In current school pedagogical discussions about individual support for students on the one hand and about school and curriculum development on the other, growing importance is attributed to school competitions. A glance at the actual range of competitions, awards, seals of quality, and Co. reveals an astonishing diversity, which needs to be systemized and discussed deeper with regard to the expectable output on the levels of schools, teachers, and students. This article starts with a definition of competitions and suggests then a systematization of the current offerings. Subsequently, intended effects are analyzed and discussed.

Keywords
competitions, school awards, seal of quality, school development, curriculum development