Madison Park Technical Vocational High School ADMISSION POLICY Lottery Process

Madison Park Technical Vocational High School ADMISSION POLICY Lottery Process 1. INTRODUCTION An admission process is necessary in technical vocational schools where space is a limiting factor. Vocational technical laboratories (shops) are designed and equipped to serve a specific maximum number of students safely. Consequently, a complex of such laboratories lacks both the space and flexibility to accommodate the possible needs and/or interests of all applicants. Therefore, students are admitted to Madison Park Technical Vocational High School through a Lottery Process. All new applicants to grades 9, 10, 11 or 12 at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School will be admitted according to the criteria of the Lottery Process contained in this Admission Policy. The School Committee of the City of Boston unanimously approved this policy on December 16, 2009 and it will go into effect starting with students applying to Madison Park for school year 2010-2011. This policy is intended to comply with the Vocational Technical Education Regulations 603 CMR 4.03 (6) and procedures of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 2. EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY Madison Park Technical Vocational High School admits students and makes available to them its advantages, privileges and courses of study without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness status. If there is a student with limited English proficiency, a qualified representative from will assist the applicant in completing the necessary forms and assist in interpreting during the entire application and admission process upon the request of the applicant. Students with disabilities may voluntarily self-identify for the purpose of requesting reasonable accommodations anytime during the entire application and admission process. Information on limited English proficiency and disability submitted voluntarily by the applicant, for the purpose of receiving assistance and accommodations during the entire application and admission process, will not affect their admission to the school. I. Page 1

3. ELIGIBILITY Any eighth, ninth, or tenth grade student who is a resident of Boston and who expects to be promoted to the grade they seek to enter by their local district is eligible to apply for fall admission, subject to the availability of openings. Resident students will be admitted according to the criteria of the Lottery Process contained in this Admission Policy. Priority for admission is given to Boston residents. An eighth, ninth, or tenth grade student who is not a resident of Boston may apply for fall admission or, admission during the school year, provided she/he expects to be promoted to the grade she/he seeks to enter in the coming school year and, subject to the availability of openings at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. Transfer students from other Chapter 74 state-approved vocational technical education programs are eligible to apply for fall admission or admission during the school year to grades 9, 10, 11 or 12 at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School provided they are residents of Boston and expect to be promoted to the grade they seek to enter. Transfer students will be admitted according to the criteria of the Lottery Process contained in this Admission Policy. Applicants to grade 12 seeking to enter Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in the fall or anytime during the school year will only be eligible for admission if they are transferring from another chapter 74 state-approved vocational education program, have been enrolled in a program offered at Madison Park, and meet the Lottery Process criteria contained in this admission policy. School Choice Eligibility The School Committee of the City of Boston, upon recommendation from the Superintendent, votes every year prior to June 1 st on the participation of the school choice program. If the District School Committee votes in favor of participating in the school choice program for the next academic year, school choice students will be eligible to apply for fall admission subject to the availability of openings to the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, provided they expect to be promoted to the grade they seek to enter by their local district. Boston Public Schools will not be responsible for providing transportation services for school choice students. School Choice students will be admitted according to the Lottery Process criteria contained in this Admission Policy. Students who begin their enrollment as School Choice students may remain as School Choice students throughout their enrollment at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School providing they continue to reside outside of the city. I. Page 2

McKinney Vento Homeless students will be accepted to Madison Park Technical Vocational High School according to the Lottery Process criteria contained in this admission policy. Home Schooled Students Students who are formally being home schooled may apply for admission to Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, including admission during the school year, provided all Admissions Policy criteria are followed. The Home School student s parent(s)/guardian(s) must submit a copy of the Home School approval letter from the local school superintendent. Home Schooled students will be accepted to Madison Park Technical Vocational High School according to the criteria of the Lottery Process contained in this admission policy. Please refer to Application Process for additional information regarding the Lottery Process criteria. 4. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE The Madison Park Technical Vocational High School is a public high school situated in Boston, MA serving students from all of Boston s neighborhoods with prime location near industries and employers and easy accessibility to major highways such as routes 93 and 90. Madison Park Vocational Technical High School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools. Madison Park Technical Vocational High School is committed to providing quality vocational technical programs integrated with rigorous and challenging academic offerings. It is the responsibility of the Director of Enrollment Planning and Support in collaboration with the Director of Career and Technical Education to supervise the administration of the policies and procedures required to admit and enroll applicants in conformity with this Admission Policy. Madison Park Technical Vocational High School admits students through a Lottery Process. All students in the district are eligible to enter the lottery by filling out the School Choice Application and requesting Madison Park as their first choice. (See Section 6: Lottery Application Process for additional information.) Each applicant will be given a computer generated lottery number. Students will be admitted from the applicant list by the lowest lottery number first until all seats are full. The first Admission Lottery (1 st registration period) usually occurs in January, through the Office of Enrollment Services Planning & Support. If Madison Park does not fill after the first Admission Lottery (first registration period), this process will be repeated during each of the subsequent Admission Lotteries (registration periods). Enrollment services will notify students and I. Page 3

