Described in this document are a number of magnet school programs developed and operating in Massachusetts as part of a voluntary school desegregation plan. A historical perspective of magnet school development is provided along with definitions and guidelines of both magnet schools and magnet education programs. These definitions and guidelines are reflected in the summarized goals of three of the largest educational collaboratives (EdCo's Metropolitan Education Center, the Cultural Education Collaborative, and the Metropolitan Planning Project), which are described as having developed many of the magnet education programs in the Greater Boston Area. Another program concerned with better educational opportunities, METCO, is analyzed and broken down into participating communities and respective enrollment figures over a ten year period. Samples of specific magnet schools and educational programs at the elementary and secondary levels illustrate the benefits that students are receiving from these voluntary programs and the permanent improvements that school systems themselves are undergoing. The intentions behind magnet schools and magnet education programs are summarized. A list of magnet schools and magnet programs funded during 1976-77 completes the document. (EB)