But Whosoever Hath, Gets Even More

Gov. Gray Davis must have been reading his Bible (the gospel of Matthew) when he conceived the plan for awarding 100,000 of California’s top-performing students up to $5,500 in college scholarships: “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.”

As a high school teacher, I instinctively applaud any initiative that spurs students to greater achievement, but the idea of awarding financial incentives for doing better to students who are already at the head of their classes seems fundamentally misguided. Don’t colleges and universities already hold out enough carrots to these students? Wouldn’t it make more sense to invest the $118 million in students who need help more?

The governor’s proposal awards students scoring in the 90th percentile on the Standardized Testing and Reporting exams or in the top 5% at their high schools $1,000 toward college tuition. Ninth, 10th and 11th graders conceivably could bank $1,000 each year. Those earning the highest score, a 5, on advanced placement calculus and science exams would be eligible for an additional $2,500 in scholarship money.

To parents of honors students contemplating the cost of college, this sounds like wonderful news and a sound investment of taxpayer dollars in the future of America. To a public schoolteacher struggling to find enough books for her 10th grade English class, it sounds like utter folly.

What the governor’s initiative really is about is raising California students’ scores on the national Stanford 9 exam. At present, there is no incentive for accomplished students to push themselves to do well on these tests. As the scores have no impact on high school grades or on college admissions, students often limp through the tests with minimal effort, performing nowhere near their abilities. If talented students can be persuaded to push a bit harder, a whole school’s average score and possibly the whole state’s score could improve dramatically. Remember that Davis has said he won’t run for reelection unless California’s test scores go up.

Davis got this idea at an IBM conference focusing on raising academic standards. I can’t blame him for thinking it was a good one. Success should be rewarded. And equating “reward” with “money” is as American as apple pie.

It is just that with the limited funding available for schools, it seems odd to pay kids who are doing well to demonstrate what they already know while others struggle to learn from out-of-date, ragged textbooks and inadequately prepared teachers. However Davis’ plan may be sanctioned in Scripture, it still feels strangely unfair to me.