Cash Courses

How often does Dohn Community High School reward students with money? 

• every day
• once a week
• twice a week
• once a month

The passage shows two sides of this debate: Should schools pay students to go to class? According to the passage, what is one argument in favor of students being paid to attend class?

• Students will become less likely to pay attention in class.
• The program will teach teens that school is about money.
• Getting paid will teach students to become self-motivated.
• It will eliminate the need for teens to get a separate job.

What can you most likely conclude about eighth grader Leigh Kouril after reading the passage?

• He does not make money for attending his middle school.
• When he graduates, he wants to go to Dohn Community High.
• His parents pay him for school attendance and good behavior.
• He is jealous of students at Dohn Community High School.

Read this sentence from the passage: “If that motivation gets hardwired into student mind-sets, students may think that basic tasks deserve tangible rewards.” The word tangible means

• candy
• touchable
• tempting
• enormous

What was the author’s purpose for including the opening paragraph (“Friday is payday…”) in the passage?

• to explain why Dohn Community High School should be a model for all other schools
• to explain the reason why students at Dohn Community High School get better grades
• to persuade other schools to follow the example of Dohn Community High School
• to give an example of a high school that pays students for perfect attendance

Student reporter Joseph Maneen wrote: “If someone were feeding you $30 a week just to toe the line, that would be pretty great.” What does he mean by "toe the line"?

• antagonize others in a defiant way
• work extra hard to show you are the best
• do what people expect you to do
• avoid getting into trouble

Based on the passage, readers can conclude student reporters Maneen and Brosnan would both agree that

• students are not motivated to do well in school without a reward.
• working hard and doing well in school are important.
• students have too much stress from homework.
• students should be paid for going to school.