Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said "no" Friday to a proposed new law seeking to reward middle and high school students with prizes and other perks for earning good scores on standardized tests.
In a veto message, the governor didn't reject the idea of doling out nonmonetary payola to kids who score high marks or show significant improvement on state tests. But he said no new law is needed.
Sen. Elaine Alquist, a Santa Clara Democrat, said she wanted to provide "recognition and motivation and incentive to achieve" on state Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) exams.
Alquist pushed Senate Bill 1709 to authorize and encourage school districts to provide non-cash rewards in response to suggestions from a statewide student council group. She said students argued that many don't take the STAR exams seriously because the test scores have no impact on their grades or graduation.
But the tests are a significant concern for schools and school districts, which are ranked and judged on STAR scores.
So Alquist succeeded in getting SB 1709 passed by the Legislature. She said it would encourage school districts to offer incentives – potentially by asking businesses to fund student rewards such as movie and restaurant coupons or tickets to concerts or sporting events.
But Schwarzenegger said Friday he was refusing to sign SB 1709 into law because no legislation was needed.
"This bill is unnecessary since nothing in the current law prohibits a district from creating their own nonmonetary incentives for students today, even in the absence of this measure," Schwarzenegger said in his veto message.
Alquist's bill originally proposed placing a special mark on student diplomas for high test scores and offering vacations from class of up to three days at the end of the school year. She later dropped the three-day break plan as the measure was passed largely along party lines, with most Republicans opposed.
"This bill sparked the type of debate we need to have on the paradox with the STAR testing program – which is that schools, but not students, are held accountable based on the results," Alquist said in a statement Friday. "While I am disappointed the governor vetoed the bill, I plan to continue looking at ways to ensure that STAR tests are meaningful to both students and schools."
Call Peter Hecht, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5539.
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