1. Blank, R. K., Dentler, R. A., Baltzell, D. C., & Chabotar, K. (1983). Survey of magnet schools: Analyzing a model for quality integrated education. Prepared by James H. Lowry and Associates and Abt Associates for U. S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.

2. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title V, Part C, Section 5301. Available online: http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html.

3. From the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data public school district data for the 2002–03 school year.

4. Data for Duval, Hot Springs, and Montclair are from 2003–04 and are taken from the Florida, Arkansas, and New Jersey State Department of Education Web sites, respectively. Data for Hamilton, Houston, and Wake are from 2002–03. Hamilton data are from the State of Tennessee Department of Education Web site, Houston data were supplied by the district, and Wake data are from the district Web site.

5. Data for Duval and Hot Springs are from 2003–04 and are taken from the Florida and Arkansas State Department of Education Web sites, respectively. Data for Hamilton, Houston, and Wake are from 2002–03. Hamilton data are from the State of Tennessee Department of Education Web site, Houston data were supplied by the district, and Wake data are from the district Web site. No data were available for Montclair.

6. Data for Duval, Hot Springs, and Montclair are from 2003–04 and are taken from the Florida, Arkansas, and New Jersey State Department of Education Web sites, respectively. Data for Hamilton are also from 2003–04 and were supplied by the district. Data for Houston and Wake are from 2002–03. Houston data were supplied by the district and Wake data are from the district Web site.

7. Data for Duval and Hot Springs are from 2003–04 and are taken from the Florida and Arkansas State Department of Education Web sites, respectively. Data for Hamilton, Houston, Montclair, and Wake are from 2002–03. Hamilton data are from the State of Tennessee Department of Education Web site, Houston data were supplied by the district, Wake data are from the district Web site, and Montclair data are from the NCES Web site.

8. Dentler, R. A. (1991). The national evidence on magnet schools (Occasional Paper Series). Los Alamitos, CA: Southwest Regional Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, p. 6.

9. Ibid, p. 12.

10. Ibid, p. 13.

11. Brooks, R. G., Kammel, L., Olmstead, P. M., Pack, G., & Stein, J. S. (2004). Blueprint for understanding and operating successful magnet and theme-based schools, 2nd edition: Voluntary public school choice. Washington, D.C.: Magnet Schools of America.

12. Dentler, p. 7.

13. See, for example, Fullan, M. (1993). Change forces: Probing the depths of educational reform. London: Falmer Press; Fuller, B. & Elmore, R. (Eds.). (1996). Who chooses, who loses? Culture, institutions, and the unequal effects of school choice. New York: Teachers College Press.

14. Wake County Public School System Web site, Evaluation and Research, mission statement: http://www.wcpss.net/evaluation-research/mission_stment.pdf.