Purposes of Magnet Schools

There are three primary purposes of magnet schools:

• provide choices for students
• develop best instructional practices
• promote diversity within schools

According to the United States Department of Education, “[a] magnet school is a public elementary school or public secondary school that offers a special curriculum capable of attracting substantial numbers of students of different racial backgrounds.  Magnet programs aim to eliminate, reduce, or prevent minority group isolation in elementary and secondary schools while strengthening students’ knowledge of academic subjects and their grasp of marketable vocational skills. The special curriculum of a magnet school attracts substantial numbers of students from different social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds and provides greater opportunities for voluntary and court-ordered desegregation efforts to succeed.”

MAGNET AND CHOICE SCHOOLS IN GUILFORD COUNTY

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship. The district provides parents and guardians a wide variety of choices for their children’s education—choices that build on or stimulate educational interests, foster academic achievement, and provide cultural and ethnic diversity. The Office of Magnet and Choice Schools strives to advance themes and programs that (a) promote and expand public school choice; (b) meet the needs and interests of the Guilford County community; and (c) support mastery of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study through proficiency on End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests.

At the elementary and middle school levels, each magnet school emphasizes a specialized theme or adheres to a special philosophy of teaching and learning. The application process is open to all students who wish to apply. Acceptance into a magnet school is based on a random selection process. At the high school level, the high school options provide an opportunity for advanced learning, as well as the chance to gain hands-on experience prior to entering the workforce or university setting. Each school has unique entrance criteria. Acceptance into high school options is based on students meeting the criteria for the individual school; this may also include interviews and/or auditions.

"The contents of this web page were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government."