File: JF - SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

General School Admissions Policy

All school age children who reside in the city will be entitled to attend the public schools, as will certain children who do not reside in the city but who are admitted under School Committee policies relating to nonresident students or by specific action of the School Committee.

Advance registration for prospective kindergarten students will take place in the spring. Every student seeking admission to school for the first time must present a birth certificate or equivalent proof of age acceptable to the District and proof of vaccination and immunizations as required by the state and the School Committee. Proof of residency and of legal guardianship may also be required by the District.

Career Technical Education (CTE) Admissions Policy

For CTE Programs at Worcester Technical High School and the Comprehensive High Schools Governed by Chapter 74 in the Massachusetts General Laws

Introduction

An admission process is necessary for Career Technical Education (CTE) schools and programs at comprehensive high schools. CTE shops are designed and equipped to serve a specific maximum number of students safely.

Consequently, a complex of such shops lacks both space and flexibility to accommodate all applicants' possible needs and interests. Therefore, when the number of applicants exceeds the student capacity in a given program, a selection process is required to determine which applicants will be offered admission and which applicants will be placed on a waiting list.

In May 2025, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted new regulations for admissions to CTE schools and programs at comprehensive high schools. This policy was developed for the 2025-2026 admissions process to ensure transparency for students, families, and sending districts. The Worcester Public Schools (WPS) School Committee originally approved a CTE admissions policy on December 16, 2021. Revisions were approved in October 2022, October 2024, and this current revision for consideration in Fall 2025. The policy is in effect for the students applying for admission to enroll from the 2026-2027 school year going forward. The School Committee will review this policy annually; the District will re-submit the policy (including any approved revisions) to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) by November 1, 2025.

Equal Educational Opportunity

Worcester Technical High School (WTHS) and the CTE programs at WPS comprehensive high schools admit students and make available to them their advantages, privileges, and courses of study without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

Students who lack proficiency in English (who are classified as "English Learners") and parents of students who lack proficiency in English can request assistance from staff at the middle school they are enrolled in, WTHS or the appropriate comprehensive high school to complete the application process. Online application materials for WTHS and the comprehensive programs will be accessible in at least the eight most commonly used languages within the district. A qualified WPS representative will assist the applicant in completing the necessary forms and assist in interpreting/translating during the entire application and admission process upon the request of the applicant.

Students with disabilities may voluntarily self-identify to request reasonable accommodation during the entire application and admission process. Information on limited English proficiency and disability disclosed voluntarily by the applicant to receive assistance and accommodations during the application and admission process will not affect their admission to the school.

Eligibility

Any eighth-grade student who is a resident of Worcester or who is currently accepted as a school choice student, can apply for fall admission to CTE programs at WTHS and the comprehensive high schools. Eligible students will be evaluated using the criteria contained in this Admissions Policy.

Students enrolled in other CTE schools or programs can apply for transfer admission during the school year to grades 9-12 in a comparable program at WTHS or a comprehensive high school with an available seat, provided they expect to be promoted by their current school to the grade they seek to enter. Transfer students will be evaluated using the criteria contained in this Admissions Policy.

Worcester Public Schools (WPS) is a school choice district. However, the WPS Student Handbook, CTE programs at comprehensive high schools and WTHS do not participate in the school choice program. All applicants (whether current 8th graders or prospective transfer students) for WPS CTE programs must reside within the boundaries of the District, or be enrolled as an approved school choice student, at the time their applications are submitted.

Organizational Structure

Worcester Technical High School (WTHS) is a WPS CTE school governed by Chapter 74 of the Massachusetts General Laws. WTHS is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and is committed to providing quality academic and vocational-technical programs. WPS also administers Chapter 74 CTE programs within several of its comprehensive high schools. It is the responsibility of the WPS Superintendent of Schools to supervise the administration of the policies and procedures required to admit and enroll applicants in conformity with this Admissions Policy.

WTHS has an Admissions Committee appointed by the Principal. The committee consists of the Administration, Guidance, Special Education, Career Technical, and Academic Departments. Responsibilities of the Admissions Committee include:

1. Implementation of admissions procedure

2. Processing of applications

3. Acceptance of students according to the procedure and criteria in the admission policy

4. Establishment and maintenance of waiting list(s)

CTE programs at WPS comprehensive high schools each have their respective admissions committees to carry out similar responsibilities for their admissions processes.

