The Unique Research Curriculum, Motivations, And Results Of The Rockdale Magnet School For Science And Technology

Opening in the 2000 academic year, the Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology is an alliance between the Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Engineering and the Rockdale County (Georgia) Public Schools. This magnet high school provides a unique combination of required research classes and projects, an international research partnership with a French high school, and direct liaison with college engineering personnel. Specialized AP and magnet school science, mathematics, and research classes are taught to the participating 130 magnet students by magnet school teachers, while non-magnet school classes are taken with the general population and their teachers in a 1300 student high school. Each student participates in required research and formally defines, executes, and presents their research project in multiple fora. The relationship with Georgia Tech provides access to personnel (a dedicated liaison engineering PhD, professorial, graduate, and undergraduate assistance) and facilities (i.e. nuclear, biomedical, chemical, instrumentation, military) typically unavailable and often unknown to traditional high school science students. Although only beginning its third year and incorporating about 45 rising 9 graders each year, to date and amongst other honors, the school has dominated regional science and engineering fair awards, sent two students to the International Science and Engineering Fair, and produced two Siemens Westinghouse semifinalists. This paper presents the school’s curriculum, its motivating goals and philosophy, and some results to date.