Characterized by thematic instructional programs and voluntary enrollment, magnet schools are often the result of a neighborhood schooling effort to increase racial integration and academic achievement. With the continued expansion of magnet schools, it is critical that stakeholders have a comprehensive research synthesis of their potential…

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…

More than ever before, social science research identifies an array of academic and social benefits for students stemming from learning in integrated educational settings, which is even more beneficial for younger students. While some state and local education agencies may raise concerns over shifting legal principles and political apprehension in…

A dual transfer program was created in 1983 in the St. Louis metropolitan area following a 1972 lawsuit brought upon the city, charging it with withholding an equal educational opportunity for Black students. Through this program, Black students from St. Louis City are provided with free transportation to one of 15 suburban school districts, and…

For over a century after the 1896 "Plessy v. Ferguson" decision, researchers have been grappling with how to effectively implement educational reform policies to provide students with an equal education in American schools. This literature review examines previous school desegregation cases and school desegregation plans to investigate…

This review focuses on Ramsey International Fine Arts Center (IFAC), a fine arts magnet school within the Minneapolis Public Schools system. Ramsey is a model school for Music-in-Education National Consortium (MIENC) and has been associated with the Learning Through Music (LTM) program for the past five years, a time during which arts integration…

This review of literature about gifted rural education reveals not only important information but the need for further work. The concepts presented have applicability that is not exclusively rural, but they derive from studies done with rural students and take rural culture, history, and circumstances into account. Understanding the context of…

Overwhelming scientific and anecdotal evidence indicates that the elementary school experience significantly shapes children's lives. This report examines the history of elementary education, and describes alternatives such as nongraded schools. The first part of the report describes the roots of elementary education in the United States,…

A number of research studies document the effectiveness of magnet schools--both in breaking down racial isolation and in providing high-quality education programs. However, according to Kimberly West, writing in the "Yale Law Journal,""many magnet schools are rife with racially segregated classrooms." (MLF)

School choice can revitalize school programs by giving teachers the freedom to be creative and by breaking down the barriers of segregation. However, choice can create new kinds of inequalities and can lull people into believing educational problems are solved. Cites successful school choice plans. (MLF)

Examines the results of the Los Angeles School District's desegregation efforts during the first year (1978-79) of its court ordered desegregation plan. Also considers current desegregation programs in terms of the 1963 "Crawford" decision and the commitment made to racially isolated schools in the current plan. (Author/GC)

In "Different by Design: The Context and Character of Three Magnet Schools," Mary Haywood Metz studied three magnet schools developed as a device for racial integration. A case study approach is used to understand how participants are affected by a plan's accomplishments and failures. (MLF)

The existing research on magnet school attractiveness and educational benefits shows that school location is by far the major issue of importance to parents. In addition, racial composition and curriculum are important considerations in school choice. (GC)

This update provides an overview of school-choice models and issues as they were defined in 1992. It describes how intra- and inter-district programs work and the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of a choice plan. Tensions in the choice debate center around the issues of diversity versus commonality, competition versus efficiency, and…

Gives history and impact of magnet schools on second-language learning. Language magnets serve as an effective means for drawing parents and their children to new schools. These schools have contributed to the expansion of language learning opportunities and have affected the quality of language teaching and learning in the United States. (36…