Good Grades Rewarded : Academic ‘Credit Cards’ Spur Students

CAYCE, S.C. —  Students at Brookland-Cayce High School who make good grades can earn an academic “credit card” for such things as a free shirt, a priority parking space and the front of the lunch line.

And the motivational program may also net the 1,600-student school money under the state’s recent educational reforms if test scores go up, says Principal Richard G. Summey.

“The bottom line is that we’re a company. We’re a big business. We’re trying to compete with other schools and also with the state. If we can improve our test scores, that’s money to spend at Brookland-Cayce High School,” Summey said.

The school got $46,000 last week from the state because of improvements in test scores in the last year, Summey said.

Students who earn straight A’s get a gold card, which includes the shirt, sticker and lunchroom privileges. Gold card holders also get a day off every nine weeks for “independent study,” free admission to all school sporting events and dances and an extra excused-late arrival every nine weeks.

A maroon card goes to students who make all Bs or better. They get free admission to the first home athletic event and all Tuesday night home basketball games, as well as an extra excused-late arrival every nine weeks and a shirt at cost.

There are 109 students with maroon cards and 12 with gold cards, said Assistant Principal Jim Taylor, who Summey said came up with the incentive idea. A student has to maintain his grades to keep the card--two gold and 38 maroon cards were confiscated after the first quarter’s grades came out, he said.

Summey said the program is a way of continuing the school’s academic improvement.

“It’s not going to be the answer to all kids. But we see results that it’s starting to penetrate some areas where we didn’t know how to deal before,” Summey said.

Several card holders said they think the idea is a good one, on balance.

“It’s good that somebody’s finally rewarding you for making good grades,” said Tara Giles, a senior and a gold card holder.

Bobby Hesie, a junior with a gold card, says he thinks the program will bring up grades but not necessarily because of the privileges.

“I know that it’s very frustrating to know you’re intelligent enough to get a gold card when everybody else has one,” Hesie said. “It gives you the incentive to prove to everyone else that you can get a gold card.”

The cards are given based strictly on grades with no consideration of the difficulty of the course.

Summey said one parent called and complained that he was trying to set up an “academic elitist group.” But the overall response to the program has been positive, he said.

When asked if the program were putting too much “real world” pressure on high school students, Summey said the program is good preparation for life after high school.

“This is the real world. The only way you can get ready for anything is to take part in it,” he said.