Academic attraction

Terry Webster

Friday, Jan. 28, 2000 | 11:15 a.m.

Magnet schools

Clark County School District's magnet schools and their specialties:

Gilbert Magnet School for Communication and Creative Art, 2101 W. Cartier Circle, North Las Vegas -- Spoken and written communications, in-house television station, creative arts.

Mabel Hoggard Math and Science Magnet School, 950 North Tonopah Drive -- Scientific investigation, mathematical problem-solving, computer technology.

Jo Mackey Magnet School for Academic Enrichment and Global Studies, 2726 Englestad St., North Las Vegas -- Art, music, physical education, technology and learning styles.

Academy of Science and Mathematics at Hyde Park Middle School, 900 Hinson St. -- Higher mathematics, in-depth science.

Academy of Creative Arts and Language at K.O. Knudson Middle School, 2400 Atlantic St. -- Creative arts and foreign language skills.

Advanced Technologies Academy, 2501 Vegas Drive -- Business and finance, law-related careers, computer graphic design, computer science, management information systems, systems technology support, technology applications.

Clark High School Academy for Mathematics, Science and Applied Technology, 4291 Penwood Ave. -- Accelerated math and science classes with the use of computers and specialized laboratory equipment.

Teacher Education Academy at Clark High School (T.E.A.C.H.), 4291 Penwood Ave. -- Education-related courses, collaboration with UNLV and Community College of Southern Nevada.

Clark High School Academy of Finance, 4291 Penwood Ave. -- Social studies and business, with an industry concepts and career awareness issues.

Las Vegas Academy of International Studies and Performing and Visual Arts, 315 South 7th St. -- Foreign languages and culture, visual arts, dance, music and drama.

Academy of Medical and Allied Health Professions at Rancho High School, 1900 E. Owens Ave. -- Medical skills and services, medical specialties, anatomy and physiology, sports medicine and chemistry.

Academy of Aerospace and Aviation at Rancho High School, 1900 E. Owens Ave. -- Aerospace engineering, private pilot flying training.

Academy of Travel and Tourism at Valley High School, 2839 S. Burnham Ave. -- Marketing for travel and tourism, computer applications for travel, hotel management.

International Baccalaureate Program at Valley High School, 2839 S. Burnham Ave. -- Rigorous academic program to prepare students to attend any college throughout the nation and the world.

Southern Nevada Vocational Technical High School.

Sophomore Teresa Yuan isn't one to waste hours of her time just playing computer games.

She would rather design them.

"I enjoy playing computer games so I thought, why not make my own," said Yuan, who does just that as a student at the Advanced Technologies Academy, one of the Clark County School District's magnet schools.

Having talent helps, but there's another secret to getting into enriched and specialized programs at magnet schools.

It's called luck.

"People always ask me, 'How can I get my child in?' " said Glenn Cooper, magnet schools director. "Pray. That's what I tell everyone."

As February admission deadlines get closer, school officials are making their final recruiting pitch to families and students.

Not that they really need to.

The ratio of students who want to get into magnet schools compared to available seats is 3-to-1, Cooper said. For the hottest magnet school -- Advanced Technologies Academy -- it's 4-to-1.

A little competition and a lot of luck decides who attends.

Teacher recommendations, student attendance and a student essay are some of the criteria. But admission is left to chance by a computer program that picks the finalists at random. Students who aren't selected by the computer are placed on a waiting list.

By definition, magnet schools draw in students interested in a particular area of study, like technology, international studies, the arts or business.

"Everyone who is here wants to be here," said Kate Taber, an A-Tech senior studying in the school's law-related careers program. "There's no goofing off. We all have work to do and we're just going to do it."

Academics are stressed at magnet schools, but the program really centers on enrichment, according to Cooper.

"Everything can't be measured by a test score," he said. "This offers the experience of being in an environment where it's OK to explore what's of interest to them. Students who have the same interests tend to 'feed' off of each other."

Sixteen different magnet programs are offered in the Clark County School District for students in grades 1 through 12. About three percent or 7,559 students out of the total 217,000 student population participate in the magnet schools program.

Student interest has made A-Tech the current magnet school of choice.

"We're in the computer age," Cooper said of the program's popularity.

A-Tech offers students the chance to specialize their studies in business and finance, law-related careers, computer science, management information systems, systems technology support and technology applications.

Emmanuelle Leal, a senior who helps conduct tours at A-Tech, said approximately 1,000 students apply to there yearly. Of that number, some 700 will meet the school's criteria and only about 200 will be accepted.

To increase A-Tech's capacity, plans are currently underway for an expansion project at the school.

