The REACH for AP success

At a midtown Chase Bank this morning, star-shaped mylar balloons heralded successful high school students who earned hundreds of dollars for top marks on their May AP exams. The students are participants in the two-year-old Rewarding Achievement, or REACH, program, a New York City pay-for-performance initiative that gives financial awards to students who pass AP exams.

The program operates at 31 high schools that serve low-income, minority communities. At these schools, participating students not only have financial incentives for taking AP courses. REACH also provides students with free study guides and Saturday test prep to support them throughout the academic year.

This "experiment in incentives and additional support," as REACH's Executive Director Edward Rodriguez described it, seems to be paying off. At the awards reception this morning, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein announced an increase in the overall number of students taking AP courses at REACH program sites, and a 21% increase in students passing AP exams. In particular, he highlighted a 35% gain among black and Latino students.<!--more-->

Jane Viau, an AP Statistics teacher at the selective Frederick Douglass Academy, in Harlem, trumpeted her class's 91% passing rate, which she said exceeds the national passing rate of 59% on the stats exam. As part of the REACH program, FDA will receive $21,000 to re-invest in AP programming at the school. Viau said this fall she will teach an additional AP course in response to student interest in the college-level classes.

"Even if [kids are] just doing it for the money, they're still getting a great education and a better chance of getting into college," said Morkos Hanna, a senior at Grover Cleveland High School, who took four AP courses this year.

The New York Times pointed to criticism of the program from Sol Stern, a fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute, who wonders if such programs simply reward students for learning test-taking skills. The article mentioned another city program that pays students for doing well on standardized exams.

What do you think about programs in which "scholars earn dollars?" Comment and let us know below!