What a fantastic idea!  Take a look at the graph -- the results in Texas are stunning!

-------------------------------------------

Initiative Will Pay Students to Pass AP Tests

By JOHN HECHINGER and SUSAN WARREN
March 9, 2007; Page B1

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117339840074431606-search.html

Jessica Stark, a 17-year-old from Abilene, Texas, earned $600 for some hard work last year. It wasn't flipping burgers or waiting tables. She made the money for passing six of the toughest examinations in high school at $100 apiece.

Ms. Stark is part of a movement that is going national: paying kids to take Advanced Placement tests. Success on these exams, administered by the nonprofit College Board, often gives students college credit and sometimes encourages them to pursue study and careers in the field. Ms. Stark plans to become an engineer and has already been admitted to the Colorado School of Mines. "I do homework all the time," she says. "I don't have too much of a social life. ... Study parties -- we're pretty good at those."

A new initiative, aimed at encouraging careers in math and science, plans to replicate these AP bonuses across the country. Teachers get them, too -- at times, $5,000 annually or more -- for helping their kids pass AP classes in math, science and English. The money is provided by a network of private donors. Along with cash, students in Texas sometimes get gifts, such as iPods, as door prizes for attending weekend prep classes.