Admissions Policy

This policy is available in multiple languages upon request, or by using the translate feature at the top of this page. A downloadable version of this policy is available at the bottom of this page.

I. INTRODUCTION

An admission process is necessary in career and vocational technical education schools where space is a limiting factor. Each career and technical education (CTE) program is designed and equipped to serve a maximum number of students, resulting in the inability to accommodate all applicants. Therefore, a selection process is necessary.  All applicants to Blue Hills Regional Technical School for grades nine through twelve will be evaluated using the selection criteria contained in this Admission Policy. 

When Blue Hills Regional Vocational School receives more applications than it has available seats, a selection criteria is applied to determine which students it will admit.  The criteria and this policy have been approved by the Blue Hills Regional Vocational School District Committee and the Committee will approve the use of these criteria annually.  Blue Hills Regional Technical School’s Admission Policy is on file at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

II. EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

Blue Hills Regional Technical 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, gender identity, limited English proficiency, disability or housing status.  

Blue Hill Regional Technical School has an on-line application that is adaptable to languages other than English.  Applications are available to send by mail and will be adapted to languages other than English upon request, as well.  If there is a student with limited English proficiency, a qualified representative from Blue Hills Regional 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.  Please contact the Admission’s Office at 781-828-5800 ext. 2270, if you have any questions or need help filling out the application form.  

Blue Hills Regional Technical School is committed to providing educational opportunities to students experiencing homelessness.  Please contact our school’s liaison, Angelo Dimitriou, at adimitriou@bluehills.org, by telephone at 781-828-5800 ext. 2241, by fax at 781-828-0794 or in-person at Blue Hills Regional Technical School, 800 Randolph Street, Canton, MA 02021 with any questions. 

Students with disabilities may voluntarily self-identify themselves Blue Hills Regional Technical School to request reasonable accommodations during the entire application and admission process. 

Information on limited English proficiency and/or 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 Blue Hill Regional Technical School.

Consistent with Massachusetts regulations, Blue Hills Regional Technical School has created a plan with “deliberate specific strategies to promote equal educational opportunities and attract, enroll, and retain a student population that, when compared to students in similar grades in sending districts, has a comparable academic and demographic profile.”  These strategies include:

• Blue Hills Regional Technical School provides informational presentations to district 8th grade students during the fall.
• Blue Hills Regional Technical School holds an annual Open House.  Prospective students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) have an opportunity to visit all vocational technical programs and speak with teachers.  In addition, prospective students and families have access to staff members from Blue Hills ́ academic courses, student support services, and extra-curricular programs.
• Blue Hills Regional Technical School schedules a Showcase Event for district 8th graders and their staff members. Showcase is held during school hours for accessibility and accommodations. Schools that choose to participate in this program are provided with transportation at no cost, and 8th grade students have an opportunity to tour the building and view program-specific presentations.
• Interested students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) are encouraged to visit the Blue Hills Regional Technical School website (www.bluehills.org) which is updated regularly.

III. ELIGIBILITY

IV. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Blue Hills Regional Technical School is a public regional vocational technical school located in Canton, Massachusetts. It is operated by the Blue Hills Regional Vocational School District, approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Blue Hills Regional Technical School is committed to providing quality academic and career/technical education programs.

The Superintendent-Director of Blue Hills Regional Technical School is:  Jill M. Rossetti.
Contact Information:  email:  jrossetti@bluehills.org;  telephone: 781-828-5800 x4001

The Principal of Blue Hills Regional Technical School is:  Geoffrey Zini
Contact Information:  email: gzini@bluehills.org; telephone: 781-828-5800 x2257

The Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education is:  Stephanie Albernaz
Contact Information: email: salbernaz@bluehills.org; telephone:  781-828-5800 x2271

It is the responsibility of Blue Hills Regional Technical School’s Superintendent-Director to supervise the administration of the policies and procedures used to admit and enroll students, consistent with all applicable laws, regulations, and guidance. 

The Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education is responsible for supervising all aspects of the admission process.  This includes: the developing and implementation of the admission procedures, processing of applications, ranking of students, acceptance of students and establishing/maintenance of a waiting list of acceptable candidates.  Additional responsibilities include disseminating information about the school and collecting applications from sending schools.

It is the responsibility of the Principal to review student admission and enrollment process, meet with parents/guardians and applicants regarding school discipline hearings and admission appeal meetings.   

