As districts seek proven strategies for revitalizing schools and expanding access to high-quality STEM education, magnet school transformation offers a compelling path forward. This report examines the first year of Carroll M. Johnston STEM Academy’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 Johnston students scored 14.2 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 1-star to a 3-star accountability rating, with improvements across academic proficiency, chronic absenteeism, and student engagement.