Recruitment Process

1. WPS implements MyCAP in grades 7 through 12 through the district's College & Career Readiness and AVID courses, in alignment with each school's school counseling program. Exploration and awareness of secondary school options are embedded in the grade seven and eight College & Career Readiness maps and AVID curriculum, as well as in the secondary and postsecondary academic and career planning school counselors do with small grade level groups and individual students.

2. WPS high schools that offer CTE programming work closely with district administration and the district's six schools that serve middle school students to inform middle school students about their CTE program options. This includes, but is not limited to, annual information dissemination to middle school principals and school counseling teams, as well as participation in middle school CTE program information sessions.

3. The websites of the six WPS schools that serve middle school students have a High School Options page that outlines all of the WPS secondary options for their students, including information about all of the district's CTE programs and the annual CTE admissions timeline. These middle school webpages are updated by October 15 of each school year.

4. Additionally, the district provides middle school students and their caregivers with information about the district's CTE program information through middle school-based presentations and marketing efforts, targeted messaging via the district's communication platform Parent Square), and the district's social media accounts.

5. All WPS high schools that offer CTE programming host an annual CTE Open House for students and caregivers to learn about each program, meet instructors, and tour program facilities. All CTE Open House materials are translated into the district's eight most commonly spoken languages.

6. Middle school students are given opportunities to tour CTE schools and programs during regular middle school hours, provided that tours can be accommodated in both middle school and high school CTE program schedules. WPS assumes the transportation costs associated with CTE tours that occur during the school day. Students do not receive an unexcused absence from participating in CTE tours that occur during the school day.

Admissions Process

Fall Admissions Process for Ninth Grade

Students interested in applying to WTHS or a program at a comprehensive high school for fall admission to the ninth grade must complete an online application. To be eligible to apply, applicants must be Worcester residents, or approved school choice students, who provisionally meet WPS high school academic promotion requirements.

• Proportional Allocation of Seats (WTHS only).

• Weighted Lottery Selection Process (for all programs)

o Criteria: All applicants are assigned one to four entries into the program lottery. The number of entries will be determined based on meeting the criteria below (see Table 1 below). The actual selection process will be conducted separately for WTHS and each program at a comprehensive high school (as described in the following sections).

Table 1: Weighted Lottery Criteria

• +1 Lottery Entry for Completed Application: Students will receive 1 lottery entry for submitting a completed application through the online application system: https://wps.go2cte.com/

• +1 Lottery Entry for Meeting the Attendance Criteria: Students with 26 or fewer unexcused absences between all of 7th grade and the first half of 8th grade will receive 1 additional lottery entry.

• +1 Lottery Entry for Meeting the Discipline Criteria: Students with no suspensions in connection to felonies pursuant to M.G.L c.37H or 37H1/2 that have been adjudicated or in which the student has made an admission of guilt in court will receive 1 additional lottery entry.

• +1 Lottery Entry for Meeting the Student Interest Criteria: Students who submit a letter of recommendation from a non-family member indicating that student's interest in career technical education and how they would be a positive fit for the environment will receive 1 additional lottery entry.

WTHS Admissions Lottery

1. Parents and caregivers will be notified of the lottery drawing date and time, via district communication tools and posts on the school and district website. This notice will be made at least thirty (30) days in advance of the public admissions lottery.

2. An online lottery will be conducted for applicants from each sending middle school. Lottery numbers will be computer generated and then randomly assigned to a slot by middle school using the online platform. The weight assigned to each lottery number will correspond to the number of entries determined from the criteria listed above. (Example: a student with 4 "entries" will have a weight 4 times that of a student with 1 "entry" and thus a 4 times greater chance of their lottery number being drawn). This process will be verified by a third party that is not a WPS employee.

3. Applicants who are enrolled in a WPS middle school will be included in that school's lottery regardless of their home school assignment. Applicants not enrolled in a WPS middle school will be included in the lottery for the designated quadrant middle school that corresponds to their residential address.

4. Students will be accepted or placed on the waiting list for their respective middle school in the random order their name is drawn.

