Descripciones mejoradas de Syndetics:

By exploring the lives of three magnet schools in a large American city, the author shows how these schools were affected by community political struggles. The book reveals the influences which shape students' experiences in the USA.

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Metz has studied three ``magnet'' schools and the school district of which they are a part. Her ``Heartland'' school system is that of a large American midwestern city, which would be representative of the state of contemporary American urban education. Metz defines ``magnet'' schools as those ``which accomplish racial desegregation on a voluntary basis; {{and}} attract volunteers by offering innovative education.'' ``Magnet'' schools, since their introduction, have been used in many American cities in a variety of patterns, offering alternatives to students; and, in some cases, they are elite institutions for talented students. Metz's monograph is a welcome addition to a growing literature on alternative schooling, and its purpose is simply stated: ``By studying innovative schools where pressure for change makes the influences which shape life in all schools more readily evident, it is possible to develop an analysis which will also throw light upon the sources of diversity in the life of `traditional' schools.'' Metz's methodology is organizational analysis and basically ethnographic, with data drawn from Metz's participation in the schools, from open-ended interviews with participants, and from analyses of documents. The ``magnet'' school is a significant part of contemporary American educational experimentation, and this monograph is, to date, the most important publication on the ``magnet'' phenomenon. Excellent bibliography and index. Recommended for institutions with graduate programs in education and the social sciences.-F. Cordasco, Montclair State College