Magnet Schools Assistance is a Federal grants program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The program is designed to help desegregate public schools. The program is defined in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, in Section 5301, though the program itself was developed in the early 1980s to address de facto racism through funds given to school distracts that were voluntarily implementing desegregation plans or court orders intended to reduce racial isolation.
The Magnet Schools Assistance Program serves many purposes including but not limited to: [1]
Magnet schools offer a wide range of distinctive education programs. Enrolling in these schools is often a highly competitive experience. Applicants are required to develop hypothetical magnet school projects in order to demonstrate how they intend to align a magnet school project with their already existing desegregation plans. They must also provide according context and a summary of their intended goals in line with their desegregation plan as well as lay out how the funding provided by the program will assist in achieving district goals related to the purposes of the program. [2]
Projects are meant to support the development and design of education methods and practices that will promote diversity and increase choices in the public education system. MSAP supports capacity development—the ability of a school to assist all of its students in meeting more challenging standards in their education—through the encouragement of professional development along with other activities that will continue to enrich the educational experience of students in magnet schools at a high performance level even after funding ends.
MSAP funded magnet schools are notably characterized by the fact that they are still public schools despite the enhancements made to the institutions through program funding. These elementary schools, secondary schools, and education centers offer special curriculums that are capable of bringing in a significant number of students that come from a plethora of different backgrounds. These schools offer a variety of distinctive education programs, some based specifically on community interests and others that emphasize specific academic subjects such as math, science, technology, language immersion, visual and performing arts, or humanities. [3]
Secondary education is the last six or seven years of statutory formal education in the United States. It culminates with twelfth grade. Whether it begins with sixth grade or seventh grade varies by state and sometimes by school district.
In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend unless they move. "Magnet" refers to how magnet schools accept students from different areas, pulling students out of the normal progression of schools. Attending them is voluntary.
An alternative school is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional. Such schools offer a wide range of philosophies and teaching methods; some have strong political, scholarly, or philosophical orientations, while others are more ad hoc assemblies of teachers and students dissatisfied with some aspect of mainstream or traditional education.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1965. Part of Johnson's "War on Poverty", the act has been one of the most far-reaching pieces of federal legislation affecting education ever passed by the United States Congress, and was further emphasized and reinvented by its modern, revised No Child Left Behind Act.
The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, Inc. is the largest and second-longest continuously running voluntary school desegregation program in the country and a national model for the few other voluntary desegregation busing programs currently in existence. The program enrolls Boston resident students in Kindergarten through 12th grade into available seats in suburban public schools. Conceived by Boston activists Ruth Batson and Betty Johnson, and Brookline School Committee Chair Dr. Leon Trilling, METCO launched in 1966 as a coalition of seven school districts placing 220 students. The Massachusetts Racial Imbalance Act (RIA) of 1966, and amended in 1974, is the legal basis for voluntary interdistrict transfers for the purpose of desegregation, and funding is almost entirely provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Over the years, the academic and social outcomes of the program have been praised, while the increasing gap between cost and funding and the negative experiences of students of color have been the subject of criticism.
Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is a public school district that serves Prince George's County, Maryland. During the 2023-2024 academic year, the district enrolls 133,000 students and operates over 200 schools. PGCPS is the second-largest school district in Maryland, the third-largest district in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area, the 18th-largest in the United States, and the nation's largest school district with a majority-black student population.
The Little Rock School District is a school district in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It is one of four public school districts in Pulaski County and encompasses 97.60 square miles (252.8 km2) of land nearly coterminous with the state's capital and largest city. In addition to most of Little Rock it serves Cammack Village. The district however does not include the Pulaski County section of Alexander, as that is an exclave of the Pulaski County Special School District.
The Office of Migrant Education (OME) is a program within the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) that administers grant programs that provide academic and supportive services to the children of families who migrate to find work in the agricultural and fishing industries. OME also administers several contracts and special initiatives.
The Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet is a Dallas Independent School District (DISD) magnet high school located in Dallas, Texas. Formerly the School of Government, Law, and Law Enforcement, it is a part of the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center. The school was renamed in honor of Judge Barefoot Sanders in 2009. Students and faculty refer to the school as the Law Magnet. The Law Magnet allow students to explore careers in government, law, and law enforcement. The school has three pathways: Criminal Justice, Government, and Pre-Law. Students have the option to enroll in the pathway of their choice upon enrolling in the school. The school provides students with a range of experiential learning activities, including project-based learning in the classroom, courtroom observations, and internships. These learning opportunities let students engage with local government, legal professions, and law enforcement in a variety of settings.
