To determine the effectiveness of magnet middle school programs, a search was initiated for documents from magnet school evaluations. In addition, some students who had attended magnet middle schools were interviewed about their experiences. Most evaluations of magnet middle schools were reports written for local school boards. Evaluations were found for Boston (Massachusetts), Charlotte-Mecklenberg (North Carolina), Chicago (Illinois), Fort Worth (Texas), Houston (Texas), Kansas City (Missouri), and New York (New York). With the exception of the program evaluation from Kansas City, the reports describe magnet schools that were successful. Some of the traits these programs had in common were: (1) committed faculty and administration; (2) parental participation; (3) high expectations for student achievement and willingness to work for this end; (4) seeking to decrease school segregation; and (5) school-wide implementation of the magnet theme. Interviews with three college students who had attended magnet middle schools showed that students appreciated their experiences and learned from them. These students thought that the magnet middle schools had helped prepare them for future studies. (Contains 36 references.) (SLD)