Although the details are still sketchy, A-Tech Principal Michael Kinnaird said plans call for construction to start in November or December of 2000, with completion targeted for the end of 2002.

True to its name, Advanced Technologies Academy has a student population of about 750, with just as many computers to match -- maybe a few more.

"Technology is the backbone of this school," said Kinnaird.

That's something Leal can attest to.

"We are on our way to becoming a paperless school," Leal said. All of his grades and homework assignments are done by computer.

A-Tech is glossy and flashy, from its spotless hallways and classrooms to the creative work students produce on their state-of-the-art computers.

It costs about $250,000 a year to keep the computers current, Kinnaird said.

Inside A-Tech, students in a marketing classroom sit at their own work stations -- complete with their own computers -- while a teacher explains a lesson by using the Internet, which is displayed on a large screen at the front of the room.

In a graphic design class, students make their own movies on computers, which feature 3-D effects, animation and sound.

And the skills students are gaining are in high demand. It's common for A-Tech students to be hired by area firms, even on a part-time basis while they are still in school. Many are recruited into full-time careers upon graduation.

"We had a student who was offered a $40,000-a-year job at age 18," Kinnaird said. "That's a lot of money to someone that age. But we always stress that they finish their college degree. Then, they will be worth that much more."

Usually, that isn't a problem. Companies often pick up the full tab for the students' college education, Kinnaird said.

Since its opening in 1994, A-Tech has earned a reputation as being one of the premiere technology high schools in the country, receiving national attention from the likes of Vice President Al Gore, who spoke there during a national tour to study the use of technology in schools.

On Wednesday, A-Tech was recognized by State Superintendent of Education Mary Peterson for its performance on the 10th grade Terra Nova test given in October of 1998. The class that took the test graduates in 2001.

Evaluating the entire magnet schools program outside of its enrichment qualities is difficult, because student performance at magnet schools is not tracked and compared to regular schools, according to school officials.

But there are indications that magnet school students achieve more.

"Where you can see it is in the high school scores at Advanced Technologies Academy and Las Vegas Academy," said Brian Cram, superintendent of Clark County Schools. "Those two magnet schools we break out. The others we don't."

Other magnet schools are housed within traditional schools and all of the test scores are rolled together in calculating student performance, Cooper said.

For the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years, Advanced Technologies Academy students scored between 73 to 85 percent on median percentile rankings on the Terra Nova test measurements for ability, reading, math, language and science.

Over the same years, A-Tech's student population was comprised of 64 percent white, 13 percent Asian, 12 percent Hispanic and 11 percent black students.

With an average score Scholastic Aptitude Test score of 522, A-Tech easily out-distances district (504) and national (505) averages. Las Vegas Academy, which specializes in international studies and performing and visual arts, was higher still, with an average SAT score of 531.

The Las Vegas Academy scored from 67 to 81 percent on median percentile rankings on the Terra Nova test. Las Vegas Academy's student population is comprised of 73 percent white, 10 percent Hispanic, 10 percent black, 7 percent Asian and 1 percent American Indian.

Another area not tracked, according to school finance officials, is spending for all magnet schools.

But one clear difference is reduced class size.

"Where they are certainly 'richer' is in the student-to-teacher ratio," said Walt Rulffes, the school district's chief financial officer.

During a recent meeting in the Summerlin library, interest in the magnet schools program was strong enough to fill the auditorium. The informational meeting was one of several held at various locations throughout the city.

Eighth-grader Jeff Churn, one of the prospective students at the Summerlin meeting, said he is hoping to attend the Academy of Aerospace and Aviation at Rancho High School.

"I want to be a military pilot," he said.

Another family was still weighing the magnet schools option.

"We're just thinking about it," said parent Nancy Schin. "I'm not really sure if this is the thing to do. Time spent in high school should include diversity."

Ash Beaver, 15, said he is still trying to decide which magnet program he wants to attend.

His mother, Terri Beaver, hails from a family tradition of magnet school alumni.

"I graduated from Vo-Tech," she said. "I have a son who graduated from A-Tech and a niece and nephew who go to the theater academy. I think this is the way to go."

Applications for elementary and high schools must be submitted to the Magnet Schools Project Office at the Education Center, 2832 East Flamingo Road, by Friday, Feb. 18. The deadline for middle schools is Friday, Feb. 25.

Cooper cautions that attending a magnet school is a family decision, and should be agreed upon by the parent and the child.

Students whose parents force them into the program tend to perform poorly, he said.

Those who do fall behind are given extra help. "We're not here to throw people out," said Cooper.

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