parents of their assignment to Madison Park or their place on the Waiting List. Enrollment Services will maintain the wait list of lottery candidates. The wait list will expire at the end of the second marking period (January of the following year.) Madison Park Technical Vocational High School s Wait Lists, is managed in accordance with policy approved by the School Committee as described in the annual publication, Introducing the and located on the website at www.bostonpublicsschools.org/assignment. Openings for Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 will be determined by the number of seats available based on projected enrollment and the capacity of the programmatic offerings. Madison Park Technical Vocational High School is in compliance with state and federal legislation guaranteeing equal access to public educational institutions. 5. RECRUITMENT PROCESS Madison Park Technical Vocational High School administrators are responsible for disseminating information about Madison Park Technical Vocational High School through district initiatives, production of marketing materials, attending local Grade 8 assemblies, press releases and sponsoring open houses and information sessions. Madison Park is responsible for annually supplying the Family Resource Centers with current information about the school, including the Admission Lottery Process, on an annual basis. Madison Park Technical Vocational High School disseminates information about the school through a variety of methods. a. An invitation to all guidance departments of schools that have grade eight students (public, private, charter) to the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School where the Administration and Guidance staff provide an overview of vocational technical education, all of the opportunities available, and services offered by the school. b. Madison Park participates in the School Preview Time and provides opportunities for students and families to learn more about vocational education before the Admission Lottery / annual school registration begins. The yearly schedule of these activities can be found at the Family Resource Centers or by visiting: www.bostonpublicschools.org/register. Open Houses are conducted in the fall. c. Brochures, which describe technical vocational programs including academic courses, sports, cooperative education, articulation agreements, industry credentialing and special education resources, are distributed during the Showcase of Schools event scheduled for each December. I. Page 4

6 LOTTERY APPLICATION PROCESS FOR FALL ADMISSION TO THE NINTH, TENTH, ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH GRADE All guidance counselors in the sending public schools work with students on high school choice starting in October. Boston Public School students interested in applying to Madison Park Vocational Technical High School for fall admission to the ninth grade must: a. Complete the School Choice Application for high school assignment that is distributed by their current school; b. Select Madison Park High School as their first choice; and c. Return the completed form to his/her school guidance office no later than the deadline set by the district in order to have the best opportunity for assignment. Deadlines are published in the annual booklet, Introducing the and on the website. OR a. Complete the School Choice Application for high school assignment at any Family Resource Center no later than the deadline set by the district. Deadlines are published in the annual booklet, Introducing the and on the website. For students new to the district or not in district, information, locations and hours of operation for Family Resource Centers can be found online at: www.bostonpublicschools.org/register, or call the Center at: (617 635-9661). 7. LOTTERY CRITERIA AND PROCESS Madison Park Technical Vocational High School is open to students in all Boston neighborhoods. However, the vocational technical laboratories (shops) are designed and equipped to serve a specific maximum number of students safely and therefore the number of seats available in the school are limited. There are several Admission Lotteries / registration periods in the, to increase the chances of receiving an assignment to Madison Park, students rank Madison Park as the highest possible choice on the School Choice Application for high school assignment and apply during the earliest Admission Lottery / registration period for their grade as published in the annual Introducing the Boston Public Schools and on the websit. www.bostonpublicschools.org/register This Admission Lottery / registration period typically occurs in January. I. Page 5

