Magnet Schools of America

FY 2013 CALL FOR PEER REVIEWERS 

The Department of Education encourages individuals from various backgrounds and professions with content expertise to apply to be a peer reviewer for the FY 2013 MSAP Competition. If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer for the FY 2013 MSAP Competition, please see the FY 2013 Call for Peer Reviewers MS Word (55KB), which describes the necessary qualifications. If you meet the necessary qualifications, please complete and submit the Peer Reviewer Checklist  PDF (347KB) along with your resume. All peer review applications must be complete no later than February 22, 2013.

Get Your MSAP Application Ready! 
Friday, January 11 ~ 11am EST

The U.S. Department of Education released the notice for the Magnet Schools Assistance program (MSAP) on December 31, 2012 with a submission date of March 1, 2013.  MSA will convene members of the magnet school community to discuss the next MSAP grant competition via webinar and provide an overview of the regulations, structure of the grant application, as well as changes that have been made since the last competition.  Space is limited!  Reserve your seat today!

MicroSociety for MSAP: STEM & Real World Learning for 10 MSAP POINTS!  
Tuesday, January 15 ~ 1pm EST

Intercultural collaboration.  STEM-based problem solving.  Critical reflection.  Technology-facilitated communication.  Civic literacy.  These are just a few 21st Century demands of your students.  How will your magnet school address these crucial needs?  Classroom content must be connected to the context and challenges of the outside world.  Student need to practice critical thinking, innovative problem solving, and entrepreneurial habits of the mind.  With a 20+ track record of success with magnet schools, the internationally-acclaimed MicroSociety model, grades PreK-8, bridges classroom content with real world experiences by empowering your students to build their own authentic society.  STEM and ELA instruction comes alive as student "citizens" experience the role and importance of these academic concepts in the real world on a daily basis.  This webinar will explore MicroSociety's STEM learning environment, innovative curriculum, student and practitioner professional development, program costs, outcomes and more!

Learn how MicroSociety, as a magnet theme or framework, will help you...
- Prepare your students for a STEM-based society
- Meet the Common Core Standards
- Provide daily opportunities for leadership, personal discovery and self-discipline
- Develop 21st Century academic, social and emotional skills
- Create a truly inclusive learning environment for all students
- Improve language acquisition, test scores, attendance and more!

Join us for this breakthrough experience!  Speak with practitioners from the field, one of whom will share his 15 years of consistent success with middle school students...and making his magnet school the envy of the West!

This 30-minute presentation of the model will be followed by a Q&A session.  Your questions will be answered by an expert panel consisting of a MicroSociety magnet school principal, and a Certified MicroSociety National Training Consultant and a member of MICROSOCIETY, Inc. Headquarters.  Register today and reserve your seat!

Pam Coad - VP of Curriculum & Training, MICROSOCIETY, Inc., Sioux City, IA - Pam is a nationally distinguished educator with more than 30 years of classroom experience and nearly 20 additional years of experience with the MicroSociety model.  She first became involved with MicroSociety as a teacher, when the model was brought to her school.  Since then, Pam has authored and co-authored the MicroSociety curriculum, created MicroSociety's supplement materials, trained thousands of administrators, teachers, and students in the MicroSociety model, presented at state and national conferences, and led regional forums with educators across the country.  As on of the central figures of the organization, she currently serves as the Lead Training Consultant for MICROSOCIETY, Inc.

Kaitlyn Dowling - Head of Expansion & Outreach, MICROSOCIETY, Inc., Philadelphia, PA - As MICROSOCIETY, Inc. continues to expand across the country and internationally, Kaitlyn heads the expansion and outreach efforts where she also provides research, outreach and school relations support.  Kaitlyn works with schools who are interested in the MicroSociety model, helping to build a training program customized to student, staff and community needs.  Her experience is in the fields of executive education and professional development, producing conferences and webinars on pressing K-12 educational topics.  Kaitlyn joined MICROSOCIETY, Inc. with extensive experience researching adolescent female education in Kenya, Africa.

Tom Padalino - Principal, Thoreau & Monroe Demonstration Academies, Tulsa, OK - With more than 15 years of experience, Tom is a celebrated Magnet Principal, hailing from Tulsa, OK where he has lead Thoreau Demonstration Academy to district and state-wide success.  The first middle school in the nation to be granted Ambassador status by MICROSOCIETY, Inc., Thoreau has earned the endorsement of the state's Chief School Office and the enthusiastic support of countless community partners.  Thoreau uses MicroSociety as a supporting framework of their citizenship, government and communications magnet theme.  

