Step One: Teach To The Test; Step Two: Pay The Kids For That Test; Step Three: Hope That They Won’t Get Comfortable Getting Paid For Doing What They’re Supposed To Be Doing In The First Place

Want me to do a good job? Pay me, sucker:

A controversial city program that gave kids money for high grades paid a dividend yesterday — it dramatically improved test scores.

The number of seventh-graders reaching proficiency in English shot up in 34 of 35 schools participating in the program. On math tests, the number rose at 32 of the 35 schools.

Seventeen of the schools did better than the citywide average improvement in English, and 21 did better in math.

Principals credited factors like teacher quality, class size and curriculum. But they acknowledged the cash may have played a role.

“I think it had a little bit of effect,” said Principal Virginia Connelly of The Bronx’s JHS 123, where 25.1 percent of seventh-graders improved in English and 27.6 percent improved in math.

Educators say the privately funded Spark program, run by the Department of Education, has gotten kids more focused.

“Anything to get them in the seat and attentive, we’ll take it,” Connelly said.

Earlier: The Conditional Cash Transfer.