Should Students Be Paid for Good Grades?
Should students be paid for good grades?
Should students be paid for getting good grades? Yes, students should be paid for good grades. According to Psychology Today the United States has fallen behind other nations on key measures of education and approximately ¼ of students drop out before graduation. Experts point to inadequate motivation as a key problem. Too many students are bored by school or distracted by unstable family life or any number of the other diversions that face students today. Of course learning has it’s own rewards, but some students respond best to cash. If incentives for good grades can play a role in motivating learning then wherever possible, these cash for grades programs should be put into effect. A major reason to pay students for good grades is that these cash incentive programs have helped low-income students stay in school and get better grades. According to a study released by the social-policy research group MDRC, cash incentives combined with counseling offered “real hope” to low-income and nontraditional students at two Louisiana community colleges. The program was simple: enroll in college at least half time, maintain at least a C average and earn $1,000 a semester for up to two terms. Participants were 30% more likely to register for a second semester than students who were not in the program. And the students that were first offered the cash incentives were more likely than their peers to be enrolled in college a year after they had finished the two term program.
Students offered the cash incentives in this program did not just enroll in more classes; they earned more credits and were more likely to attain a C average than nonparticipants. Although U.S. college enrollment has climbed, college completion rates have not. More cash for grades incentive programs may help improve upon the number of college graduates among lower-income students. Another reason to pay students for their good grades is that it will
Should students be paid for getting good grades? Yes, students should be paid for good grades. According to Psychology Today the United States has fallen behind other nations on key measures of education and approximately ¼ of students drop out before graduation. Experts point to inadequate motivation as a key problem. Too many students are bored by school or distracted by unstable family life or any number of the other diversions that face students today. Of course learning has it’s own rewards, but some students respond best to cash. If incentives for good grades can play a role in motivating learning then wherever possible, these cash for grades programs should be put into effect. A major reason to pay students for good grades is that these cash incentive programs have helped low-income students stay in school and get better grades. According to a study released by the social-policy research group MDRC, cash incentives combined with counseling offered “real hope” to low-income and nontraditional students at two Louisiana community colleges. The program was simple: enroll in college at least half time, maintain at least a C average and earn $1,000 a semester for up to two terms. Participants were 30% more likely to register for a second semester than students who were not in the program. And the students that were first offered the cash incentives were more likely than their peers to be enrolled in college a year after they had finished the two term program.
Students offered the cash incentives in this program did not just enroll in more classes; they earned more credits and were more likely to attain a C average than nonparticipants. Although U.S. college enrollment has climbed, college completion rates have not. More cash for grades incentive programs may help improve upon the number of college graduates among lower-income students. Another reason to pay students for their good grades is that it will