pay for scores?

“When you live in an affluent neighborhood, you see automatically that education pays off. When you live in [a low-income community], it’s harder to understand.” - Roland G. Fryer

As good capitalists, we should realize that money should be the carrot used to tempt us towards work. How many American factory workers would show up to work as regularly as they do if they were not financially rewarded for doing so? How about the waiters and waitresses? Dentists? Some of us are fortunate enough to receive compensation for doing something we enjoy and find satisfying. However, most people work with an ulterior motive of providing for themselves and their loved ones. Given this, should we expect students to be any different? The most driven students are not likely to be all that fanatical about molecular biology per se; getting good grades in challenging classes provides them a better shot at getting into the higher education institution of their choice, and maybe with a scholarship.

The incentive programs that Ash describes in Baltimore, New York, and Atlanta are a great idea. Some critics may decry the minimization of students’ intrinsic motivation, which sounds like Marx decrying the lack of intrinsic motivation for the laborer without connection to a finished product. To believe that even half of the student body (never mind the bottom half academically) is motivated from within by a sincere desire to learn is naïve. Whether it’s a grade, a transcript, parental approval, peer recognition, or any other factor, many students are motivated by something other than the class material (no matter how intensely stimulating the teacher finds it to be).

Even professional athletes, who are seen by many as having an enjoyable vocation, are frequently given incentive clauses in their contracts. Two years ago, Frank Thomas got half million dollar payouts in his contract every time the fifteenth of the month rolled around and he was healthy and able to play. Did this reduce his intrinsic love for the game, or incent him to take extra care of his health? Would this clause have been in his contract if he had a history of good health? It follows the same logic that struggling students could be led to more care for their academics without reducing their intrinsic love of learning. Compensation, whether monetary or non-monetary, is still compensation. The programs in Baltimore, New York, and Atlanta merely even the playing field, giving financial compensation to students who might not be striving for the non-monetary compensation of “good college” or “good job”.

Ash, Katie. Promises of Money Meant to Heighten Student Motivation. Edweek.org. Retrieved 2/13/08 from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23cash_ep.h27.html?tmp=575759920