Grades -04.... | Charlotte Rayn - Incentivizing Good

The Price of an A

They got an A+.

In biology, she realized she could memorize diagrams for the test without understanding photosynthesis. In math, she found patterns in old exams and crammed formulas instead of learning proofs. She wasn’t learning — she was optimizing . And the A’s kept coming. Charlotte Rayn - Incentivizing Good Grades -04....

The trouble started with — a collaborative ethics paper in her philosophy class. The prompt asked: Is it ethical to reward students for grades?

For Assignment 04, she and Mateo argued that while rewards could boost short-term effort, they eroded intrinsic motivation. They cited studies, added graphs, even interviewed her father (who grudgingly admitted, “Well, when you put it that way…”). The Price of an A They got an A+

It started simply: for every A on a test or major project, Charlotte would receive fifty dollars. B’s brought twenty. Anything below a C? A deduction from her monthly allowance.

Charlotte stared at the page. Her partner, a sharp-eyed boy named Mateo, said, “You’re the perfect case study, Rayn. What do you think?” She wasn’t learning — she was optimizing

Charlotte smiled. Some incentives, she realized, were worth keeping. Would you like a different version — darker, more humorous, or set in a specific genre (sci-fi, thriller, etc.)? Just let me know.