This digest discusses issues in the selection of an appropriate focus for a focus school. Schools with a theme and schools targeted for particular students, which are both components of the focus-school genre, have long been a part of the nation's education system. A number of school districts, especially in urban areas, have established focus…

The small schools literature began with the large-scale quantitative studies of the late 1980s and early 1990s that firmly established small schools as more productive and effective than large ones. These studies confirmed various benefits of small schools--higher academic achievement, increased student satisfaction, and fewer dropouts and…

This digest suggests ways that elementary and secondary magnet schools in urban settings are perceived to provide a superior education, offers an evaluation of their effectiveness, and looks at issues for policymakers that arise from the magnet's success. Magnet schools appeal to families and students for the following reasons: (1) program…