That's the idea behind a bill that's on its way to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.

California Democrats contend that one way to motivate students to do well on statewide tests is to pay them for high achievement or improvement, the Sacramento Bee reports. "It's a way to help kids do better in school," state Sen. Elaine Alquist, the bill's sponsor, said. "Isn't that what we all want?"

The idea has come up here in Florida. Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future, for instance, has suggested that more students might take AP tests if there were money offered to students who earn top marks. New York schools have dabbled in the concept, too.

The big question is whether paying kids for test results is a good idea. Critics have arisen in California to oppose the measure there. Still no word on whether Schwarzenegger plans to sign it into law.