Cash for Grades Research Project - Essay Example

HERE HERE YOUR HERE HERE Cash for Grades Research Project In the short-term, cash-for-grades programs are effectivebecause they provide the student with an incentive to achieve high performance in their class work. A Chicago high school offers its freshman students $50 for each A grade and $35 for each B grade. In this program, if the student achieves straight A’s throughout their freshman and sophomore years, that equates to a $4,000 total payment (Johnson, 1). However, when schools offer these types of incentives to invite student learning, they are actually only creating a situation where the student focuses on the receipt of financial reward and does not devote concentrated study to educational materials. Long-term, cash for grades programs are not effective and do not produce the desired educational outcomes which schools hope they will. “Paying students to behave is totally immoral. How will kids react when the money stops?” (Gill and Lam, 7). This is a good point which reinforces the idea that these programs are not effective long-term. Local high school and university budgets are strained, especially during times of economic difficulty, therefore supporting these programs indefinitely would not be possible from the budget viewpoint. There is bound to be an emotional reaction in students when these programs can no longer be supported which could actually de-motivate students to learn. Therefore, short-term they definitely can motivate students to achieve higher test scores or to absorb class materials, however long-term there are too many potential negative outcomes. These would be expensive programs, especially if, short-term, these programs motivated students to achieve very high grades so that a higher percentage of students achieved A grades. The end result of ending these programs due to budget problems could cause serious academic learning problems with students who had become accustomed to this added incentive. On a different note, the achievement gap between rich and poor students exists because of the quality of life differences for each socio-economic group. In psychology, Abraham Maslow identified a hierarchy of needs, common needs shared by all people in society, which identify physiological needs as the most primary (Weiten and Lloyd, 2005). Physiological needs include shelter, clothing, food and other basic life essentials. Maslow offers that people cannot achieve any greater contribution to becoming a better member of society until these basic needs are satisfied. People with higher economic means do not concern themselves as much with their physiological needs, therefore they can focus on ideas such as self-esteem development and nurturing their children. In order to properly educate children, “parents need to play a supportive role and discuss issues with their children” (Gioia, 1). In families where food is always on the table and children are dressed in quality fashions, they are motivated by a supporting and stable household. People with low economic means struggle with the cost of food and providing stable housing, therefore when working multiple jobs or worrying about bill payment they cannot provide similar educational support. Some people believe that cash-for-grades are absolutely necessary in poor school districts, however these people who support the program are looking only at the numbers and statistics. In an 18 year period, the number of passing scores on advanced placement testing in Dallas with schools with cash-for-grades programs increased from 162 to 1,466 (Sparks, 23). This same philosophy is used when supporting cash-for-grades programs in low-income areas, believing that they will achieve the same results as in Dallas, a region where there are many students with higher financial means. The idea is that it motivates students to learn at an advanced level and this could be applied to youths who do not have other incentives for learning than the receipt of cash reward. The social push for equality and diversity is also driving the reasoning for why people want cash-for-grades programs in low income schools. At the racial level, one reputable publication offers “when a black student walks into class and receives a B, they say it’s great. But, if the white students gets a B, the reaction is ‘you could do better, you gotta do better, don’t settle for less” (prospect.org, 1). At the social level, there appears to be the stereotype that white students are more capable while their ethnic counterparts should just be satisfied with a modest grade such as the B. People who would support this program are trying to level the playing field, especially at the ethnic level, by giving a similar reward for academic achievement that represents diverse student demographics and financial backgrounds. Giving everyone the same incentive and same reward creates a culture of unity and diversity in the classroom. However, this actually does not level the playing field because social attitudes need to be changed at the individual level before real diversity can begin. Cash-for-grades programs only offer the short-term benefits of higher achievement, but it does not address the stereotyping which exists at all levels of administration, teaching support, and the student body itself. Cash-for-grades programs only create test score results which can be plotted on a graph while the real social issue remains a problem that cannot be solved with this concept. Giving students a reward for achieving good grades would definitely not spoil the student, however it might give them a distorted view of what they can expect into adulthood. For example, as small children parents often reward their children for obedience or accomplishment. Now, as teenagers, they are being rewarded for grades achievements. This might give the student such reliance on rewards, at the emotional level, where they begin to expect that this will occur in their professional lives after they receive a higher education degree. They might be surprised to discover that when they land a job role in a major corporation, their contributions will often be overlooked and they are not given financial compensation for achieving business goals. In this case, the problems that cash-for-grades programs created could last long into adulthood and impact their success or motivation in professional career. The seed of bribery that cash-for-grades could plant could also impact the ethics of the school administration. For example, a famous grades-related case at Diablo Valley College had students bribing admissions officials with cash to change their grades electronically (Lee, 1). Even though this was not involving a cash-for-grades scandal, administrators may witness students receiving high financial awards for achieving and then consider that they, too, should be compensated for their work. At the cultural level, this could set the tone that bribery, or similar types of reward-for-favors are acceptable and promote unethical behavior in all stakeholders. This is not about spoiling the student, it is about the negative impact it leaves on the school culture. It is very possible to love learning and make money at the same time. If a person is self-motivated and has long-term goals in mind, they are going to devote more time to education, especially if it is a step toward reaching their goals. This self-motivated person would be glad for the extra incentive for achievement added by cash-for-grades programs. This motivated student would now have a considerable amount of cash stored in their personal account which could be used toward tuition or other expenses as they begin exploring higher education at colleges and universities. The long-term benefit of having cash while in school would be a high advantage over other students who must work part-time just to have a quality meal. However, even though the short-term reward of cash-for-grades programs is nice, not all students are motivated this way and would only seek to learn for the receipt of the money. My most recent test scores are above average, but they could certainly be better. Much of this does come from lack of motivation as well as a complicated personal schedule. Offering an honest self-assessment, I am not usually motivated simply by the receipt of new learning unless the subject matter is something which I find interesting at the recreational or social level. My largest motivation which achieves the best results is keeping focused on the future and knowing that my school transcript is very important for college grants, scholarships, and even the type of university which I would qualify. This future-focused self-motivation is what often drives me to learn and remain devoted to study. I often picture myself in my ideal career position with a sufficient income as a means to stay dedicated to current education demands. Though a cash-for-grades program would definitely enhance motivation to learn and absorb information, this future-focused form of self-motivation usually brings me high test scores and quality academic achievement. Despite the supporters of cash-for-grades, the program does not have the ability to promote long-term results which are meaningful. It is an unrealistic program that will strain school budgets on funds which could be applied elsewhere, such as improving athletic equipment or enhancing meal options in the cafeteria. Students, when offered cash rewards for grades, will likely view life in a distorted way long-term. “Paying students to do well in school limits their enthusiasm for the subject matter” (2facts.com, 1). Works Cited "Cash for Grades." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 8 May 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. . Gill, J. and T. Lam. “Show Me the Money? Should schools pay cash for good grades?”. Current Events, A Weekly Reader Publication, Vol. 108, Iss. 9, 2008. Gioia, Carol. “Should good grades be rewarded with cash?”, 2008. 24 Nov 2009 < http://www.helium.com/items/662992-should-good-grades-be-rewarded-with-cash> Johnson, Jessica A. “Cash for grades could help some schools”. The Columbus Dispatch Online, 2009. 25 Nov 2009 Lee, Henry. “Cash for grades scandal rocks campus at Diablo Valley College”, 2007. 26 Nov 2009 Read More