A NEARLY decade-long debate over admission policies at the state’s vocational high schools seems to be nearing a conclusion, but it’s been a tortured path and there is plenty of discontent with the likely outcome on both sides. Whether that means state officials have struck the appropriate middle ground or ignored sound arguments that have been put forward depends on your point of view.
The issue first landed in the public square eight years ago, when some elected officials and advocates began sounding the alarm about state regulations that allow vocational high schools to use selective entry criteria, such as middle school grades, attendance record, and written recommendations, in awarding seats at their schools. Voc-tech high schools have become increasingly popular options, with many receiving far more applications each year than they have seats available.
In some parts of the state, regional vocational high schools have become the preferred choice of the most academically advanced students. That has created what a 2016 report from Northeastern University called the “peculiar paradox” of Massachusetts voc-tech schools.
“Some still think that these schools are reserved for students who cannot succeed in the state’s comprehensive high schools,” the report said. But with vocational schools now in such high demand, it said that they are leaving behind students “with lackluster academic or disciplinary records, often with fewer family resources, who have historically benefitted the most from career vocational education, and who now must compete for vocational school slots with better-prepared students—many of whom are college-bound.”
Critics pointed to data showing that the selective criteria lead to disproportionately fewer students being admitted to some voc-tech schools from groups protected by federal law: students of color, English learners, and students with special needs, in addition to students from low-income households. What’s more, by penalizing students with poorer grades, attendance records, or discipline history, say those critics, the admission rules were keeping out some of those who might benefit most from the hands-on learning vocational schools offer – students who struggled in conventional classroom settings but might be more motivated at a voc-tech high school.
Advocates have pushed to open up the admissions process by awarding seats at oversubscribed schools through a blind lottery. Vocational school leaders have bristled at that idea, saying applying some admissions criteria is crucial to ensuring the right match between students and their demanding programs, in which students alternate weeks in regular classroom studies and vocational learning centers.
In the face of continued prodding by advocates, state officials recently agreed to consider a comprehensive overhaul of the regulations to address ongoing concerns about equitable access to the schools.
Last month, the acting state education commissioner, Russell Johnston, proposed a new admissions structure to the state board of education that would award vocational school seats through a lottery. Although vocational schools would no longer be able to consider middle school grades or a counselor’s recommendation, they could exclude from lottery students with 10 or more unexcused absences in the prior school year or those with serious disciplinary infractions on their record. He also proposed new requirements that middle schools make information on vocational schools available to students. That was in response to complaints from regional vocational schools, which operate independently of local school districts, that districts were making it hard for students to learn about vocational school options because they didn’t want to lose students – and the funding they bring.
Vocational school leaders argued strongly that students should also be required to show some clear interest in vocational education before being entered in an admissions lottery. The state education board held a follow-up meeting last week, where such a requirement was added to the proposed new regulations.
But that wasn’t the only change. Johnston presented a wholesale change in the proposed lottery system for awarding seats. Instead of allowing schools to exclude students from the lottery based on poor attendance or serious disciplinary infractions, the new proposal would allow all students to enter the lottery, but essentially give an extra ticket in the drawing to those students with fewer than 27 unexcused absences over the prior 270 school days and those without a serious discipline record.
Lew Finfer, of the Vocational Equity Justice Coalition, called the proposal an important step in the right direction. “We think it’s moved forward significantly,” he said, though adding that the coalition of groups supporting reform still favors a “blind” lottery in which all applicants would have an equal chance at a seat. “These are public schools, and no other public schools have these restrictions,” Finfer said.
The state’s vocational school association, however, slammed the change introduced at last week’s meeting. “The whole concept of a weighted lottery — this was sort of sprung on us at the last minute,” said Steve Sharek, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators. He called the current proposal “one step forward, two steps back.”
Sharek said requiring students to show some level of interest in vocational schools beyond submitting an application is positive, but he voiced alarm at the idea that students who missed weeks of school in 7th and 8th grade or who had violent disciplinary infractions on their record would be allowed to enter the lottery for vocational school seats.
He also repeated concerns raised by vocational schools that there are errors in the admissions data that have been used to argue for change in the regulations.
“The process has been flawed, the data has been flawed, and this proposal certainly is flawed. We don’t support it in its current form,” said Sharek.
The state board voted 7-3 to send the proposed changes out for public comment, a period that runs until April 18. The board could vote on final regulations as soon as its May meeting, and they would be in place for applications during the 2025-26 school year.
The ongoing backdrop to the drawn-out battle has been the clamoring for seats at vocational schools. Amid the tensions over how to allot a scarce resource when there is more demand than supply, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler offered a plug at last week’s meeting for Gov. Maura Healey’s 2026 budget proposal, which includes $75 million to create 3,000 new voc-tech seats over the next three years. “There is a robust effort to address the capacity challenge,” he said.
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