This booklet was written to describe and evaluate the role of magnet schools in desegregation plans. The author presents case studies of two moderately successful magnet schools, the Martin Luther King Middle School in Boston and the Clifton Multi-Age Magnet School in Cincinnati. He then discusses magnet schools in the context of desegregation and illustrates the way in which the courts have been using magnet schools for desegregation purposes. In the third section the author discusses the educational dimension of magnet schools, somewhat apart from their desegregation impact. The author then reviews the roles of State and Federal governments in supporting magnet education. The booklet is concluded with a discussion of the pros and cons of metropolitan magnet schools and recommendations for magnet school programs. (Author/MK)