A high school in La Palma, (Southern) CA recently went under fire for trying a new system intended to motivate students to work harder. Students, depending on their performance on CA standard tests, were required to carry IDs of one of three colors: black for "advanced" scores in all subjects, gold for "proficient" scores in at least two subjects, or improvement that led to a grade increase in at least two subjects, and white for kids who scored lower than "proficient" and/or did not improve in at least two subjects. Students were also required to carry planners in the same color. Colors were on a per-year basis (i.e., in order to go from a white to a gold card, one would have to improve over a one-year period, and then receive the gold status the next year).
Students who held black and gold cards were allowed special privileges such as discounts on school-sponsored events and local business merchandise. Students with white cards received no benefits, and were required to use a separate lunch line in the cafeteria.
Officials who OK'd the change said it was intended to motivate students (who otherwise don't seem willing to put in the effort to learn school material) to study more and to raise their test scores. They also argue there is very little difference between this and "honor roll, letterman jackets, honor cords at graduation, honor societies, even students walking around school hallways carrying textbooks for honors and college-level Advanced Placement courses." Parents and some psychology experts have expressed outrage over the move, saying it stigmatizes those who hold white cards, and won't solve the problem for the vast majority of students.
Source: http://articles.ocregister.com/2011-10-04/news/30248177_1_id-cards-cards-and-planners-gold-card (also see related links sprinkled through the article)
What does everyone think about this? If you had been one of the kids with the white ID cards, do you think this would have motivated you to work harder? Would it have made you resentful/insecure? On a related note, do you think the notion of rewarding students for good behavior via benefits actually motivates the majority of students doing poorly to do better, or is it only a small percentage that care about perks?
Students who held black and gold cards were allowed special privileges such as discounts on school-sponsored events and local business merchandise. Students with white cards received no benefits, and were required to use a separate lunch line in the cafeteria.
Officials who OK'd the change said it was intended to motivate students (who otherwise don't seem willing to put in the effort to learn school material) to study more and to raise their test scores. They also argue there is very little difference between this and "honor roll, letterman jackets, honor cords at graduation, honor societies, even students walking around school hallways carrying textbooks for honors and college-level Advanced Placement courses." Parents and some psychology experts have expressed outrage over the move, saying it stigmatizes those who hold white cards, and won't solve the problem for the vast majority of students.
Source: http://articles.ocregister.com/2011-10-04/news/30248177_1_id-cards-cards-and-planners-gold-card (also see related links sprinkled through the article)
What does everyone think about this? If you had been one of the kids with the white ID cards, do you think this would have motivated you to work harder? Would it have made you resentful/insecure? On a related note, do you think the notion of rewarding students for good behavior via benefits actually motivates the majority of students doing poorly to do better, or is it only a small percentage that care about perks?