The Australian National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy (AEP) is a national policy adopted by the Government of Australia by each State and Territory government. The policy was first introduced in 1989 and is the foundation of education programs for all Indigenous Australians.
The English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act - formerly known as the Bilingual Education Act - is a federal grant program described in Title III Part A of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002 and again as the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. This section is specifically targeted to benefit Limited English Proficient (LEP) children and immigrant youth. The statute states that LEP students must not only attain English proficiency but simultaneously meet the same academic standards as their English-speaking peers in all content areas. Federal funding is provided to assist State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in meeting these requirements. In 2011, ESEA Title III awards were granted to 56 SEAs and the average award given to an individual SEA was $12,158,046.
In the United States, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are a category of higher education, minority-serving institutions defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965. Each qualifies for funding under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978 or the Navajo Community College Act ; or is cited in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.
Capitol Region Education Council or CREC provides programs and services to meet the educational needs of children in the Capitol Region of Connecticut. It is one of six Regional Educational Service Centers (RESCs) established under Connecticut General Statute 10-66 a-n, which permits local boards of education to establish a RESC as a “public educational authority” for the purpose of “cooperative action to furnish programs and services.”
Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs (SASA) is a division of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) that administers programs of financial assistance to State and local education agencies (LEA) and to colleges and universities. Under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, SASA administers several Title I programs of supplementary instruction and other services. This includes programs such as the Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs and the Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children Who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk. Under Title III of the ESEA, SASA administers the State Formula Grant Program for English Language Acquisition and Language Enhancement. SASA also administers the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program authorized by the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
Educational equity, also known as equity in education, is a measure of achievement, fairness, and opportunity in education. The study of education equity is often linked with the study of excellence and equity.
The highly qualified teacher provision is one of the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. The term highly qualified teachers (HQT) comes from the original language of Title II of the No Child Left Behind Act. Title II of NCLB designates federal funds to educational agencies for the purpose of improving the student achievement through the professional development of highly qualified teachers and principals. To qualify for this funding, states must comply with a series of conditions stipulated in NCLB, and track their progress toward goals each state sets. Title II was originally known as the Eisenhower Professional Development Program, and has undergone several reauthorizations, though the original intent has remained relatively intact. The main goals of the highly qualified teacher provision is to ensure that every classroom is staffed by a teacher deemed "highly qualified" under conditions set by NCLB. As some point out, this section of NCLB is quite at odds with the general thrust of NCLB because it focuses on school inputs rather than student outcomes. The sections of NCLB designated to HQTs allocates the majority of the funds to the states and does not clearly define at the federal level what is and what is not a highly qualified teacher, allowing for more local definitions of this term. This provision has come under much scrutiny, as it is up to states to decide how to measure highly qualified, and states are not holding their teachers to the same level of rigor across the country. Since its reauthorization in 2001, Title II has yet to reach its stated goal of ensuring that 100% of teachers in public schools in the United States are highly qualified.
The Roma Education Fund (REF) is a non-governmental organization established within the framework of the Decade of Roma Inclusion by Open Society Foundations and the World Bank in 2005. The organization's goal is to reduce the educational achievement gap between Roma and non-Roma in Europe through the provision of scholarships to Roma students, supporting the development of quality education, and supporting the removal of segregation of Roma students.
The federal government of the United States has limited authority to act on education, and education policy serves to support the education systems of state and local governments through funding and regulation of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education. The Department of Education serves as the primary government organization responsible for enacting federal education policy in the United States.
The Education for Economic Security Act is a United States federal education law that was enacted in 1984. It provided funding for programs to support schools and teachers in the instruction of math and science, including grants, awards, and scholarships. The act funded teacher training programs and awarded schools and teachers that excelled in the instruction of math and science. The act also developed a program to combat asbestos in schools, fund magnet schools, and protect students from religious discrimination.
Christine H. Rossell is an American social scientist, academic, and author. She is a Professor Emerita of Political Science at Boston University.