5. There may be cases when 8th grade siblings may apply for admission to WTHS from the same sending middle school. It is possible for one sibling to be accepted for a seat allocated to their school while the other sibling(s) might be placed on the waiting list. If this occurs, the parent/guardian may notify the WTHS administration of the circumstance and provide legal documentation of the applicants' sibling status. After a review of the documentation, WTHS may then allocate additional seats to accommodate any sibling(s) who were placed through the lottery on the waiting list. In this case, all siblings must enroll in WTHS's CTE program to maintain their admissions slot.

Admissions Selection for Comprehensive High School Programs

2. An online lottery will be conducted for applicants to each of the CTE programs at the comprehensive schools. Lottery numbers will be computer generated. The weight assigned to each lottery number will correspond to the number of entries determined from the criteria listed above. (Example: a student with 4 "entries" will have a weight 4 times that of a student with 1 "entry" and thus a 4 times greater chance of their lottery number being drawn). This process will be verified by a third party that is not a WPS employee. Applicants will not be drawn separately by feeder school but rather by program for each of the programs at the comprehensive high schools.

3. Students will be accepted or placed on the waiting list in the random order where their name was drawn.

Incomplete Applications

If incomplete applications are received, the following procedures will be followed:

1. The Admissions Office will notify the sending school Guidance Counselor responsible for submitting the application that the application is incomplete and will request completion.

2. The applicant's parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified by the Admission Office in the event the problem is not resolved by the sending school Guidance Counselor.

3. If after notifying the sending school Guidance Counselor and parent(s)/guardian(s), the application remains incomplete for ten school days, the application will be voided.

Home-Schooled Students

Applications from resident students that are enrolled in an approved Home-School program who apply to WTHS and/or a CTE program at a comprehensive high school will follow the procedures contained in this admission policy and will be evaluated using the criteria contained in this Admission Policy.

Application Window

Applications to all CTE programs at the comprehensive high schools and to Worcester Technical High School will open on November 1st of the student's 8th grade year.

Applications will close at the end of the final school day prior to the WPS February break. Application data will include student data from 7th grade through the first half of 8th grade regardless of when the application is submitted during this window. The lottery selection process will occur on the second Wednesday of March for all WPS CTE programs. The results will be viewable immediately after the process through the online application program. Results will be posted on the District website the Friday following the lottery selection.

Admissions Process for Grades 10-12 for a CTE Program

1. Eligibility: Prospective applicants must be currently enrolled in a CTE program or school in order to be eligible, and there must be an open space in the same CTE program at WTHS or a comprehensive high school.

2. Students interested in applying for admission for the current school year must:

a. Contact the WPS Parent Information Center for the necessary paperwork and approval process.

b. The Parent Information Center will communicate to WTHS and/or the comprehensive high school to determine if there is space in the program and confirm the eligibility of the student. The student must be on grade level and on track for current promotion to the next grade level at the time of transfer request.

3. For applications to grades 10, 11 & 12 (admission during the school year), the current school year marks in English language arts, social studies, math, and science from the sending school report card/transcript are required.

4. For applications to grades 10,11 & 12 (admission during the school year), the current school attendance records from the sending school are required.

5. For applications to grades 10, 11 & 12 (admission during the school year), the current school discipline record is required.

NEW Fall Admission for 10th Grade WPS Students

1. Eligibility: Students enrolled in WPS during their 9th grade year and on track for promotion to the 10th grade, will be eligible to apply to specific programs with space availability at WTHS. Students enrolled in a CTE program at one of the comprehensive schools will NOT be eligible to apply.

2. WTHS will open up applications for specific programs where space is available by May 15 of the Spring prior to admission.

3. Eligible WPS students must fill out an application and select the program(s) they wish to enroll in through our online application at https://wps.go2cte.com/.

4. Applications are due by June 1st.

5. Applications will be reviewed, and promotional status will be verified with final grades and attendance information for students' 9th grade year.

6. All eligible applicants will be entered into a lottery, and separate lotteries will be each program with availability.

7. Students will be notified if they have been accepted or waitlisted into their programs of interest on or before August 15th. Students will have 1 week after notification to accept or deny their position.

