IDENTIFIERS Hierarchical Linear Modeling; *Prince Georges County Public Schools MD; *Value Added Model

School district accountability efforts have been challenged to develop procedures that determine the effects of their programs on student achievement within the typical implementation setting (i.e., nonrandom student assignment to nested school within program placements). Disentangling program effects from contextual and participant factors involves strategic considerations for data, design, and analysis. This paper presents an application of a two-level student-program hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) procedure to examine value-added effects of the Prince George's County, Maryland, Magnet School Programs at improving student academic performance. Examples of data handling and preparation for multilevel analysis are provided. Results from this study were primary considerations in the district superintendent's decisions regarding the expansion, continuation, and elimination of particular magnet school programs. The main findings in the study were: (1) overall, elementary students in magnet programs perfor