WASHPO: DC Studen't Paydays in 'Cash-for-grades' Program Yields Varying Emotions
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Excerpt:
D'Angelo Dorsey's envelope remained sealed when he arrived home one day last month from his Southeast Washington school. The 12-year-old knew the amount written on the check inside, each dollar tied to his behavior and performance, but he didn't want to see it.
"I'm ashamed," D'Angelo said. "It's too low."
Among three siblings in his family who go to Hart Middle School, D'Angelo is the smallest. But he is used to taking home the biggest check through an experiment begun last fall that pays thousands of D.C. students to do what is expected of their peers everywhere: Go to class, behave and get good grades.
They can earn up to $100 every two weeks. That Thursday, D'Angelo's check was for $56.
"They probably will laugh at me at the bank," he said. "I will never get this low again. I never got lower than $60."
Following a trail of failed efforts to fix the District's troubled schools, the Capital Gains program aims to motivate middle-grade students with the same enticement that compels adults: cash. Optimists say the program could help those who have little catch up to those who have much. Skeptics say it will devalue what has always been invaluable: learning for the sake of learning.
Eventually, scholars will evaluate whether the incentive works. But for now, the best gauge might be the reaction of students on payday. Interviews with parents, educators and youths reveal that most students compare their earnings as soon as they're handed out, excited by the financial reward. A few, in a show of apathy or rebellion, destroy checks intended to help them. And some walk home disappointed, envelopes closed.