The pot just got a lot sweeter for Gilroy High students who earn
top scores on state standardized exams. On top of knowing they’re
the best and brightest in the state, they’ll now get to attend a
school-sponsored lunch in their honor, cut to the front of the
lunch line and occasionally take lunch off campus.
The pot just got a lot sweeter for Gilroy High students who earn top scores on state standardized exams. On top of knowing they’re the best and brightest in the state, they’ll now get to attend a school-sponsored lunch in their honor, cut to the front of the lunch line and occasionally take lunch off campus.
On Wednesday morning, Principal Marco Sanchez distributed 347 Star Cards to students who scored high marks on state standardized exams administered each spring. Sanchez ushered in the new incentive program – a play on the acronym for the annual State Testing and Reporting program – in hopes of boosting test scores by motivating underachieving students and rewarding top scorers.
With the cards come varying levels of rewards, including off-campus lunch passes, permission to head to the front of the lunch line, complimentary yearbooks and admission to a free Star luncheon in April. The cards, which list the student’s name, Star status and accompanying privileges, come in three tiers – Mega Star, Super Star and Star – depending on the success of the student on last year’s exams.
Sanchez brought the idea to GHS from his previous post at Elk Grove High School, but took the concept “to a whole new level” after gathering input from teachers and members of the Associated Student Body and adding a few tweaks of his own, he said. On Wednesday, staff distributed the cards in classrooms, and he announced the winners of several Star lotteries over the loudspeaker to students’ delight.
“Woohoo!” sophomore Andrew Mikkelson exclaimed when Sanchez rolled up next to him on his golf cart to let him know he had won a monthly off-campus lunch pass.
Mikkelson, who is 15 years old and doesn’t have a drivers license, said he’ll probably ask his older sister to be his guest so they can go to Panera for lunch one day. As one of 125 Super Stars, Mikkelson earned an advanced score – or at least 400 out of 600 points – on at least three of the state exams.
“It’s a really nice incentive to do better,” Mikkelson said.
Even though Mikkelson would have taken the test seriously either way – “If you don’t do your best, why even try?” he said – many students don’t because it has no effect on their grades, teachers and students said.
“I don’t think some of the students really cared before,” said journalism and yearbook teacher Veronica Andrade. “It doesn’t affect their grade so there were no consequences. I totally think it’s a good idea. It’s a fantastic idea.”
Although some psychological studies have shown that extrinsic rewards undermine the intrinsic value of a particular activity, such as taking a test, Sanchez said he is aware of those findings and still believes that linking meaningful incentives with high performance on tests will prove effective. It did in his last district, he said.
Elk Grove High School’s score on the Academic Performance Index, which reflects a school’s performance on the spring exams, grew steadily by 30 points since 2006 and currently stands at 770, based on the school’s 2009 performance. Gilroy High has grown by 27 points since 2006 but remains at 723, almost 50 points lower than Elk Grove’s score. The state has set a bar of 800 for all schools.
GHS’s score is based on 2008 tests since a scheduling mishap led to not enough students taking the 2009 exam, which in turn resulted in no score being assigned to the school last year.
“This (program) is really designed to target those kids that aren’t Stars yet, who need to put in a little more effort, pay a little more attention,” Sanchez said. “A lot of it has to do with motivation and taking it seriously.”
Hundreds of GHS students hover just a few questions away from earning proficient scores on the exam, which will get them Star Cards and help the school meet federal growth targets. Sanchez said he thinks GHS’s API score doesn’t reflect the true ability of his students.
Pointing to the tally of Star cardholders, Sanchez said, “I’d like to see us double this number next year.”
With the Star Cards, Sanchez hopes to make doing well in school “cool” again.
“It’s status,” he said. “Kids identify with the credit card culture we’re in. Status is everything in high school so why not capitalize on it.”
Senior Jesse Hernandez didn’t receive a Star Card this year and said he wished he had tried harder since it’s his last year and he won’t get another chance at the test.
“All my friends have them so I’m kind of bummed out,” he said of the cards. Since one of the privileges is skipping to the front of the line for Star cardholders, Hernandez said he’s not looking forward to waiting in the long line, which often takes 15 minutes, without his friends.
Cutting to the front was one of junior Michael Saccone’s favorite privileges. As only one of three Mega Stars, Saccone earned a perfect score one at least one exam and advanced scores on at least three exams. Saccone’s perfect score was on the Algebra II exam.
“It’s nice to be rewarded,” he said. “What’s going to be better, for those that aren’t rewarded, is that they’ll have a reason to try now.”
