12/31/98

Awards for Student Achievement

Q: What are your thoughts on the pros and cons of public recognition for children's achievements? I can see both sides because I have a child with learning disabilities who has been overlooked when it comes time for awards, and another child without disabilities who expends far less effort and does receive awards. The way I see it, the talented children get their rewards every day by doing well on tests and homework and by understanding academic concepts more quickly than many of their classmates do. Even if an award is for "most improved," it's easy to overlook a child who has tried hard and needs that boost of recognition. Do you think the public award programs have value? Are there educators who are against them?

A: Educators grapple with the same issues when their unions debate the pros and cons of merit pay bonuses. Teachers know their abilities and student outcomes differ, yet salary increases follow a schedule that rewards each teacher the same amount each year, regardless of performance. Only added degrees or graduate credits push individual salaries higher.

Students also know they are all different and that each one deserves recognition for his or her progress, EFFORT and special talents. Many teachers manage to do this on a daily or weekly basis in their classrooms. The students who are receiving such regular recognition usually take special awards in stride, because they can see that some students perform at truly outstanding levels. In such a positive atmosphere, students are more likely to admire the awarded students and view them as role models than to begrudge them the recognition.

By contrast, if the exceptional students are the only ones receiving special recognition, their peers can respond in a meanspirited manner. Parents of gifted children know all too well the conflict their children face when called "geeks" or "nerds or "show-offs" at school. Several parents have told me that their highly capable children sometimes purposely slack off in order to get lower grades so they'll be more accepted by their peers. That's certainly not an outcome that anyone wants!

I therefore favor day-to-day recognition of the progress individual students make, recognition that builds confidence for taking on new learning challenges. Perhaps special achievement awards should be reserved for unusual circumstances, such as an individual act of student heroism or announcements about winners in various kinds of school and community competitions. I prefer recognition of each child's unique qualities to messages that avoid such distinctions for the sake of fairness. Certainly we all have the same rights, but we're by no means all the same.

LINK

Qualitative awards:
http://www.acadian.net/~eaglstaf/eaglmnth

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.