U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says he is eager to use a proposed $15 billion federal incentive-grant fund in part to reward states, districts, and even nonprofit organizations that have set high standards for the students they serve. Duncan's comments came in an interview in which he named as priorities reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB); expansion of prekindergarten programs; and improvements in teacher quality, recruitment, and retention. The education incentive-grant money would be available to Duncan under both versions of the economic-stimulus package working its way through Congress. While language in the House and Senate bills outlines how the incentive fund should be used, both bills appear to give some latitude to the secretary of education in allocating the money. The $15 billion fund is a relatively small slice of the more than $120 billion slated for education programs under the stimulus legislation, but it presents an unusual opportunity for the new secretary.