"placement in magnet schools and similar programs has been proven to have nothing to do with student intelligence or ability" This is an extraordinary claim, a

"placement in magnet schools and similar programs has been proven to have nothing to do with student intelligence or ability" This is an extraordinary claim, and you have provided no evidence. Some magnet schools (e.g. Lowell in San Francisco) used to have purely merit-based admissions (you must exceed X on a test). Do you think this has 'nothing to do with student intelligence or ability'?