Paying Children for Getting Good Grades

Is it a smart thing to do?

Cities are getting into the act as well. New York City rolled out a pilot program last year to reward kids in poor neighborhoods for good test scores. Fourth-grade students in select schools can receive up to $25 for their performances on each of 10 standardized tests, according to The New York Times, while seventh-graders can get up to $50 per test.

For children with less, maybe they would work harder to get good grades?

"Some psychologists believe that paying for grades is a bad idea because it substitutes an external reward -- money -- for an internal sense of satisfaction and therefore interferes with developing a work ethic."

articles.moneycentral.msn.com...

There is a bunch of different angles in the article.

I think it could help in certain situations, but cause some problems too. It sure could give some motivation to children lacking it. What child wouldn't want some money?

But how long do you keep it up? What happens when you try to stop giving them money, and they stop trying? Or keep wanting more and more, until they forget that school is something they need to do well no matter what rewards they are getting.

Another side is they shouldn't get paid at all. School is what they do. Parents don't get paid for caring for the family. And there could be other rewards for doing well, other then money.

The article also has some other people's opinions about it. Interesting stuff.

An education should be its own reward.

Venality is not a very good value to associate with education.

A lot of people wouldn't bother with college, except for the better earning power of the degree, but even with this arrangement there is the inculcated value of deferred gratification.

As the article states, money is a form of positive reinforcement and if a family can afford to pay their kids to make good grades without creating other problems, then who's to argue with that kind of family decision.

As for the state, as far as I'm concerned paying kids to do well on standardized tests eliminates the desirable goal of teaching to kids to learn for learning's sake.

In my opinion, this just shows how far our education system has sunk.

What a great question!

I remember getting a little cash, here and there, when I came home with a good report card. But the Money came from my parents. Not the School system.

I see that they take 10 standardized tests per year.
This means that teachers are teaching to the test.
I'm afraid that in the end, these kids are going to lose more than they gain.
Teaching the subject, rather than holding standardized test "boot camps", is much more long lasting.
Knowledge versus memorization.

This may be straying a bit from the actual subject, but I wonder if a child is getting paid all their life for doing schoolwork, would it create problems in other parts of their life? Something along the lines of "Why should I do that? I'm not getting paid for it" Expecting to get money everytime they do something? I'm not sure if that is going to happen, but I guess it's possible.

And like you said Grady, getting a good education can pay far more in the long run.


But then again I did love getting a dollar from Grandma for getting a good report card.

My mom paid me to graduate. I wasn't completing my correspondence courses fast enough for her, so I got $10 for every assignment I mailed in. I considered it a win-win situation.

I'm not so sure I like the idea of the district paying the money though. I think it should be a parental decision and I'm sure that there are schools that could put that money to good use.

I guess it's more "should schools pay children for getting good grades". Many parents reward children for getting good grades anyway, in the form of money, or something else.

I don't think schools should, because the parents might not agree with it, and it should be left to them.

Expect nothing less from a politically correct society that continually dumbs down the educational system just to make it easier for dumb little Johnny to advance to the next level.
Oh, but dont even think of taking away his xbox and ipod unless you want to reported to child protective services.

Grady Phillpot,

wow!!! I just learned a new word today.

Venality is not a very good value to associate with education.

Venality..from Answers.com

The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption.

Thanks for that Grady. I have learned a word for the day..Venality. I did not know this before reading your post. I even looked it up ..Thanks again.

Now..........where is my $10.00??

YOu know ..its been years since I witnessed this stupidity but I recall a parent being stumped by thier own kid and rewards and what the kid thought he deserved. The kid had gotten passing grades for a change and wanted to go to some event with his friends. The justification was that he got good grades. "I got good grades didnt I??" The parents were not in favor of the kid going and did not like the crowds that went there.
I could not believe the parents were speechless before the child. They could not understand that the world does not always reward you for doing well and our walk in this world is often fraught with postponed gratification...not intstant gratification. This kid had learned to use performance as justification or leverage over his parents. This is a type of shakedown.
I know this kid to this day and he is not doing well as he has constantly turned to the path of instant gratification and still into his late 20s using the parents as a safety net every time the instant gratification runs out. He cannot consistenetly go the distance when the going gets rough..he must run back home for more instant gratification/easy street/safety net. He always tends twords the "option" not the responsibility. This kid took a wrong turn in the road. While his parents are responsible for cultivating/abetting this wrong turn he is now over 18 and it is his responsibility to turn this around..not his parents. His parents still cannot see that they need to tell him "NO!!" And also remove the safety net. They will be safety netting him well past their 50s or 60s.

Good grades are what a kid in school should be doing ...naturally..not for rewards....ie...instant gratification..consumables.

Postponed gratification is apparently not in the cirriculum in many schools today. This means that maturity skills are not on the cirriculum as well.

Notice the difference in how this can work out in life by some historical examples.

In New Orleans during and after Katrina it was someone elses responsibility and when it didnt work out as many were accustomed or thought they deserved..it was "Victimization" time. This can also be called "Shakedown Time." This is precisely what the kid I described was doing to his ignorant parents. Except that this time a whole nation was shaken down. The shakedown in process became obvious by the unprofessionalism of the politicians and the blame game played out before the public and in the media.

Notice the contrast between New Orleans and this city last year which was almost totally destroyed by a tornado. Greensboro or Greensburg, Kansas as I recall, was the name of the city. By percentage this city was destroyed far greater than New Orleans. The contrast in the maturity levels of the people and politicians is in stark contrast to the shakedown of Hurricane Katrina. NO or little looting, No political stumping, No victimization, No gime ,gime, gime, gime ad nauseum. Ironically to my limited knowlege the media does not seem wont to make this contrast public.

Could their be a difference in the manner in which these people were raised and also very importantly what they were taught in school?? Their education levels and how they apply it to daily life and living?? Their maturity levels under stress??

Like many here ..I believe that rewarding itself is not a bad thing..I just dont think we should be rewarding people for what they should already be doing. Education is what people should be doing for themselves.

One more thing..our educations never stop or cease...they continue on for the rest of our lives. We are learning every day of our lives.

Thanks Grady for the new word in my vocabulary.

Orangetom