 

Access to Gifted & Talented Magnet Schools: Under Scrutiny, But Can They Serve Equitably?  
Monday, January 21 ~ 10am EST

Gifted & Talented magnet schools and magnet schools for the academically gifted continue to draw high numbers of students, but how can district ensure they are identifying and enrolling students into these programs equitably to ensure high standards and fairness, while avoiding expensive lawsuits?  What Talent Development models exist and how could the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) support these efforts.
Dr. Carolyn Callahan and Maree Sneed (Esq) will lead the discussion and address challenges and opportunities related to identification, talent development, and equitable access to programs.  Click here to reserve your seat!

Dr. Carolyn M. Callahan holds a Ph.D. in the area of educational Psychology with an emphasis in gifted education.  At the University of Virginia she developed the graduate program in gifted education, and the Summer and Saturday Program for gifted students.  She has served as Director of the University of Virginia National Research Center on Gifted and Talented for 18 years.  She has published on a broad range of topics including program evaluation, the development of performance assessments, and curricular and programming options for highly able students including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate.  She has received recognition as Outstanding Faculty member in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Outstanding Professor of the Curry School of Education, and  Distinguished Higher Education Alumnae of the University of Connecticut.  She is a Past-President of The Association for the Gifted and the National Association for Gifted Children.

Maree Sneed is partner at Hogan Lovells.  Her practice involves advising school districts, educational associations, and private companies in the education sector on a wide range of state and federal legal issues, including those involving the U.S. Constitution, No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, and the Magnet Schools Assistance Project.

Article from Center for School Options 

January 7, 2013 

Often overlooked in the contemporary discussion about the role of school choice options are the oldest and, by some counts, the most subscribed to schools of choice: magnet schools. These public schools with specialized academic focus and/or distinctive instructional approach were a product of 1970s efforts to promote integration of primarily urban schools by giving families the option of choosing to enroll in a specialized public school instead of their assigned neighborhood public school. Today, magnet schools most often "attract" students from across the school district by offering a sought after academic focus such as the arts, engineering, foreign language or technology. These schools have withstood the test of time and today there are thousands of magnet schools with over 2.5 million students enrolled.

The good work of magnet schools was recently highlighted in this newspaper article about Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey. Focused on environmental science and engineering the school was opened two years ago to help alleviate overcrowding at the district's other two high schools. Now it is Cedar Creek that has more demand than it can meet.

As the news story reports, "One very important aspect is that they are programs of choice - students make the decision to attend, which studies have shown makes the students more likely to be interested and succeed in what they are learning."

This sense of commitment that arises from a student making a choice to enroll and a curriculum that is specific to the student's academic interests are attributes of schools of choice that are not always appreciated. We know from our personal experience that we are more committed and more likely to succeed when we are doing what we chose to do and are working on an endeavor that appeals to our interests. This is true of students and teachers too.

Those seeking to improve our traditional schools, as well as reformers seeking to innovate through charter schools, online schools and in private schools should study the success of magnet schools. The most important aspect of schooling is not learning subject matter, it's learning how to learn. Whether that process is taught through a focus on the arts, STEM disciplines or vocations is largely secondary. Schools succeed when students start the process of becoming life-long learners.

To learn more about the success of magnet schools visit Magnet School of America.

Principal - Noah Webster MicroSociety Magnet School

Hartford Public Schools is currently seeking a creative, dynamic, innovative and motivated school leader to serve as Principal of Noah Webster MicroSociety Magnet School. As the administrative and academic leader of this dynamic learning environment, the Noah Webster MicroSociety Magnet School principal will provide oversight of the school's educational program and personnel and must be committed to the highest expectations for students, staff and all members of the school community.

The successful applicant will be a champion of the MicroSociety theme. It is the mission of the school to guide students along the path by nurturing the unique heart, mind and body of each child, using a variety of teaching methods and instructional strategies that address different learning styles. The school encourages students to strive to their fullest potential by meeting challenging academic standards in every content area through authentic learning experiences that address and solve real problems. The principal will enhance the theme and build upon the school's foundation to bring it into the 21st century. The principal will facilitate active and regular participation of the entire Noah Webster community, support harmonious diversity, foster an entrepreneurial spirit and nurture a sense of pride in the Hartford community.

To read the full job description, please click here

Magnet Schools Assistance Program Grant Released

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 28, 2012  

 

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Education will release  Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant competition on Monday, December 31, 2012.  

 

According to the competitive priorities, STEM projects will be awarded additional points, as well magnet programs that do not use academic criteria for student selection, as well as new or redesigned schools, and need for assistance.  Up to 40 points may be earned for competitive priorities.  

 

District awards range from $350,000 and may not exceed $4 million, with the average award $2.5 million. Forty (40) districts are estimated to be funded, however, funds are based on congressional approval.  According to the notice that will be posted, "contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2014 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition." 

 

 
For additional questions, please contact Executive Director, Scott Thomas

 (202) 824-0672 or email: executive.director@magnet.edu

   

Click here for notice of MSAP grant on Federal Register

 Click here for a PDF copy

 

FY2013 MSAP Application Packet