Magnet school transformation offers a compelling path forward for districts seeking proven strategies for revitalizing schools and expanding access to high-quality STEM education. This report examines the first year of Burkholder Academy of Environmental Science’s transition to a federally funded magnet school in Clark County School District, Nevada, drawing on WestEd site visits and a quasi-experimental analysis of student achievement.

Key findings show that Burkholder students scored 19.3 points higher on the state’s 8th grade science assessment than demographically comparable peers at nonmagnet schools, a statistically significant difference with a large effect size. These gains coincided with the school’s rise from a 2-star to a 3-star accountability rating, with improvements across academic proficiency, chronic absenteeism, and student engagement.