Magnet school programs were established in three Atlanta, Georgia, public high schools and were designed to provide specialized curriculum that was unique within the school system either in terms of the content area taught or the instructional strategies used. The programs were the Grady School of Communication, the North Fulton Center for International Studies, and the Roosevelt Center for Information Processing and Decision Making. This report evaluates the programs during the stage of initial implementation for adherence to prescribed Federal guidelines, and includes information on the profile of enrolled students, the extent of unique course experience provided to the students, the programs' impact on students' attitudes toward school and their academic achievement, and the attitudes and understanding of staff members and support that they received. Results show that: (1) the magnet programs achieved many of their objectives; (2) both magnet teachers and students indicated that students in the program gained new experience; and (3) students responded favorably to the initial stage of the programs. It was recommended that consideration be given to more explicit program objectives both locally and systemwide, and that adequate housing for the program, sufficient supplies and equipment, sufficient planning time and stable funding be achieved prior to its formal operation. (AOS)