This "Equity Tool" provides facts and frequently asked questions about magnet schools and their integration efforts. It is meant to be shared with various education stakeholders, including those directly involved in designing and implementing magnet school policies at the local level as well as those at state and federal levels who are…

Geographically based racial and economic segregation in the United States has resulted in unequal funding for schools and therefore unequal educational opportunities for students. In this report, we discuss the 50-year history of magnet schools as a voluntary desegregation mechanism. During these years, the funding policies and legal landscapes…

The long-standing effort to desegregate schools in the United States has been fostered, in part, by the development of magnet schools, which were launched in the 1960s to offer appealing choices of educational programs that could attract an integrated population of families. Magnet schools are public elementary or secondary schools that seek to…

The marketization of K-12 education has led to an increase in school-based marketing efforts. Relatively little research, however, has examined how public schools market themselves, who is involved in marketing, and how these marketing efforts impact key stakeholders, including school administrators, teachers, students, and parents.We explore…

This study examines Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA) program operations related to school desegregation in New York and New Jersey. Included are brief discussions of application submission, grant competition, and project monitoring and technical assistance. Information presented is based on Federal and State data, program records, interviews, and…

This study uses a representative sample of eighteen school districts to determine the effectiveness of magnet school programs as a strategy in school desegregation. An overview of issues concerning magnet school programs is provided. The magnet schools in the eighteen districts and their community contexts are described. The relationship of magnet…

Magnet school programs were established in three Atlanta, Georgia, public high schools and were designed to provide specialized curriculum that was unique within the school system either in terms of the content area taught or the instructional strategies used. The programs were the Grady School of Communication, the North Fulton Center for…

The Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA) Title VI provided funds to assist in the voluntary desegregation of the Milwaukee Public Schools through a variety of magnet special school programs which would attract area-wide or district-wide enrollment. These special programs are located in elementary, middle, and senior high schools throughout the city.…

The magnet schools program in St. Louis supported seven elementary and three secondary level programs. In addition, three pilot programs on the secondary level were established. The programs were evaluated in terms of basic skills achievement and social relations (defined as decreased racial isolation). Statistical analyses of achievement data…

The St. Louis, Missouri, magnet schools program supported eight grade schools and two high schools. Programs in law and consumer education and ethnic heritage were also undertaken. Staff development and community involvement projects were initiated. Outcomes common to all components and outcomes of specific programs were assessed. Program…

This paper is a summary report of the "Study of the Emergency School Aid Act Magnet School Program" which was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of magnet school programs as a strategy in school desegregation. The representative sample of eighteen schools used in the study and their community contexts are described, and the…