Finds that an accountability system for improved student academic achievement is incomplete without recognition and rewards for exemplary effort by teachers, staff, and principals as evidenced by outstanding school performance on statewide assessments. Rewards can be a mechanism to focus a school's attention on attaining specific goals; motivate teachers, staff, and principals to excel in their own performance; and channel resources and energy in the school toward improving student achievement. Rewards made on a schoolwide basis reinforce the notion that each individual in the school plays an important role in educating students, and each should in turn be recognized when student academic performance in the school is outstanding or makes significant improvement.

Finds that strong educational and managerial leadership by the principal is a significant contributing factor to a school's high performance and deserves special recognition and reward.