This article reviews the literature evaluating the impact of school choice programs on racial integration. Evidence on the impacts of magnet schools, voluntary busing programs, open enrollment practices, charter schools, and voucher programs is reviewed. The literature is mixed on this question, finding that the impacts of choice on racial…

A study of magnet schools revealed that they have become a significant part of the nation's efforts to desegregate schools. Most magnet schools are in urban areas and offer a distinctive curriculum. School districts began employing magnet schools in the 1970s to help desegregate schools. The federal government has assisted magnet schools with…

Magnet schools differ from other forms of alternative schools in being specifically intended to assist school systems in their desegregation efforts. Magnet schools have been defined by the federal courts as those having a "distinctive program of study" designed to attract a cross section of students from all racial groups voluntarily. Several…

This booklet was written to describe and evaluate the role of magnet schools in desegregation plans. The author presents case studies of two moderately successful magnet schools, the Martin Luther King Middle School in Boston and the Clifton Multi-Age Magnet School in Cincinnati. He then discusses magnet schools in the context of desegregation and…

In order to provide high quality specialized instruction and to achieve voluntary integration, a magnet program was developoed in the Fort Worth (Texas) Independent School District. The program is in its third year of implementation and currently is underway in two high schools, two middle schools, and an elementary school. Program features…

In the 1982-83 school year, the Cincinnati Public Schools operated 21 alternative programs designed to provide specialized learning experiences along with the traditional academic curricula. Since balanced racial composition is a primary goal of these programs, applications are received from students regardless of where they reside in Cincinnati,…

Almost 14,000 students in the Cincinnati Public Schools attended alternative programs during the 1983-84 year. These voluntary programs were designed to create racially balanced schools and to provide specialized learning experiences along with traditional academic curriculum. Acceptance to the programs is based primarily on racial balance, but…

The 1984-85 Magnet Program of the Fort Worth (Texas) Independent School District is described and evaluated in this report. General data and information on specific sites are included. The major finding was that the Fort Worth magnet schools were highly successful in providing for high academic performance, and moderately successful as an…

The results of computer simulations of each of 17 variations on 4 prototypical desegregation plans applied to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) are reported in this document. The prototypes, each representing a category of proposals offered at one point or another during the litigation of the desegregation issues are: (1) an…

This document reports the results of computer simulations of each of 19 variations on 4 prototypical desegregation plans applied to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Each prototype represents one of the following categories of proposals offered during the litigation of the desegregation issue in the California courts: (1) an…

Compares the public-choice model for school desegregation, which involves parents choosing magnet schools, to the command-and-control model, which involves mandatory reassignment plans, in order to evaluate the desegregation effectiveness of each plan. The public-choice model works for school desegregation. Mandatory reassignment produces more…

The St. Louis Public Schools have used magnet schools to meet the goals of desegregating the system and improving the quality of education for students. The changes in the St. Louis Schools began in 1975 with the issuance of a Consent Judgement and Decree. The Consent Decree provides broad guidelines which allow the system to develop specific…

A statewide study was conducted to identify and describe successful voluntary school desegregation programs funded under Chapter 636, a 1974 amendment to Massachussets' Racial Imbalance Law. Programs selected were of four types: (1) school-based (elementary, middle, and high); (2) school system- or district-wide; (3) part-time and full-time…

To determine the effectiveness of magnet middle school programs, a search was initiated for documents from magnet school evaluations. In addition, some students who had attended magnet middle schools were interviewed about their experiences. Most evaluations of magnet middle schools were reports written for local school boards. Evaluations were…

Several public school choice programs are reviewed, and the model program implemented by the Montclair (New Jersey) Public Schools is evaluated. School choice models include: the regulated voucher system, alternative schools, and magnet schools. The Montclair system is an urban school district that has achieved success in desegregating its schools…