Special educators frequently provide consultation for parents and general education teachers who are struggling to manage student behavior. One intervention often discussed is the use of rewards to increase student motivation. While research has shown that well-designed incentive systems can provide an effective intervention, poorly designed systems are often ineffective, and can be counter-productive. Unfortunately, the special educator is often placed in the position of having to critique and try to improve poorly designed incentive systems. The author uses a mnemonic formed from the letters in the word "incentive" to propose a quick, research-based method for evaluating incentive systems. The mnemonic provides a useful tool to use when consulting with parents and general educators. Referring to the mnemonic can help when critiquing existing systems, and sharing the mnemonic can help others learn how to create more effective incentive systems in the future. (Contains 1 figure.)