In Some Schools, Learning Is Not Enough of Its Own Reward

In Some Schools, Learning Is Not Enough of Its Own Reward
A look at the debate in the U.S. over programs that pay students. Transcript of radio broadcast:
26 March 2008

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Some American schools pay teachers more if their students improve on tests. Now, there is a growing movement to pay the students -- in some cases, even just for coming to class.

Students at one school in New Mexico can earn up to three hundred dollars a year for good attendance. A program in New York City pays up to five hundred dollars for good attendance and high test scores.

In Baltimore, Maryland, high scores on state graduation tests can be worth more than one hundred dollars. And a New Jersey school system plans to pay students fifty dollars a week to attend after-school tutoring programs.

Schools that pay students can be found in more than one-fourth of the fifty states. Other schools pay students with food or other rewards.

Robert Schaefer is public education director for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, an activist group. He says paying may improve performance in the short term, but students develop false expectations for the future. He sees a lack of long-term planning in these programs because of pressure on schools to raise test scores.

Public schools need to show improvement under the education reform law signed by President Bush six years ago. Low-performing schools may lose their federal money; teachers and administrators may lose their jobs. Often these schools are in poor neighborhoods where getting students to go to school can be a continual problem.

Critics say paying students sends a message that money is the only valuable reward. But some students say it makes school more exciting. And some teachers have reported getting more requests for extra help.

In two thousand four, the city schools in Coshocton, Ohio, launched a program. They wanted to see if paying elementary school students as much as one hundred dollars would help in passing state exams.

Now, Eric Bettinger of Case Western Reserve University has reported mixed results. Math scores increased, but only while students were able to get paid. And there was no evidence of higher scores in reading, social studies and science. Officials will decide later this year whether to continue the program.

Yet adults get paid for their work. And if teachers can be rewarded for their students' work, then why not the students themselves? This is what some people say. What do you think? Write to special@voanews.com, and please include your name and country.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.


----------------------------Google Translate

这是美国之音特别英语教育报告。

美国一些学校的教师付出更多，如果他们提高学生对测试。现在，有越来越多的运动，以支付学生-在某些情况下，甚至只是来上课。

学生在一所学校，在新墨西哥可赚取高达300美元，一年为好出席会议。节目在纽约市自付高达500美元，为良好的出勤率和高测试分数。

在马里兰州巴尔的摩市，高分通过国家毕业考试可以总值超过100美元。和一位新泽西州的学校系统的计划，以支付学生， 50美元一个星期参加放学后的辅导计划。

学校收费学生可以发现，在超过四分之一的50多个国家。其他学校的学生支付与食物或其他报酬。

罗伯特Schaefer表示是公众教育主任，为国家为中心的公平和公开测试，是一个激进的集团。他说，付费，可提高性能，在短期内，但学生的发展，虚假未来的预期。他认为，缺乏长远的规划，在这些节目，因为压力对学校，以提高考试成绩。

公立学校必须表现出改善教育改革下依法由布什总统签署6年前。低不良的学校可能会失去联邦政府的钱;教师和管理人员可能失去工作。通常，这些学校都是在贫困街区的地方越来越同学去上学，可以有延续性问题。

批评人士说，交学生传达了一个讯息，就是金钱是唯一有价值的奖赏。但有的学生说，它使学校更激动人心。有的教师曾报道，越来越要求额外的帮助。

在2000这四个国家中，城市学校科肖克顿，俄亥俄州，展开了另一项计划。他们想看看，如果支付小学生高达100美元，将有助于通过国家考试。

现在，李家祥能获得的Case西部保留地大学的报告好坏参半的结果。数学分数增加，但只有当我们的学生能够获得报酬。并没有证据显示较高的分数，在读，社会教育和科学。官员将决定在今年晚些时候是否继续使用该程序。

但成年人得到报酬，为他们的工作。如果教师能得到回报，为他们的学生们的作品，那为何不学生自己吗？这就是有些人说的。您怎么看？写信给special@voanews.com ，并请包括你的名字和国别。

这也是该美国之音特别英语教育报告书，写的南希steinbach 。我史蒂夫Ember公司。