The development of this guide was initiated and directed by Nina S. Rees, deputy under secretary of the Office of Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education. Sharon Horn was the project manager.

An external advisory panel provided feedback to refine the study scope and prioritize issues to investigate. Members included Barbara DeMaster, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, St. Louis Park Public Schools; Phyllis DuBois, consultant; Joe Hairston, superintendent, Baltimore County Public Schools; Caroline Massengill, senior director, Wake County Public School System and president-elect, Magnet Schools of America; and Diann Taylor, principal, Kirby Junior High Math-Science-Technology Magnet School, Wichita Falls, Texas. Drafts of the guide were also reviewed by district staff of the six districts included in the study.

Staff in the Department who reviewed drafts include: Tom Corwin, Michael Petrilli, Steve Brockhouse, Cynthia Dorfman, Stacy Kotzin, Meredith Miller, Susan Wilhelm, John Gibbons, Jeff Sims, Alexander Choi, Adina Kole, Jodie Badgley, Courtney Philips, and Margaret West Guenther.

This guide was written, designed, and based on a report by WestEd.

WestEd is a nonprofit research, development, and service agency committed to improving learning at all stages of life, both in school and out. WestEd has offices across the United States and also serves as one of the nation's ten regional educational laboratories.

WestEd's partner in developing this series of research reports and innovation guides is Edvance. Created by the American Productivity and Quality Center, Edvance is a resource for process and performance improvement with a focus on benchmarking, knowledge management, performance measurement, and quality improvement initiatives in education.

The six districts cooperating in the development of this guide and the report from which it is drawn were generous with both their time and attention to the project. We would like to thank the district superintendents and the many district staff members who were instrumental in coordinating and participating in the site visits that inform the report and this guide.

Duval County Public Schools
1701 Prudential Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32207-8182
http://www.educationcentral.org/
John C. Fryer, Jr.
Superintendent
Dr. Sally Hague
General Director
School Choice/Pupil Assignment
Operations

Hamilton County Schools
6703 Bonny Oaks Drive
Chattanooga, TN 37421
http://www.hcde.org/
Dr. Jesse B. Register
Superintendent
Joanne Smith
Director of Magnet Schools

Hot Springs School District
400 Linwood
Hot Springs, AR 71913
http://hsprings.dsc.k12.ar.us/
Roy Rowe
Superintendent
Don Waldrip
Magnet Director

Houston Independent School District
3830 Richmond Avenue
Houston, TX 77027
http://www.houstonisd.org/
Dr. Kaye Stripling
Superintendent
Dottie Bonner
Manager of Magnet Programs

Montclair Public Schools
22 Valley Road
Montclair, NJ 07042
http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/
Dr. Frank R. Alvarez, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Dr. Jeanne Pryor
Assistant Superintendent

Wake County Public School System
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, NC 27609
http://www.wcpss.net/
William R. McNeal
Superintendent
Caroline Massengill
Senior Director, Magnet Programs

WestEd
730 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
http://www.wested.org/
Glen Harvey
Chief Executive Officer
Nikola Filby
Associate Director,
Regional Laboratory Program

Edvance
123 Post Oak Lane, Floor 3
Houston, TX 77024
http://www.edvance.org/
C. Jackson Grayson Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
Kristin Arnold
Project Director