Paying Students for Test Scores

* Re “If Students Are Paid, Test Scores Rise, Study Finds,” July 19:

It makes sense to pay students: First, it is much easier to measure how much students learn than to measure how well teachers teach. Second, paying students for their achievements will make education more valuable (in relative terms) to poorer students than to richer ones. Third, students can use their earnings to pay for extra private classes or tutors or save the money to pay for college tuition.

Last, if we paid students for their achievements rather than pay educators for students’ attendance in their classes, each student could seek out and discover whatever learning style or environment works best for him. This might include home-schooling, study groups or self-study.

RICHARD SHOWSTACK

Newport Beach

* A study by education professor Harold F. O’Neil Jr. has shown that financial incentives to students will boost test scores. Perhaps candidate Bob Dole would find this a cheaper method of improving education than his idea of “opportunity scholarships” (July 19). The taxpayers who are supporting public education should not be asked to shell out an extra $1,000 for unmotivated students when $1 for a correct answer is so much cheaper.

BARBARA A. HUBBS

Long Beach