L.A.'s magnet schools fail to integrate

Magnet schools do perform well academically, however. LA is also looking at making smaller school unit within larger schools- much like Boston has- in order to improve failing schools. A last look at Boston's smaller school units is that it is still failing, but many programs have only been started in just the past two years. So they need a little bit more time to show positive results. Check out some of the charts from the article below.

Excerpt from L.A. Times article:

"When the district was ordered to desegregate three decades ago, magnets aimed to preserve Los Angeles Unified's racial balance by setting aside 30% of the spots at each center for whites.

"But immigration, white flight, falling test scores, school budget woes and perceptions of mismanagement combined to change the face of the district.

"That demographic shift means the magnet system now bears little resemblance to the district it serves. Magnet students are 46% Latino, 20% white, 19% black and 14% Asian American, and are less likely to come from poor families than their counterparts at other district schools."

L.A.'s magnet programs
"Some Los Angeles Unified School District magnet programs get far more applicants than they can accept, while others have relatively few applicants. Here's a look at those programs and the racial and ethnic breakdown of students in the district and its magnets. The system began in 1976."

Race/ethnicity of students

LAUSD, 1976
White: 38%
Latino: 32%
Black: 24%
Asian: 6%

LAUSD, 2004-2005*
White: 9%
Latino: 73%
Black: 12%
Asian: 6%
Other: 1%

*Does not total 100% because of rounding
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Magnet students, 2004-2005
White: 20%
Latino: 46%
Black: 19%
Asian: 4%
Other: 1%