Recognizing students for their academic excellence is a simple and effective way to keep them motivated. Unfortunately, far too many schools underestimate the importance of proper recognition, and as a result, students’ grades and overall performance drops across the board. The good news is that there are several ways to recognize students for all of their hard work. Whether it’s middle-school, high-school or college, these methods are sure to work.

GPA Recognition

One of the most effective ways to recognize students is to do so based off their grade point average (GPA). In both high-school and college, having a high GPA is a critical. It’s essentially a measurement of the student’s overall median grade; therefore, one bad class isn’t going to destroy your average. To show your appreciation for students with an exceptional GPA, you could offer them some type of reward for reaching a 3.0 or above. Alternatively, you can have a tiered system with various rewards for 3.0 to 3.2, 3.3 to 3.5, etc.

Rewards

There are literally hundreds of different forms of rewards you could offer students to recognize them for academic excellence. Some schools may take their students on special trips for maintaining a high GPA, while others may throw in-class parties with soft drinks, snacks and a movie. Contrary to what some people may believe, a school rewards program doesn’t have to cost a ton of money. As long as you put some thought into it, you can successfully come up with a number of great rewards programs.

Let’s face it, students love to be given the opportunity to escape from the confounds of their school. Even if it’s just to a local park down the road, try to use a reward system that takes the students away from the school. Not only will it encourage them to continue their good grades and hard work, but it’s also a relaxing time for them to recharge.

Trophies

Of course, you really can’t recognize students for academic excellence without the use of trophies. When they see a trophy personalized with their name on it, they will immediately feel a sense of accomplishment and pride for everything they’ve accomplished. The great thing about student recognition trophies is that you can give them away for a number of reasons. Although GPA is one of the most common reasons why trophies are handed out, they can also be given to students for not missing a day in the school year, helping others, going above and beyond the call of duty, and much more.