American trial education

I see on the net that one of the US states are bringing out trial way of increasing pupils aptitudes by paying $2 to enter an exam,and $20 each to the top three puplis.They state that when they leave school,they are paid by their employers to have a greater interest in getting ahead,so the schools are going to try this as an incentive to see if it gives the pupils a stronger reason to be at the top of the class.Wonder if it would work here.?

Wonder if it will work in the US. If a kid doesn't want to perform charging him/her $2 for the privilege seems to be odd.

Sorry if it read wwrongly, The schools paid the children,not the other way round.