Making the Case for Integrated

Magnet Schools: Challenges for

Researchers and Policy Makers

Casey D. Cobb, Chair and Professor

Department of Educational Leadership

University of Connecticut

Goodwin College

December 12, 2013

Prior Research

1. Study of magnets compared to non-magnets showed

higher average achievement effects for magnet

students (Bifulco, Cobb, & Bell, 2009)

• Lottery-based design allowed for valid estimates

Prior Research

2. Student Survey that measured:

• attitudes toward learning

• perspectives on school climate

• intergroup relationships

• aspirations for college

• peer academic norms

• academic press

Making Comparisons

Traditional Schools

Magnet Schools

Experimental Designs

• Gold standard for assessing effects

• Accounts for systematic sampling bias

• Fall back is quasi-experimental designs

• Still not perfect design

• Example: Lottery-based studies

Students

who want to

attend a magnet

LOTTERY

Magnet

School Non-Magnet

School

Summary Results (Bifulco, Cobb, & Bell, 2009)

Middle school lottery (magnet vs. non-magnet):

.28 SD higher in reading

.14 SD higher in math

Estimates from larger sample using statistical matching:

.09-.15 SD higher in math (middle school)

.22-.27 SD higher in math (high school)

.22-.30 SD higher in reading (high school)

What’s Inside the Black Box???

INPUTS OUTPUTS

Magnet School

Magnet School Theory of Action

Academic press

Skilled teachers

High expectations

Innovative pedagogy

Thematic curriculum

High quality facilities

Strong peer effects

Mission driven

Choice effect

School uniforms

Something else?

Positive

Student

Outcomes

Causal logic

Sample T.O.A.

Study 2

• Survey of magnet school students vs. non-magnet

students

• Mostly descriptive

• Need to collect more data and with stronger analytic

design to estimate causal influences

• Do magnets offer environments more conducive to

learning, foster greater student aspirations, etc.

Perceptions of School Climate

• peer support for academic achievement is stronger in magnets than in

non-magnet city schools;

• magnet city students perceive more encouragement and support for

college attainment than city students in non-magnets;

• magnet students are less likely to be absent or skip classes than either

non-magnet city or non-magnet suburban students;

• overall, magnet schools provide an academic climate similar to that

found in a wealthy, suburban non-magnet high school.

• teacher-student relationships (ninth grade only) and students’ sense of

safety and belonging slightly weaker in magnet schools

Source: the High School Student Survey

Intergroup Attitudes

• city magnet students perceive more positive intergroup relations than do students in non-magnet city schools;

• minority students in magnet city schools report feeling significantly closer to whites and more white friends than minorities in non-magnet city schools;

• white magnet students report feeling closer to minority students and more minority friends than white students from the non-magnet suburban school;

• magnet school students expressed stronger future multicultural interests and are more likely to report that their school experience helped them understand people from other groups.

Source: the High School Student Survey

What is it about magnets that

make them successful?

• What is different about magnets

• Are all magnets the same

More Questions

• How best to make the case for magnets?

• What research is needed?

Academic Press and Student

Aspirations

high

high

low

low

aspirations

aca

dem

ic p

ress

Magnets

Non-magnets

Analytic model: Variables measured by the High

School Student Survey

Central city students Peer Academic

Norms (a scale of 1-5 with 5 indicating a

higher norms)

Figure _. Central city students Social

Distance with White/Asian (a scale of 1-7,

with a 7 indicating high closeness and

comfortableness)

Central city students Future

Multicultural Interests (scale of 1-5, with

5 suggesting more interest)

Central city students College

Expectations (z score scale, with a mean

of 0 and standard deviation of 1)

Recommendations

• Work with your leadership teams to develop your

theory of action as a magnet school (or magnet district

or program)

• Partner with researchers to jointly assess the degree to

which your theory of action is being carried out with

fidelity. Why or why not?