Provides a brief history of the Brooks-Hobb magnet school program (originally the Hervey magnet school) in Medford, Massachusetts, and presents excerpts of an interview with the school's current principal, Shirley Kountze. (GC)

Describes a policy adopted in 1981 in Cambridge public schools: No child is assigned to school on the basis of residence, and all parents and students are given the opportunity to gain admission to their preferred desegregated school within the city. Such systemwide, controlled open enrollment is working to prevent resegregation. (GC)

Explaining that interest in law magnet programs has grown substantially in the 1990s, this ERIC digest analyzes these programs on the basis of information provided by 24 mostly urban magnet schools. The digest places law magnet programs within the broader context of law-related education (LRE). The primary purpose of law magnet programs is to…

Short articles describe the construction and use of a probe for measuring magnetic fields, the determination of the speed of electromagnetic transmission by utilizing standard time signals relayed from an orbiting satellite, and an apparent paradox in the theory of electron deflection in cathode ray tubes. (AL)

Surveyed students in two Des Moines elementary schools: one magnet school emphasizing fine arts and one regular elementary school. Compared the two groups to determine differences in their attitudes toward the arts and to examine the value of arts education as a vehicle for racial integration. (Author/GC)

Houston's High School for the Engineering Professions (HSEP) is a special curriculum, college preparatory school designed for students seeking engineering careers. HSEP is a magnet school intended to promote desegregation by offering academic and vocational programs that attract diverse students from the whole school district. (JOW)

Describes the characteristics of three magnet elementary schools which have successfully attracted nonminority students to locations in minority neighborhoods. (Author/MK)

Describes development of a before-and-after-school extended day program for a magnet school. (RH)

Investigates the effects of learning material construction on concept learning while aiming for students to acquire the basic concepts of electricity and magnetism. Reports that concept learning of electricity and magnetism is influenced by the hierarchical structure of learning materials, not by sequence. (Contains 14 references.) (Author/YDS)

Presents an activity that explores the operation of Maglev trains. Demonstrates that elementary students can master cutting-edge technology through creating and racing magnetic vehicles on a specially designed track, researching the history of rail transportation, and exploring a current science issue. (NB)

Describes a study of an Indiana magnet school's effects on student achievement. The school has a diverse student body and offers programs in foreign languages and cultures, economics, politics, history, ecology, and social systems. On the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, the group of 560 students performed significantly better than they had…

Provides a method, using the Rowland ring as a specimen, to observe the phase transition process directly on the oscilloscope and even extract the critical exponent of ferromagnetic transition. Includes theory, experimental setup, and results. (MVL)

Describes the structure of and principles behind the Levitron. This toy can support a small magnet stably in midair using only permanent magnets. (JRH)

Profiles successful magnet arts schools in New Orleans, Prince George's County (Maryland), and Denver and provides guidelines for school board members desiring to open schools of the arts. Board members are urged to garner support, find a suitable location, build a staff, decide on format and enrollment method, and develop partnerships with local…

Central City High School, Kansas City, Missouri, has found its identity in the past. As part of comprehensive desegregation program, this magnet school offers its students classical Greek program that, like ancient Greek civilization, calls for as much attention to body as to mind. The costly Olympic athletic program and classical Greek curriculum…