You won’t see many Clark Elementary School students making the commute to class on foot today. That’s because several third, fourth and fifth grade students were awarded bicycles for their high performance on the Alabama Reading and Math Tests.

To motivate his students for the test, principal Aubry Larkin stepped up to the plate and promised the students a special reward for good scores.

“I told them if they could score at Level III, which is at grade level, they would get a scooter,” he said. “If they scored at Level IV, which was above their grade level, they had the choice of a bike or a $60 gift card to GameStop.”

Larkin’s motivational tactics worked like a charm. Several students made their way to the stage Thursday night to collect their prizes.

“This is a wondrous, joyous occasion,” Larkin told the crowd. “We work hard, and I mean hard. This is an opportunity to celebrate that hard work and the success of our students.”

The school exceeded every benchmark that was established, and the fifth grade class scored 100 percent on both the reading and math exams.

Larkin said the students’ accomplishments were a total team effort.

“It’s not work we can do by ourself,” he said. “It takes a team. The parents are a big part of that team.”

The teachers, Larkin said, also worked tirelessly to push their children to overachieve.

“Teachers are where the rubber meets the road,” he said. “They are the ones in the classrooms making it happen.”

The teachers, administration and Parent Teacher Association were all awarded certificates as well.