Students submitting applications during subsequent Admission Lotteries / registration periods will be considered for selection to attend Madison Park. Lottery numbers will be randomly assigned by a computer at the end of each Admission Lottery / registration period. Seats will be filled in order, beginning with students having the lowest lottery number. This process is repeated at the end of each Admission Lottery / registration period until all available slots at Madison Park are full. Students who choose Madison Park and are not assigned will be placed on Madison s wait list. Notification of assignment or wait list status is sent to parents/students by letter beginning in March of each year list. Wait lists are managed in accordance with policy established by the School Committee as described in the annual publication, Introducing the and on the website at www.bostonpublicsschools.org/assignment. Students who do not receive an assignment to any school of their choice may be placed on up to three wait lists for high schools. Students may not occupy more than three wait lists. All wait lists expire at the end of the second marking period (January of the following year.). I. FOR ADMISSION TO THE NINTH, TENTH, ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH GRADES FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR Students enrolled in the who want to transfer to Madison Park Technical Vocational High School during the school year may apply for a transfer. Students will be enrolled only on a space available basis after any students on the waiting list have been admitted. Students can transfer in any time during Grade 9 or 10. Students in Grade 11 can only transfer into Madison Park from a non- Chapter 74 state-approved vocational program when they apply by September 30 th. Grade 12 students and Grade 11 students wishing to enter Madison Park Technical Vocational High School after September 30 th can only enter Madison Park during the school year if they are transferring from a Chapter 74 state-approved vocational technical program that Madison Park offers and has space availability. Requests received by September 30 will be processed as they are received. Requests from Grade 9 and 10 students received after September 30 will be processed in two (2), Admission Lottery Processes / batches: mid- November and late January. Applicants and parents/guardians should see the annual publication: Introducing the, also found on the web at: www.bostonpublicschools.org/register for specific deadline dates for eligibility to these Lotteries. Or contact the Family Resource Centers at: (617) 635-9661, or online at: www.bostonpublicschools.org/ register. Regardless of when a student applies there is no guarantee that the transfer request will be approved. School Committee policy limits the number of times students may transfer to a different school: High School: Only once in grades 9 12 I. Page 6

HOME SCHOOL STUDENTS Students who are formally being home schooled may apply for admission to Madison Park Technical Vocational High School including admission during the school year, provided all school registration and Admissions Policy criteria are followed. If there is an established waiting list, Home School Students will be added to the end of the list and will be admitted from that list in the same way as all other students are. The Home School student s parent(s)/guardian(s) must submit a copy of the Home School approval letter from the superintendent. TRANSFER STUDENTS Applications from students who are enrolled in a state-approved (Chapter 74) vocational technical high school program in another school (transfer students) will be considered for admission (including admission during the school year) if they relocate away from their current school and wish to pursue the same program of study at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. 8. ENROLLMENT In order to enroll at Madison Park Vocational Technical High School for the fall, applicants must have been promoted to the grade they wish to enter. 9. CAREER PROGRAM PLACEMENT All incoming freshmen participate in the Exploratory Program for one period everyday; this program is designed to help them learn about their talents and interests relative to a variety of different Technical Vocational programs. The Exploratory Program runs from September through June; students explore all vocational programs. Technical Vocational program (shop) teachers evaluate students during the exploratory program. The student is evaluated and scored (total of 0-25 points) on: Demonstrates full participation in activities, Demonstrates willingness to learn about program, Demonstrates basic understanding of vocational program, Demonstrates cooperation and respect for peers and instructor, Demonstrates safe handling of tools and equipment. Students are given scores of 0-25 for each vocational program explored. A student may earn a maximum of 450 points. At the completion of the exploratory rotations, students are required to select three shops in order of preference. These selections are submitted to the guidance office and students will be placed into their permanent shop based on the point total they received in all shops combined during the exploratory period. For example, a student with a point total of 375 would be placed in the shop of their choice before a student with a point total of 350. I. Page 7

Wait lists will be maintained for any program that is oversubscribed. Students will be admitted from the wait list, if space becomes available, based on their total points received in the exploratory program rotations. If a shop fills, based on point total, before a student gets his/her first choice, the guidance counselor then moves to the students second or third choice depending upon whether there is an opening in the shop. Again the student is admitted based upon overall point total. If a student s point total in all shops combined is so low that they were not placed in their second or third choice shop because shops were filled by students with higher point totals, the guidance counselor will meet with the student and present a list of the shops with openings and ask the student to choose one of them. Again, students selecting shops from among the shops with openings will be admitted based on their point totals. The process continues until all students are placed. The wait list is maintained for one year. Grade 10 and 11 students who wish to transfer from one shop to another during the school year may apply for transfer through their guidance counselor. The counselor will work with the student, parents, and the vocational director at Madison Park. Transfer requests will be considered subject to the availability of openings in the requested shops. Each transfer applicant will be interviewed and counseled individually to determine the suitability of the transfer. Students who enroll at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School after grade nine may explore vocational technical programs that have openings before making a program selection. Students are evaluated and graded by each shop teacher during the period of exploration. If the number of enrollees seeking a particular shop exceeds the number of openings, the evaluative grades received by the students are rank ordered and will determine which enrollee are placed in the particular shop. 10. REVIEW and APPEALS Students Not Accepted into Selected Shop Area/ Placed on Shop Waiting List The applicant s parent/guardian, upon receipt of a letter from Madison Park Technical Vocational High School indicating that the applicant was not accepted or placed on a waiting list for a particular program (shop) list, may also request a review of the decision by sending a letter requesting a review to the city wide Director of Career and Technical Education within ten days of the receipt of the letter. The Director of Career and Technical Education will respond in writing to the letter with the findings of the review within thirty days. I. Page 8