Across Massachusetts, career/vocational technical education (CVTE) high schools are in demand, to the point where many have wait lists in the hundreds. These schools employ formal admissions processes that typically take into account middle school grades, attendance, disciplinary and conduct records, guidance counselor recommendations and interviews, following guidelines from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
In contrast, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, Boston’s only CVTE high school, is dramatically under-enrolled and employs no special admissions requirements to speak of. In fact, for years the school received students who did not consciously choose it, as the school district would “administratively assign” to Madison Park students whose parents or guardians failed to specify a school choice, or students who were not succeeding in other schools.