User:Pinkfuzzyslippers200/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Magnet school

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I have chosen this article to evaluate because my group and I were assigned the Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School for our case study project; this article provides an explanation as to what magnet schools are and it will be helpful for my group to understand as much as possible about Magnet Schools. I understand that magnet schools are important because they have a specific area in the curriculum that is highlighted or emphasized, but I want to learn more.

Evaluate the article
The evaluation guidelines suggest that a good lead section should provide a topic sentence and a concise description of the article topic. The topic sentence in the lead paragraph of the "Magnet Schools" article defines what a magnet school is and is clear and concise. However, the second sentence, "Normally a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend, unless they move" is unclear and confusing; it appears this refers to "normal progression" at a non-magnet school, therefore is not necessary to be placed in the very beginning of the article and adds further confusion. The rest of the lead is disorganized, mentioning a magnet school in the UK, the first US magnet school that opened in 1965, and then a magnet school in Iran. Another confusing point made in the lead paragraph is when the author is describing "schools within schools." I think the author could have done a much better going into more detail about it, especially since it was addressed again in the History section without much explanation.

The facts and information are organized into sections and headings, such as History, Enrollment, and Curriculum. However, I found the information within these sections hard to follow due to the content being disorganized. In the History section, the author describes two types of Magnet schools, one being competitive and one designed to desegregate schools. Some of the schools were voluntary while others were court ordered. As timed passed, many magnet schools focused less on the desegregation and more toward achieving goals, such as going to college, and not dropping out. In the article, problems within some districts are mentioned, however, the information in each of the sections do not flow nicely.

I would say that the author wrote the article from a neutral perspective, not highlighting one topic too much or attempting to persuade the reader into believing or rejecting the Magnet School system. There could be an added Pros and Cons section from the author where they list the advantages and disadvantages of the Magnet School system without supporting or favoring one side.