Some schools sponsor special outings just for students who qualify for the "A" Honor Roll and/or the "A/B" Honor Roll. Trips to baseball games, amusement parks or even just a picnic at an area park can inspire students to study just a bit harder and work longer on projects to earn the special trip.
Whether your school does it each semester or just at the end of the year, hosting an academic awards assembly is an important way to recognize students. Honor roll students can be recognized at these assemblies, and grade levels can also set excelling students apart by having each teacher pick an award recipient as the best student in that subject area that he taught that year.
Allowing students to win tickets into prize drawings for making the different grade-point honor rolls each six weeks or each quarter can create additional incentives to excel. If students know they can win a video gaming system or movie passes by getting that honor roll designation, many of them will go the extra mile.
Even putting banners up in the hallways with names of honor roll recipients can inspire students to work harder in class. Seeing their names up on the honored lists after each grading period can give students a boost to work just as hard during the next grading period.