Drawing across school boundaries: How federally-funded magnet schools recruit and admit students

A key goal of many magnet programs is to improve student diversity in schools. This snapshot describes efforts by those participating in the U.S. Department of Education's Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP). Findings are based on surveys completed by most of the more than 160 schools recently funded by MSAP grants and interviews with their district coordinators. MSAP-funded schools report using a variety of strategies to recruit students and often give preference in admissions to students from affiliated families or communities. Perceived stigma of low academic quality and lack of diversity are top reported obstacles to recruiting students.

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