Equitable access to high-quality schooling has been a prevailing concern among educational stakeholders for decades. Magnet schools were first developed in the 1960s to improve academic achievement and attract a more diverse student body by offering unique programs and instruction not provided at other sites within the same district. With…

Elementary schools in the United States have been the terrain of a highly politicized push for improved reading and mathematics attainment, as well as calls for increased importance to be given to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). With priorities placed on basic skills, however, instructional time in subjects such as…

Parental involvement in education has long been recognized as an important indicator of student academic achievement. Teachers, administrators, policy makers, and our state and federal government continue to recognize the vital role of the parent in education. Policies and mandates, with titles such as "No Child Left Behind" and…

Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School (MIMS) is the only elementary school in Waterbury that has a world language program and is one of only two elementary Japanese programs in Connecticut. In the past 15 years, more than 1500 students have participated in its Japanese Language and Culture (JLC) Program in grades Prekindergarten through 5th. The JLC…

Surveyed elementary teachers in magnet and non-magnet schools regarding: level of commitment, whether choosing to teach in a school created more commitment than being assigned, and indicators of professionalism related to commitment. Forming a community of learners significantly enhanced teacher commitment. In all situations, teachers who felt a…

Study of injuries, health office visits, and school absences of 983 children enrolled in three elementary schools indicated that absence frequency was significantly related to school hours, with fewer absences found in schools with extended hours. Magnet school enrollment was positively associated with rates of health office visits and injuries.…

Describes mainstreaming at the Dowling Urban Environment Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota--a fully inclusive, racially mixed, K-6 magnet school that is expensive but well worth the cost. This school has a clear purpose, few signs of emotional exhaustion among staff, and little depersonalization. Dowling's ambience is in marked contrast to…

Describes the Clarkton School of Discovery in Clarkton, North Carolina, a gifted-and-talented magnet middle school that is open to all students in the school district. (SR)

The Special Partners programs at Mill Swan Communications Skill Center Magnet School brings together 16 special needs students, aged 9-17, with fifth- and sixth-grade tutors. The program results in enhanced academic skills and in the development of mutual respect between the special needs children and their partners. (GC)

Provides a brief history of the Brooks-Hobb magnet school program (originally the Hervey magnet school) in Medford, Massachusetts, and presents excerpts of an interview with the school's current principal, Shirley Kountze. (GC)

Describes a policy adopted in 1981 in Cambridge public schools: No child is assigned to school on the basis of residence, and all parents and students are given the opportunity to gain admission to their preferred desegregated school within the city. Such systemwide, controlled open enrollment is working to prevent resegregation. (GC)

Surveyed students in two Des Moines elementary schools: one magnet school emphasizing fine arts and one regular elementary school. Compared the two groups to determine differences in their attitudes toward the arts and to examine the value of arts education as a vehicle for racial integration. (Author/GC)

Describes the characteristics of three magnet elementary schools which have successfully attracted nonminority students to locations in minority neighborhoods. (Author/MK)

Describes a study of an Indiana magnet school's effects on student achievement. The school has a diverse student body and offers programs in foreign languages and cultures, economics, politics, history, ecology, and social systems. On the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, the group of 560 students performed significantly better than they had…

Underwood Elementary School in Raleigh, North Carolina, offers 100 electives with names like Crystal Ball (study of the future), Coastal Ecology, and Magical Math. This magnet school has an open admissions policy, an outstanding reputation in creative dramatics, teachers who are self starting, and a principal with vision and organization. (MT)