Press Release: 2/20/2025
New Vocational Admissions Policy
For Immediate Release, 2/20/2025
Press Contact: Lew Finfer (617) 470-2912
Department of Elementary & Secondary Education proposes to require
use of admissions lottery, but would allow schools to exclude as many as
half of students from many cities based on attendance records
DESE’s New Proposed Vocational Admissions Policy ends three barriers
that discriminated against students from protected classes (Grades,
Guidance Counselor Recommendations, Interviews)
BUT It SIGNIFICANTLY RAISES THE BARRIER ATTENDANCE can play in
disqualifying many students from admission
o Statewide, over one-third of Latino, Low-income, and English
Learner students would be excluded from applying to vocational
schools
o In a sample of 10 Gateway Cities, 30-53% of students would be
excluded from attending
It Further Clarifies the Discipline Offenses That Exclude Students From
Applying, however the criteria are still overly broad
The Vocational Education Task Force asks Governor Healey and the Board
of Education to eliminate the proposed attendance criteria and more
narrowly focus the discipline criteria
The Vocational Education Justice Coalition has very deep concerns with the Acting
Commissioner of Education’s proposed revised regulations on vocational school
admissions, to be presented to the Board of Elementary & Secondary Education
(BESE) at its February 25, 2025 meeting.
While the commissioner’s proposed revised regulations would require all
vocational schools and programs to offer admissions to students using a blind
lottery, and remove the exclusionary criteria of grades, recommendations, and
interviews, the regulations enable schools and programs to exclude from
students from the lottery who have accumulated 10 or more unexcused
absences (that could be at the rate of 1 a month):
Statewide, almost one-quarter of all students (23.7%) would be excluded
from applying to vocational schools and programs.
Black, Latino, Low-income, and English Learner students, as well as
Students with Disabilities would be disproportionately excluded from
applying to vocational schools. Over one-third of all Latino, Low-income,
and English Learners students would be excluded from applying.
In a sampling of 10 Gateway districts, from 30%-53% of all students would
be excluded from applying to vocational schools: Brockton 30%, Chelsea
52.9%, Fall River 40.7%, Fitch burg 38.5%, Haverhill 46.6%, Lowell 35.8%,
New Bedford 48.8%, Quincy 31%, Revere 44.9%, Springfield 38.1%,
In every Gateway district sampling, low-income students and students with
disabilities would be excluded in disproportionate percentages than all
students, and Latino students would be excluded in disproportionate
percentages than White students.
Gateway
District
Tota
l
Black Latin
o
Asian Whit
e
Low-
Incom
e
SPED EL
Brockton 30 26.3 35.9 15.2 35.7 32.1 33.2 25.5
Chelsea 52.9 42.2 53.9 34.8 48.4 54.2 59.5 55.8
Fall River 40.7 31.5 44.9 30.6 40.3 43.2 47.7 37.7
Fitchburg 38.5 26 45.3 22.8 28.3 43.2 46.8 43.4
Haverhill 46.6 30.5 52.6 38.3 42.3 53.4 51.5 46.3
Lowell 35.6 23.7 43.9 27.1 33.6 39.5 40.1 37.9
New Bedford 48.8 41.8 54 32.1 44.6 51.9 52.8 49.1
Quincy 31 41.8 52.5 13.1 40.5 36.6 45.2 26.2
Revere 44.9 28.3 48.6 30.4 40.9 48.3 51.9 46.6
Springfield 38.1 32.6 41.6 12.9 29 40.4 43 36.2
State 23.7 28.2 36.1 13.1 18.2 34.7 29.4 34.1
Another unfairness of the standard of excused absences is that many parents
don’t understand the need to send in notes for such absences. Students may
have to be absent because of their own illness, taking care of younger siblings when their parents are working, attending family funerals including ones taking place in their country of origin. And students not now engaged in their current education as much so they are absent more, will be more engaged in a vocational school with its combination of hands-on skills learning and challenging academics.
The insertion of 10 or more unexcused absences as a gateway for entry into the
lottery negates any progress in eliminating grades, recommendations, and
interviews. It is the coalition’s belief that the proposed revised regulations will
result in the same discriminatory selection pattern we have seen ever since
DESE began publishing admissions data.
