$5,000 per year to start.  4 proficiency tests during each year.  Each percent below perfect takes away 1% of the remaining money.  Anything below 70% OVERALL proficiency is failing and you don't get any money for failing.  So, in theory, a student who got 70% for 3 tests and 71% for one test would get $5,000 x 70% x 70 x 70% x 71% or $852.  That's 17% of what they could have earned.

A student who received 50%, 70%, 80%, 90% would receive $1,260.  More than the student who makes no effort to improve, but less than giving effort all the way through.

Real life incentive; real life penalty for being a slacker.

There are a few left who are trying to make a difference. Unfortunately, TPTB are having nothing to do with it.

The other problem with the tough love approach (not that I disagree with it at all), is that there will be an influx of soon-to-be former DPS students who will be popping up in the districts surrounding Detroit by applying under their relatives or even non-existent addresses.

DPS is by far the worst large school system in the nation, and it receives approximately the same per pupil base grant that every school district in Michigan gets.  Detroit received total of $12,750  per student for the 2009-2010 school year, more than other districts which far outperform them,  according to Michigan's Department of Education's painfully detailed report showing the funding and spending on instruction per district.  (Please note that DPS spends a disproportionate amount of per pupil money on non-instructional spending)

There two significant factors in why I think that these kids are getting a rotten deal from their education:

1. Corruption:  Google: site:freep.com "detroit public schools" indicted for more information on the criminals who have been stealing from Detroit Public Schools (and Detroit's children) for years.  

2. Lack of Father Access!

However, with many children in Detroit having unwed parents, the Wayne County Friend of the Court and the 3rd Circuit Court do not appear to honor their legal mandate to  enforce parenting time under the Michigan Friend of the Court Act, specifically respond to parenting time complaints under MCL 552.511b, and to make forms available so that parents can make proper complaints, despite the fact that they are paid our federal tax dollars under US Code TITLE 42 > CHAPTER 7 > SUBCHAPTER IV > Part D > § 669b to provide access and visitation services to children and parents.

Also, I believe that DPS, like many other districts, has a history of appearing to violate FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) by refusing unwed fathers access to educational information or other information about their children (including, but not limited to, informing them of evidence that their children are being abused).

Add to this that the State of Michigan generally takes children from mothers accused of abuse and refuses to provide individualized hearings for fathers who are accused of no wrongoing, as a matter of explicitly stated law and policy and you have the makings of a government that appears to fail to understand that fathers play a vital and positive role in the lives of their children.

The state of Michigan spends about $2 billion to house about 45,400 prisoners. The state spent about $12 billion to educate about 1.5 million students.

But students are educated 180 days a year for 7.5 hours a day. Prisoners are housed 24/7.

Students cost roughly $6.46 per hour to educate. Prisoners cost $5.92 per hour to house. Michigan schools also receive federal funding that isn't included in this hourly rate analysis.

LOL.  Yep, been saying it for years about prisons, "It's cheap, lock em up."  And, can ya just imagine how much more cheaper our prisons would be if that budget was thrifted by a guy like Sheriff Arpaio instead of the twinks that occupy space in Lansing.  A Tent City in Michigan?  Holy crap!  I'm getting a tingle run up my leg.  LMAO.  Wanna also bet that 30-40% recidivism rate drops faster than Michael Moore's spork after eating an all-you-can-eat buffet outta food?  Thought not.

Detroit has an inordinately high delinquency and illiteracy problem?  No problem.  Fire them boot camps back up, it's cheaper.  Don't want to go to school and learn to be a productive citizen like the rest of the student body?  F#@% you.  You just earned yourself a trip to boot camp.  They'll persuade you to have respect for yourself, and more importantly, respect your fellow students and citizens within the community.