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The Wichita Public Schools shall implement magnet programs at elementary school, middle school, and high school levels to meet the purposes of this policy. Magnet programs are defined as schools of choice that offer either a specialized focus or a unique teaching style that will attract significant numbers of students from diverse backgrounds as defined by policy 0900 - Integration and Diversity. These programs shall meet adopted curricular standards and all other requirements as established by the Board of Education. All magnet school programs must seek and receive Board of Education approval prior to implementation or discontinuance.
Administrative Implemental Procedures:
1. The Superintendent shall appoint a designee to be the administrator in charge of coordinating magnet school programs. The designee will coordinate these efforts with the Assistant Superintendents of Elementary Schools, Middle Schools and High Schools. The designee will meet with magnet school principals on an “as needed” basis. The designee will be involved in program staffing, program development, in-service training, and mutual support.
2. The expectations, as with all Wichita Public Schools, are to meet curricular outcomes with fidelity and integrity as set forth by the district and the Kansas State Department of Education curriculum. The purpose of magnet programs shall specifically include:
a. Provide opportunities for increased choices in the district;
b. Develop innovative educational methods and practices to support implementation of the district curriculum and magnet theme;
c. Reduce or prevent minority group isolation by recruiting students from diverse backgrounds;
d. Develop and implement courses of instruction within magnet schools that will substantially strengthen the knowledge of academic subjects and the attainment of tangible and marketable 21st century skills.
3. Administrative staff, school staff, parents and/or community members may present magnet school proposals to the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents and designee for their review and consideration. The Superintendent(s) and designee present the magnet school proposal to the Superintendent’s Advisory Council (SAC) for their review and consideration. SAC may refer any proposal to the Magnet School Advisory Committee for review and recommendation. The Superintendent(s), and/or designee shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Education.
4.
Types of Magnet Programs. Consistent with the purposes of this policy,
the Superintendent and SAC shall, determine whether magnet programs shall be
neighborhood magnet programs or pure magnets. For a neighborhood magnet program,
all students who live in the attendance area may choose to participate in the
program, but they do not need to apply to attend the magnet program being
implemented at their neighborhood school. A student living outside of the
attendance area who wishes to attend the magnet program implemented at an
attendance area school, however, must apply to attend the magnet program. For a
pure magnet, all students must apply for the magnet program.
5.
Recruitment of Students to Magnets. Annually, the SAC shall develop a plan to
recruit students to magnet programs. This plan shall include district and school
level strategies that will recruit students with diverse backgrounds to magnet
programs and will provide for equitable access of students to these programs.
The district shall provide support to the principals of schools with magnet
programs in recruiting students to the magnet programs and shall monitor the
recruitment process throughout the application period to ensure that students
have equitable access to magnet programs.
6.
Selection Process. Annually, the Assistant Superintendents and/or designee, in
consultation with the principal at each school implementing a magnet program,
shall determine the number of seats available at each grade level in each
school. In situations where there are more applications than seats available in
a grade at a school, the district shall use a random selection to select
students for magnet programs, subject to race neutral factors, (i.e. sibling
priority, transportation patterns, school/classroom capacity, present magnet
status of applicant) to accomplish the purposes of this policy.
7. Magnet School/Community Advisory Committee
a) The Superintendent’s designee (as per AIP 1 above) shall appoint district-wide Magnet School Community Advisory Committee. Membership shall include representative groups of teachers, parents, or administrators from each magnet school, plus community lay people and shall represent the diversity of the district. A proper membership balance shall be maintained with an opportunity for volunteer participation and with lay people comprising at least 51 percent of the membership.
b) The Magnet School Community Advisory Committee will meet with the Superintendent’s designee at least twice each year. The first meeting shall follow the official enrollment date of September 20th of each year and prior to October 15th. The second meeting shall be held by February 15th. Other meetings may be called at the discretion of the designee.
c) The committee shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Superintendent’s Advisory Council on issues such as monitoring current magnet school enrollments; assisting with promotional and recruitment activities; and hearing proposals for new programs or the discontinuance of magnet schools being presented to the Board of Education.
8. A proposal for magnet programs submitted to the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents and designee must include the following: An explanation of how the proposal addresses a parental and/or community request or a need or interest identified by the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendents.
a) An explanation of the proposed program or theme to be offered and whether the magnet will be a pure or neighborhood area magnet program;
b) An explanation of how the proposal will address the purposes of this policy, (as noted in AIP 2 a-d) including:
1) how the proposal will assist the district in achieving systemic reforms and providing all students the opportunity to meet challenging State academic content standards and academic achievement standards;
2) how the proposal will implement innovative educational methods and practices and increase choices in the district’s schools;
3) how the proposal will substantially strengthen the knowledge of academic subjects and the attainment of tangible and marketable 21st century skills that prepare students to be college and career ready; and
4) how the proposal will include recruiting students with diverse backgrounds and reduce and prevent minority group isolation.
c) An explanation of how the magnet school program will be evaluated, including student achievement progress, as measured by the norm-referenced test utilized by the district and by the state assessments;
d) A description of how the program shall comply with all Board policies, procedures and state and federal laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, IDEA, Section 504 and Title IX;
e) An explanation of how the community will be engaged and involved;
f) An explanation of the implications and cost related to transportation;
g) Cost implications of capital outlay expenditures (technology, resources, facilities, etc.);
h) An explanation of staffing procedures, issues, and staff development; and
i) A time frame for implementation.
9. The district will annually evaluate magnet schools based on the established purposes (as noted in AIP 2 a-d) of magnet programs. An annual report will be presented in the fall of each year to the Board of Education.
10. The Board of Education will discuss any new magnet school program or the discontinuation of any magnet school program at its first meeting in March and will vote on the final approval or closure of such program by the end of March. Any new magnet school program or discontinuation of a magnet program will be approved by the March vote. The developmental year for a new program will start the next school year. The implementation for the new program will then occur the following fall. A discontinued program will lose their magnet status at the conclusion of that school year. The appropriate Assistant Superintendent will notify schools, which will not continue to operate as a magnet site, by April 15th.
Administrative Responsibility: Assistant Superintendent of Middle Schools
Latest Revision Date: March 2010
Previous Revision Date: April 2006
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