The Students of Free State may soon experience a new found desire to do well in school.
The administration is currently considering a program in which students would receive rewards based on performance in school. Last week the Whatever It Takes faculty committee was asked by principal Ed West to look at programs or initiatives to raise student achievement. In one possible program students would earn rewards based on performance in school. West has also approached Student Council to play a role in the program.
“It’s still in the early stages,” StuCo sponsor Jason Springer said. “Mr. West just recently pitched the idea to me; most of the teachers don’t even know about it yet.”
The program could be similar to one sponsored by Josten’s called Renaissance. Students would be placed in various groups based on grade-point average, class level, or academic improvement. Each group would be assigned a colored card and rewards would come with each group. For other schools with the Renaissance program rewards range anywhere from a free AP test to discounts at local restaurants or even the ability to go to the front of the lunch line.
At one these schools a student with a 3.8 GPA and a heavy class work load is placed in a higher group with more rewards than a student with a lower GPA and a lighter class load.
“Students who showed improvement in their grades would be able to move up in groups,” Springer said.
For sophomore Ryan Loecker, who recently transferred from Salina South High School, the program there was not about labeling students.
Schools that have introduced similar programs have seen improvements in graduation rates and standardized test scores according to the Josten’s website. Springer says he hopes the same improvements happen here.
“It was more of an individual reward than a classification,” Loecker said. “It wasn’t flaunted who was on Renaissance and who wasn’t.”
