Abstract
The purpose of this study is to understand the current context of magnet programs in the 21st century and the advancement and accessibility to quality public secondary education. This exploratory study examines how participants and non-participants of magnet programs feel about their involvement or non-involvement with the magnet program, and how theses insights offer guidance to improving future implementations. This case study focuses on the expansion of a magnet program in a particular northern California High School, where students/alumni became involved in either its support or opposition. The major goals of this research is to explore (1) why this particular magnet program caused so much controversy with its proposed expansion, and (2) whether perceived educational equity is mediated by various social factors such as race/ethnicity, class, and gender.