The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires states to establish annual performance targets and hold schools accountable for improving student performance. And currently, great attention rests on motivating school improvement through negative incentives: Low-performing schools are identified, and schools are pushed to make improvements either through the shame and blame of being identified as low-performing, or the stick of interventions and corrective action.

But NCLB also requires that states establish rewards for schools demonstrating excellence. This part of the law has largely been ignored. The Department of Education's $5 billion in "Race to the Top" and innovation funds has reignited a discussion of the role of positive incentives in motivating and supporting school reform efforts. With this boost in funding, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has a chance to reward what he refers to as "islands of excellence" in school achievement and build on those proven success stories.

Join us for an upcoming online discussion, June 3–5, on how policymakers can use rewards and positive incentives to encourage excellence in schools. This discussion will feature: Education Sector's Andrew Rotherham (serving as moderator) and Robert Manwaring, and experts Sir Michael Barber of McKinsey & Company; Sandy Kress, a key architect of NCLB; and Dominic Brewer, associate dean and professor at the University of Southern California.

Read through the transcript of this online discussion.