By BOB GRIFFIN
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed $450-per-student grants from the state for K-6 students who demonstrate proficiency in reading or improve their reading proficiency. When Gov. Dunleavy announced that proposal in press conference, the question was asked if there was any evidence that incentives have worked anywhere else. The answer is yes.
Florida has used focused incentive grants since 2003, to encourage students to take AP courses by paying bonuses for students who pass an AP exam. After implementing that policy, Florida saw more than 1000% increase in low-income students enrolled in AP courses.
Florida was ranked 3rd in the nation in 2022 for the percentage of students who graduated high school with a 3 or higher on an AP test — despite being ranked 45th in the nation in K-12 funding adequacy by a recent Rutgers University Study.
Yes. With the one of the least funded education system in the US, Florida is producing some of the highest quality high school graduates in the nation, according to Rutgers.
For comparison, Alaska was ranked the second-most funded K-12 system in the US by the same Rutgers study and was 44th in the US in the percentage of students graduating with at least one AP test of 3 or higher.
Only 11.9% of Alaska students achieved an AP test of 3 or higher compared to 28.8% in Florida.
It doesn’t take a degree in economics to understand that people and organizations respond to incentives. When we incentivize things we want, we get more of more of what we want.
In the latest NAEP results, Alaska was ranked, 49th in the US for 4th grade reading scores for low-income students and 50th for upper/middle-income students. It’s a very clear that we need to incentivize improvements in early childhood literacy.
If we simply add money, with no strings attached to a well-funded K-12 system that has produced disappointing results for decades, we shouldn’t be surprised when we get a more expensive version of the same disappointing results.
Bob Griffin is on the board of Alaska Policy Forum and serves on the Alaska Board of Education and Early Development, but writes this in his own capacity.
Why on earth would we ‘incentivize’ // ‘reward’ kids for excellence when we can just continue to throw precious taxpayer dollars away on failed initiatives? Better yet, let’s just print more money and allocate it towards the standard failed system, and continue to expect better results // outcomes while doing the same thing year after year after year?!?!
Just in case ASD and Teachers missed this part, With one of the least funded education system in the US, Florida is producing some of the highest quality high school graduates in the nation, More proof more money won’t fix stupid
As an educator I want to inform people how much of these increased funds actually make it to the classroom to benefit students. Zero, zilch, nada! This goes to retirements, contracts, higher administrators, curriculum and some special programs. It will not impact any student’s performance at all.
The family and home is the only aspect of a student that can improve their desire to be successful. If the parents are involved and support the teachers, then the child will be successful. You can ask any teacher out there and if they are actually doing their jobs, they will agree 100%. If the family can feed the child, provide safety and a warm home and good support and even have some faith they will do great.
Memo to all Alaskan educators:
In five bullet points, explain the improvements of your classes reading successes in the past week.
Failure to provide response to this request will be termination.
E.Musk
Most high schools in Alaska don’t have access to AP courses. We are also moving more to a model of kids taking ACTUAL college courses versus AP courses that model/test at college level. Once again, this model of assessment doesn’t exactly fit. The middle college program at KPBSD is offering free college classes for qualified students and this program is full. More and more of my students are testing and qualifying at the college level to compete to take these classes. We all love Alaska because it is different than the Lower 48 and we know it. Yet, we constantly have to hear how we spend more money with no results. You know why: Alaska is more expensive, especially in our remote locations. Please take some time to see the other measures that show our Alaskan students and educators are amazing.
Our kids are just as bright and our educators are just as dedicated as anywhere else.
Alaska is expensive, but not the most expensive state. According to the US Depart of Commerce Reginal Price Parities (RPP) Alaska now has the 13th most expensive cost of living and is the most affordable state that touches the Pacific Ocean.
Florida actually has similar program to the Alaska Middle College. The biggest difference is Florida has over 1 million high school students (over 50%) getting college credit in high school, accounting for over 1/5th of all the community college students in the state.
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