15 States Link School Status, Student Driving

By Robert C. Johnston

Eight years after West Virginia passed the nation's first law requiring minors to be in school to get a driver's license, policymakers are rediscovering driving as a motivational carrot for teenagers.

Though it remains unclear whether such laws work, President Clinton joined the bandwagon last month, saying he wants states to require minors to pass a drug test before getting a driver's license.

"It's not a magic potion of any kind, just another tool teachers and schools can use to motivate students," Jim Parks, the spokesman for the Kentucky education department, said of the use of licenses as a student incentive. Most minors in Kentucky must meet minimum attendance and...