ACCEPTANCE, ENROLLMENT, and WAITING LIST PROCEDURES for GRADE 9

Admissions Offers and Acceptance

In order to enroll at WTHS or a comprehensive high school for the fall, applicants must meet WPS promotion requirements from their sending school for the grade level they wish to enter. Under no circumstances will students be allowed to matriculate without successfully passing their courses in English language arts or the ESL equivalent and mathematics for the school year immediately preceding their enrollment in the CTE program. Upon receipt of final year-end marks, WTHS and comprehensive programs may withdraw admissions offers for students who do not meet WPS promotion requirements. WTHS or comprehensive program staff will notify admitted students' parents and caregivers of such withdrawal actions by telephone, US Postal Service, and electronic mail. When offers of admission are withdrawn for any reason, students' spaces will be offered to applicants from the appropriate waiting list.

Note: completion of summer school would not negate admissions withdrawal as slots may already be filled from the waitlist.

WTHS and comprehensive high school programs will notify parents and caregivers of their students' conditional acceptance via US Postal Service and electronic mail. Parents and caregivers must notify WTHS and/or the comprehensive high school program of their decision to accept or decline the offer of admission within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date on the admissions offer letter. If no response is received after 14 days, WTHS or the comprehensive program will assume the offer has been declined and will proceed to offer that student's space to an applicant from the waiting list.

ACCEPTANCE, ENROLLMENT, and WAITING LIST PROCEDURES FOR GRADE 9

1. Waiting lists will be established at WTHS and for each program at the comprehensive high schools following the procedures described above (see Section VI-1-b). Waiting lists will remain active until October 1st of the year following their being established, at which time they will expire.

a. WTHS will maintain a separate waiting list for each of the six WPS sending middle schools. When an opening arises for any reason (e.g., due to a declined or withdrawn offer of admission, or a withdrawal from the school), WTHS staff will offer admission to the next applicant on the waiting list corresponding to the student who created the vacancy. If at any time there are no more applicants on the waiting list for a particular quadrant middle school, the next applicant from the next school's waiting list will be offered admission (based on alphabetical order of feeder school's name). If that student declines, then the next student from the next school will be offered admission, and so on until an applicant accepts admission.

b. Each CTE program housed at one of the comprehensive high schools will maintain a waiting list for applicants from all feeder schools. When an opening arises for any reason (e.g., due to a declined or withdrawn offer of admission, or a withdrawal from the school), designated staff from the program offer admission to the next applicant on the waiting list. In the unlikely event that there are no other applicants on the waiting list, the program may recruit from the school's regular enrollment to fill any available seats.

CAREER TECHNICAL PROGRAM PLACEMENT (WTHS Only)

All ninth graders who enroll in WTHS participate in a career technical exploratory program designed to help them learn about their talents and interests relative to a variety of different vocational-technical programs. Students initially explore each vocational program in the first quarter of the school year.

The student's top four (4) choices from the first quarter career exploration program, together with two (2) choices taken from the total available shops are scheduled for the entire exploratory period (which is composed of Quarter 2 and part of Quarter 3). Students are evaluated and scored (0-100 points) using the standardized Student Evaluation - Exploratory rubric by each shop during each shop exploratory rotation. At the end of this six-shop exploratory, each student selects their program preferences on the shop selection from one through six from the programs they explored. Students are admitted into the shop of their choice based on the grade point total they received. For example, a student with a point total of 100 would be admitted before a student with a point total of 80. If a shop fills, based on the highest point total before a student gets his/her first choice, the Director of Career Vocational Technical Education then moves to the students' second through sixth choice depending upon whether there is an opening in the shop. Again, each student is admitted based upon their overall point total.

If a student's combined point total in all shops does not qualify them to be placed in their second- through sixth- choice shop because the shops were filled by students with higher point totals, the Director of Career Vocational Technical Education will meet with the student and present a list of the shops with openings which the student can explore and ask the student to choose one of them. Again, students selecting shops from among the shops with openings, which the students explored, will be admitted based on their point totals. The process continues until all students are placed. In the event of a tie, a blind lottery will decide the assignment of students to the available seats in a particular shop.

Students who wish to transfer from one shop to another during the school year may request transfer using a standardized form from their guidance counselor. Transfer requests will be considered subject to the availability of openings in the requested shops, and career plan. Each transfer applicant will be interviewed and counseled individually to determine the appropriateness of the transfer for the particular student.

