Once upon a time, students were simply expected to do well in school. Good grades and a brighter future were the reward.

The new vogue is that kids will respond better to monetary rewards. School is their job, so pay them when they perform well, right? At the end of last year's legislative session, at least one Florida senator predicted such a move was on its way to the state, soon. (See that prescient story here.)

Well, state Rep. Anitere Flores (left) has taken the first step to put the concept into Florida law. Flores, a Miami Republican who chairs the House K-12 Education Committee, filed a bill this morning that would offer bonuses to students who score well in IB, AP and other high-level exams. The breakdown would go like this:

• $50 for a 3 or better on an AP exam.
• $50 for an E or higher on the full credit Advanced International Certificate of Education exam. ($25 for the half-credit version.)
• $50 for a 4 or higher on the International Baccalaureate exam.
• $50 for an A or B in a dual-enrollment course.

Teachers could get in on the act, too. Educators who teach dual-enrollment classes would receive bonuses of $50 per student who makes an A or B in the class. If they work in a D- or F-rated school, the teachers would get $500 if at least one of their dual enrollment students earns an A or a B.

Flores aims to push students to higher achievement levels. And her bill also recognizes that not every student has the same opportunities. So she further would require all Florida high schools to offer a minimum of four Advanced Placement classes - one each in English, math, science and social studies - by the 2008-09 school year.