As well, the VEJC coalition believes that the inclusion of excluding any student for
“conduct for which suspension or expulsion was imposed pursuant to M.G.L. c.71
§37H or §37H1/2, or for which suspension or expulsion for more than 10 days was
imposed pursuant to M.G.L. c.71 §37H3/4” is overly broad. Under M.G.L. c.71
§37H, it is overly broad to exclude a student who was in possession of a
controlled substance (e.g., possession of marijuana). Under §37H1/2, a student
should not be excluded from admission due to a felony charge when those
charges could be dropped. Including M.G.L. c.71 §37H3/4 allows for exclusion of
students for almost any type of offense when the student has been suspended for
more than 10 consecutive days. Data shows that Black and Latino students tend
to receive harsher suspension lengths than their White peers for the same
offense.
The coalition believes that exclusion for disciplinary reasons should be limited to
students who have been excluded from school due to possession of a dangerous
weapon, assault of an education staff member, or a felony conviction.
The Commissioner’s proposal does not represent progress over BESE’s current
vocational school admissions regulations that discriminate against students of
color, low-income students, students with disabilities, and English Learners. It is
unacceptable for revised regulations to enable almost one-quarter of all students
to be excluded from consideration for admissions to vocational schools based on
its attendance criteria, disproportionately excludes students from all protected
classes, and excludes students from protected classes in Gateway districts at
significantly higher rates.
Federal law requires that vocational schools “must not use criteria that have the
effect of disproportionately excluding persons of a particular race, color, national
origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or disability unless they
demonstrate that such criteria have been validated as essential to participation in
vocational programs; and alternative equally valid criteria that do not have such a
disproportionate adverse effect are unavailable.”
Governor Healey’s promise of fairer admissions regulations is not met by this
proposal. The coalition will be asking the Governor to request BESE members
and commissioner to go back to the drawing table and draft a more equitable
vocational school admissions proposal that does justice for all students from
protected classes.
This is the language on attendance and discipline in the new proposed
admissions regulation:
(1) student attendance for a period of no more than two school years prior to
acceptance, provided that only 10 or more unexcused absences per school year
may be considered; and
(2) discipline, provided that only Such criteria may not consider a student's record
of excused absences from school, or minor behavior or disciplinary infractions.
For purposes of 603 CMR 4.03(6)(a), a "minor behavior or disciplinary infraction"
means any student conduct other than conduct for which suspension or expulsion
was imposed pursuant to M.G.L. c.71 §37H or §37H1/2, or for which suspension
or expulsion for more than 10 days was imposed pursuant to M.G.L. c.71 §37H3/4
may be considered; and
(d) Career technical Vocational education schools and programs that use selective criteria in
order for students to enter the lottery process shall not use criteria that have the effect of
disproportionately excluding persons of a particular race, color, national origin, sex, gender
identity, sexual orientation, religion, or disability unless they demonstrate that (1) such criteria
have been validated as essential to participation in career technical education vocational
programs; and (2) alternative equally valid criteria that do not have such a disproportionate
adverse effect are unavailable.
Discriminatory impact of the current vocational admissions regulation:
MA Statewide Data: Percent Offers Made to Applicants
Year SOC Whit
e
Gap
Size
ED Non-
ED
Gap
Size
SPED Non-
SPED
Gap
Size
EL Non-
EL
Gap
Size
2021-
22
62% 72% 10 60% 76% 16 60% 70% 10 51% 69% 18
2022-
23
55% 69% 14 54% 72% 18 54% 65% 11 44% 64% 20
2023-
24 54% 64%
10
50% 68% 18 49% 62% 13 42%
60%
18
NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS FOR ADOPTING A NEW ADMISSIONS
POLICY:
1. Acting DESE Commissioner Russell Johnston brings the proposed regulation to
the February 25 Board of Education meeting for them to vote to send it out for
public comment.
2. Public comments are due by April 4
3. At the April 29 Board of Education meeting the Board will vote on a new
admissions policy,
The Vocational Education Justice Coalition is made up of these 24
groups.
Community Groups—
La Colaborativa (formerly the Chelsea Collaborative)
Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN)
Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network (CPLAN)
Greater Boston Latino Network
United Interfaith Action of SE MA, Worcester Interfaith
Progressive Democrats Massachusetts
Black Educators Alliance of Massachusetts
Citizens for Public Schools
Massachusetts Advocates for Children
Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance
Pioneer Valley Project
Brockton Interfaith Community
Worcester Interfaith
Revere Youth in Action
Massachusetts Action for Justice
Civil Rights groups—
Center for Law & Education,
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights,
Social Justice Foundation,
Metro West Legal Services
Unions--
American Federation of Teachers MA (AFTMA),
Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA)
North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
Greater Boston Building Trades Council