However, the reading score of 6 magnets was below average. However, seven fell below average in mathematics. The Catholic schools included New York's Partnership Program, which pays tuition for public students to attend inner-city Catholic high schools. Most of the students selected for the Partnership Program were African American or Puerto Rican, from single-parent welfare homes, and had poor academic records. Hill et al.
Some magnets have exceptionally good records with inner-city student populations.
The very success of magnet schools raises a central question of whether their success comes at the expense of nonmagnets. But it is equally evident that pedagogical and administrative features of magnets produce powerful effects in and of themselves. Their focus, organizational cohesiveness, strong leadership by the principal, and relative freedom from central office rules and procedures are highly correlated with improved achievement scores. Furthermore, the use of selective admissions criteria varies. Hill et al. found considerable success at magnets and Catholic schools even when the students had previous poor academic records, and the better results were not caused by differences in curricula, teacher traits, or student backgrounds.