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…

Background/Context: In most judicial and social science debates about school desegregation, it is usually assumed that educational and social benefits, if significant, help establish a compelling purpose for school desegregation plans. Less thought has been given to whether the degree of benefits should factor into whether a plan is narrowly…

For nearly four decades, magnet schools have been an important element of American public school education. They have offered innovative programs not generally available in local schools and provided opportunities for students to learn in racially diverse environments. Magnet schools have been particularly important in districts that are trying to…

To date, the magnet schools in St. Louis have satisfied the federal judge who has been supervising school desegregation. However, federal appeals court judges have indicated that they believe the plan falls short of meaningful integration. (Author/AM)

The results and prospects of the magnet school component of desegregation efforts in St. Louis are presented. Demand for magnet seats is outstripping the supply, and thus, the pace of desegregation is limited. But these schools offer an improved educational program and provide more educational choices for families. (VM)

In general, the seven magnet high schools haven't worked as a way of keeping whites in Philadelphia's schools. Despite the millions spent on new magnet schools, nearly all of them are more segregated today than when they opened. (Author)

Parent and community participation in an exciting magnet program has allowed Tucson (Arizona) to desegregate its school system without an undue amount of disruption. (Author)

Reports on teacher, principal, parent, and student reactions to a desegregation plan implemented in Buffalo, New York, which permits teachers to choose the magnet schools in which they desire to teach and parents to select their children's schools. (GC)

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…

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 desegregation effectiveness of voluntary plans with magnet schools was compared to that of mandatory reassignment plans with magnet schools using a sample of 20 school districts. Results show that a voluntary magnet plan will provide more long-term interracial exposure than a mandatory plan with magnet components. (SLD)

Magnet schools, created, sponsored, and regulated by states and public school districts, embody a top-down organizational philosophy. Charter schools, started by parents and teachers with distinct minority educational views and sponsored by various agencies, represent bottom-up, innovative philosophies. Connecticut's 1996 law allows only local…

This paper outlines an alternative desegregation plan that would replace the one implemented in the East Baton Rouge Parish (Louisiana) School District in 1981. Known as the Incentives Desegregation Plan, the alternative plan was designed to produce interracial contact comparable to the earlier plan, without incurring the attendant costs of…

The primary objective of this study was to determine if a voluntary school desegregation approach is well received by the public and, if so, to see if this reception is accompanied by a significant amount of voluntary action. (Author/AM)