School district accountability efforts have been challenged to develop procedures that determine the effects of their programs on student achievement within the typical implementation setting (i.e., nonrandom student assignment to nested school within program placements). Disentangling program effects from contextual and participant factors…

A formative evaluation documented the progress made by three elementary schools (Crispus Attucks, New West, and Troost) during the second year of implementing the communications and writing theme in the Kansas City, Missouri School District's Long Range Magnet School Plan. Results indicated that all schools are making good progress in implementing…

The project is designed to support the school district's voluntary desegregation plan by providing a highly individualized program to attract pupils from outside the school boundaries. A Bilingual-Bicultural Learning Center and supportive instruction personnel were installed in the school to help with the variety of needs of the individual…

The objective of the magnet schools concept is to create quality educational programs with distinctive features which can attract or retain pupils of various ethnic types, and thereby contribute to racial balance in the schools. Magnet schools are intended to promote desegregation by permitting parents to make voluntary choices among schools,…

This summative evaluation assesses the progress made by four elementary magnet schools in Kansas City, Missouri during three years of implementing a visual and performing arts theme. Enrollment, implementation, perceptions, and achievement are the focal areas considered in the evaluation. Enrollment at each elementary arts magnet school was above…

This paper describes alternative assessments being used successfully at two elementary magnet schools in North Carolina and summarizes case studies of the assessment development process. Assessments, grade levels, school years, and school districts in the case studies differed, but commonalities in developing the assessments enabled the…

The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) (North Carolina) first introduced year-round education in 1989. By 1994, the program had expanded to seven elementary and middle schools. Of the seven current year-round schools, six have solely voluntary magnet enrollment and operate on a multi-track system. The other is a single-track year-round…

The first year of the Japanese Language Magnet Program, an elementary school immersion program providing a total language experience in a multicultural setting, is evaluated. The evaluation study assessed the program in terms of program planning, student population, and parent involvement. Data were gathered through interviews, document analysis,…

For the 1993-94 school year, the Office of Educational Research (OER) of the New York City Public Schools was asked to conduct evaluations of the 12 magnet schools funded under the New York State Magnet School Initiative. The state initiative was planned to promote the development of magnet schools that promote multicultural educational…

The second year of implementation of the Garfield Latin Grammar Magnet Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri, is reported. The Latin grammar program operates in a traditional setting that includes strong emphasis on discipline and behavior, systemative and rigorous homework policies, and the strong commitment of staff, students, and parents.…

The third implementation year of foreign language magnet programs in two elementary schools in the school district of Kansas City, Missouri, is evaluated. The schools, New West and Melcher, each had site task forces to develop planning outlines, which emphasized the teaching of foreign language to students and the exposure of students to foreign…

An evaluation of the first year of the Carver Latin Grammar Magnet Elementary School (CLG) in Kansas City, Missouri, is reported. Students are required to sign a contract and agree to adhere to criteria regarding conduct, to maintain high levels of academic performance, and to wear uniforms. The program is evaluated in terms of enrollment goals…

Three years of implementation of the D. M. Pinkerton Latin Grammar Magnet Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri, are evaluated in terms of enrollment and program capacity, implementation, perceptions, and achievement. Findings suggest progress toward theme-related goals, significant progress toward achievement goals, and less progress toward…

Two Computers Unlimited elementary magnet schools have completed their first year of operation as part of the Long-Range Magnet School Plan in the Kansas City School District. The curriculum for the Computers Unlimited theme emphasizes basic skills, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. This formative evaluation report addresses the…

The results of the achievement and enrollment study are reported for six elementary foreign language magnet programs that were implemented as part of the desegregation plan in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition to the foundation curriculum, two goals are emphasized: teaching foreign language and exposing students to foreign cultures. Three strands…