Should Schools Have Valedictorians?

• Author: Arnold, Karen
• Position: Debate

Many high schools are doing away with the tradition of naming a single student as valedictorian of the graduating class. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals, about half of American high schools no longer rank students at all, much less designate a single senior for top honors. Some say this is a positive shift that will encourage students to collaborate more instead of competing with each other for the top grade-point average. Others argue that naming a valedictorian is an important tradition that rewards achievement. Two education professors face off about whether this shift is a positive or negative development.

YES

Recognizing the top graduating student I is one of the few ways American schools publicly reward scholarship and hard work.

Academic effort and achievement are all too often not at the center of high school culture, with friendships and athletics usually higher on the prestige scale: Wearing an honor society graduation tassel isn't nearly as cool as wearing a varsity letter jacket.

But being valedictorian is the one academic honor that does matter to students. We understand that athletes and performers merit special honors because their achievements represent hard work, focus, and motivation. So why shy away from awarding honors to students who succeed in academics?

Opponents of naming valedictorians point to problems with competition for the top spot. Maybe the answer is to increase the number of scholastic honors; it doesn't mean we should do away with the only meaningful academic award currently offered in many schools.

In 1995, I co-authored a book on what becomes of valedictorians later in life. We studied 17 years of data and determined that valedictorians become hardworking, productive adults whose educational and career achievements remain outstanding.

The valedictorian study reveals how students earn the best grades in a high school. Number one is sustained hard work. Valedictorians try hard and do their best across all their classes. They care about learning. They are willing to cooperate with their teachers. They work effectively within the institution of school. These qualities are closely related to what we ask of adults in college and careers. We should reward the students who exhibit them.

As a nation, we have a vital stake in developing the talents of our young people. That's why we should keep recognizing educational achievement by continuing the valedictorian award as well as...