REVIEW and APPEALS

Applicants will be placed into tiers prior to the lottery being drawn. Once applicants have been assigned a tier, they may appeal that assignment by first contacting the middle school they are coming from. The middle school designee will review the tier requirements and the student application and will reply to an appeal request within 5 school days.

If after the review, the parent/guardian wishes to appeal the findings of the review, they may do so by sending a written request to the WPS Executive Director's office to appeal the middle school's findings. The Executive Director's office will respond in writing within 5 school days with their decision on the appeal. These appeals must occur more than 1 week prior to the lottery being drawn. Appeals received within one week or after the lottery is drawn will not be considered.

Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy

Overview

Massachusetts state regulations (603 CMR 4.00) require sending districts to maintain a districtwide Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy that documents how middle school students in the district are made aware of, and gain exposure to, career technical education (CTE) schools and programs available to them in their district, regional, agricultural, and other public high schools.

CTE schools and programs are governed by Chapter 74 in the Massachusetts General Laws.

Sending districts must submit this Policy to DESE by November 1, 2025, and as amended.

Sending districts must also submit an annual attestation that the Policy has been implemented in the sending district. Sending districts must make their Policy available on the district website and provide written copies to students and parents upon request.[1]

High School Pathway Options Available to Students

1. Worcester Public Schools (WPS) has 32 Career Technical Education (CTE) programs across four high schools: Worcester Technical High School (23), Doherty Memorial High School (4), North High School (2), and South High Community School (3).

2. All WPS CTE programs are committed to preparing students for success in college, career, and life by integrating academic instruction with hands-on learning in high-skill, high-demand fields. WPS CTE programs are aligned with industry standards and designed to help students explore their interest, develop technical and employability skills, and earn industry-recognized credentials.

Middle School Career Exploration

1. WPS implements MyCAP in grades 7through 12 through the district's College& Career Readiness and AVID courses, in alignment with each school's counseling program. Exploration and awareness of secondary school options are embedded in grade seven eight College & Career Readiness maps and AVID curriculum, as well as in secondary and postsecondary academic and career planning school counselors do with small grade level groups and individual students.

2. WPS high schools that offer CT programming work closely with district administration and the district's six schools that serve middle school to inform middle school students about their CTE program options. This includes but is not limited to annual information dissemination to middle school principals and school/counseling teams, as well as participation in middle school CT program information sessions.

3. The websites of the six WPS schools that serve middle school students each have a High School Options page that outlines all of the WPS secondary options for their students including information about all of the district's programs, and annual CT admissions timeline. These middle schools webpages are updated by October 15 of each school year. Additionally, the district provides middle school students and their caregivers with information about the district's CTE program through middle school-based presentations and marketing efforts, targeted messaging via the district's communication platform (Parent Square), and the district's social media accounts.

Middle School CTE Tour Policies

1. All WPS high schools that offer CT programming host an annual CTE OpenHouse for students and caregivers to learn about each program, meet instructors, and tour program facilities. All CTE Open House materials are translated into the district's eight most spoken languages.

2. Middle school students are given opportunities to tour CTE schools programs during regular middle school hours, provided that tours can be accommodated in both middle school and high school CTE program schedules. WPS assumes the transportation costs associated with CTE tours that occur during the school day.

3. Students do not receive an unexcused absence for participating in CTE tours that occur during the school day.

Providing Records to CTE Schools and Programs

1. WPS utilizes the Go2CTE platform for admissions applications. Through this portal and through our student-management system, WooEDU, WPS Admissions coordinators are able to access records pertaining to attendance and discipline as needed. For applicants attending schools outside WPS domain (, i.e. charter and parochial schools,) a contact person has been identified who will provide necessary records upon request.

2. All records are maintained in theGo2CTE platform which is secured by contract with WPS. Information is shared upon request and after review that request is valid and appropriate.

LEGAL REFS.: M.G.L. 15:1G; 76:1; 76:5; 76:15; 76:15A

603 CMR 26.00

CROSS REFS.: JLCA, Physical Examination of Students

JLCB, Inoculations of Students

JFBB, School Choice

JFABD, Homeless Students: Enrollment Rights and Services

Approved: October 23, 2025