Choosing Integration MacDonald 1 Choosing Integration: The Significance of Academic Performance in Suburban Families Choosing a Hartford Magnet School

Many educational policy leaders in Connecticut have focused on magnet schools as one of the primary remedies in the Sheff vs. O’Neill Court case. The purpose of magnet schools is to reduce racial and socio-economic isolation and provide an equal educational opportunity for all of Connecticut’s children. The Connecticut Supreme Court found that de facto segregation exists in Connecticut and that this violates the state constitution. Research has shown the importance of socio-economic integration as a strategy to improve educational outcomes of low-income children (Coleman