New Haven's interdistrict magnet program draws from both city and suburban populations. Examples of three schools show how the program is promoting student achievement and diversity. (MLF)

This article discusses how Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) can be taught to gifted students in grades 4-9 using hands-on activities that align to the National Science Standards. Principles of magnetic levitation, advantages of magnetic levitation, construction of a Maglev project, testing and evaluation of vehicles, and presentation of the unit are…

Examines the advantage to urban education of school-to-work transition programs. A vision is presented for a work-centered education that takes full advantage of the best characteristics of cities and clarifies how this approach addresses some of the serious problems facing urban schools. The author indicates how these programs can invigorate…

Presents two geography problem-solving scenarios for use with elementary and middle school children or preservice teachers in social studies methods courses. Provides problems about the magnetic poles and the presence of ice in desert conditions. Calls upon teachers to encourage students to use their thinking skills to solve the problems. (SG)

Includes "The Choice Movement" (Brogan); "Choice in American Education" (Witte); "Role of Parents in Education" (Mawdsley); "As Arrows in the Hand" (Coons); "Vouchers in Wisconsin" (Underwood); "Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP)" (Grover); "Civil Liberties and the MPCP"…

Teachers at an interdisciplinary magnet middle school in Pensacola, Florida, collaboratively developed performance assessments to help them evaluate defined student processes and outcomes shown in student writings, oral and electronic presentations, and other portfolio offerings. In interdisciplinary schools, collaboration between curricula and…

A grade 6-12 Vancouver, Washington, magnet school blends arts education with interdisciplinary academics. To get in, students don't need talent or good grades, but a serious desire to study the arts. Academics are taught in the morning; afternoon arts classes are on three levels. Students are required to explore all the arts. Contains three…

Every year more school leaders are forced to deal with tragic, violence-prone situations. At a Prince George's County (Maryland) high school, 17-year-old Chuckie Marsh's shooting by masked intruders led to Principal William C. Short's immediate transfer. Assigned to a rough, desegregating magnet school, Short failed to live up to parents'…

Examines adaptations made by one high school when the surrounding city shifted from a textile mill-driven manufacturing economy to a post-industrial service economy. Using data from an extended field study, the paper examines how school discourses emerged from three related sources (a corporate sponsor, competition for good students, and preparing…

Addressing the many complex issues associated with culture, race, and diversity is tough under any circumstances. But such issues become even more complex in school settings where large numbers of students speak different languages and reflect diverse ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses. In this article, the author describes how the faculty…

The purpose of this study was to compare the academic achievement of 543 urban 4th- (n=291) and 8th- (n=252) grade students who attended Montessori or traditional education programs. The majority of the sample consisted of minority students (approximately 53 percent), and was considered low income (approximately 67 percent). Students who attended…

Since the 1970s, both authors have been involved in the school reform movement, sharing a passion for improving public education, particularly urban public education. Their experiences as teacher and professor in an urban magnet laboratory school reinforced their belief in the ability of all children to learn. They state that, within the magnet…

This report describes the characteristics of the 100 largest public elementary and secondary school districts in the United States and its jurisdictions. These districts are defined as the 100 largest according to the size of their student population. The information in this report was provided by state education agency officials to the National…

Being that educational disparities, manifested through socioeconomic instability, were a major contributing factor to the Los Angeles riots, it is important to examine how public high schools are now shaping the postsecondary opportunities of underrepresented students. Using opportunity-to-learn (OTL) and bounded rationality as frames, this…

The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is a high-stakes test that public school students must pass to be eligible for graduation from high school. Previous research suggests that high-stakes tests have a differential effect on students by race and ethnicity. This study finds that in one Florida school district African American and…