The Blue Hills Regional Technical School Admissions Committee is charged with the process of selecting applicants for admission. This Committee is comprised of the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education, the Principal, Assistant Principal, Director of Student Services, Vocational Director, Academic Director, and Co-operative Education Coordinator.  Additional staff will be trained on the admission policy, scoring rubric and the interview process to assist in the admission process, if necessary. Prior to interviewing applicants, all interviewers have gone through implicit bias training.

According to guidelines set in the District Agreement, there are no quotas for the number of students eligible to apply or a quota to have a certain number of acceptances from member towns.

Blue Hills Regional Technical School does not participate in the School Choice Program.

V. ADMISSIONS COMMUNICATIONS POLICIES

VI. APPLICATION PROCESS

A. APPLICATION PROCESS - FOR FALL ADMISSION TO THE NINTH AND TENTH GRADE

1. Students interested in applying to Blue Hills Regional Technical School for fall admission to the ninth and tenth grade must go through the appropriate stages of the process:  The Timeline Guide and Instructions are below.  The Timeline Guide provides general dates for the purpose of this policy document.  Reference to the specific dates are published on the school’s annual Admissions Timeline and Events calendar and posted on our school website at www.bluehills.org.  If the timeline needs to be adjusted, the changes will be posted publicly and on our school website at www.bluehills.org.  Applicants will also be notified in writing.

• Obtain an Application for Admission, fill out and return it to their Guidance Counselor/School Designee in early Fall

• Receipt of Completed Applications Form for Gr. 9 on or before the second Friday in December
• Receipt of Completed Application Form for Gr. 10 on or before mid-June

• Interviews for Gr. 9 Completed on or before the last school day in January
• Interviews for Gd. 10 Completed on or before mid-July

• Letters of Notification for Gd. 9 Sent Out on or before mid-February
• Letters of Notification for Gd. 10 Sent out on or before Mid-August

• Confirmation by Parents/Guardians for Gd. 9 within two weeks of acceptance
• Confirmation by Parents/Guardians for Gd. 10 within one week of acceptance 

• Next Round of Notification Letters sent out for Gd. 9 (For Late Applications and Interviews completed after last day in Jan.) in mid-March
• Next Router of Notification Letters sent out for Gd. 10, if there are any openings available, during school year

• Next Round of Confirmation by Parents for Gd. 9 within two weeks of acceptance

The application and notification process will continue until all placements are filled.

Stage 1: Obtain an application form by applying online, obtaining an application from their guidance counselor/school designee, accessing Blue Hills Regional School District webpage at www.bluehills.org for an application or visiting the Admissions Office at Blue Hills Regional Technical School as early in the school year as possible.  
Stage 2: Complete the application online or return the completed application form to the Admissions Office. The completed application packet will be sent to the student’s guidance counselor or school designee to complete and submitted to the Admissions Office. 
Stage 3: Completed application packets may also be sent directly to the Blue Hills Admissions Office, provided the guidance counselor/school designee has completed their portion of the application.  After the application is submitted online or entered online, the applicant can review the status of their application by logging on the account that they created when they submitted an online application.  The applicant may also receive status updates from the local Guidance Counselor or the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education or designee at Blue Hills Regional Technical School.
Stage 4: Upon receipt of a completed application packet, each applicant will have an interview at either their sending school or at Blue Hills Regional. If the applicants or parent(s)/guardian(s) cannot provide transportation, a representative from Blue Hills Regional will go to the local school to interview the applicant.

2. Complete applications include:

1. For Grade 9
1. Completed application form (including signature of the parent/guardian.  Student’s signature is recommended but not required).
2. The final averages of grade 7 and all current grades for term 1 grade 8 in English language arts, social studies, math and science from the school report card.
3. Completed and signed Attendance Evaluation Form which includes the sum of unexcused absences from grade 7 and all current unexcused absences from term 1 of grade 8 from the sending school report card.
4. Completed and signed Recommendation Form which provides equitable standards for measuring the sending school’s recommendation.
5. Completed and signed School Discipline/Conduct Form which includes the discipline records from the sending school’s records for the sum of discipline from grade 7 and the current discipline record from term 1 grade 8 concerning incidents resulting in  suspension or expulsion pursuant to M.G.L. c.71 Section 37H and 37H ½ and incidents resulting in more than ten (10) days of suspension for a single infraction or for cumulative infractions pursuant M.G.L. c.71 Section 37H ¾.  
6. Upon receipt of a completed application packet, each applicant will have an interview at their sending school or Blue Hills Regional. Our goal is to have all interviews completed by the last school day in January. 
2. For Grade 10
1. Completed application form (including signature of the parent/guardian.  Student’s signature is recommended but not required).
2. The average of the previous school year and all current grades for term 1 of the current school year in English, social studies, math and science from the school report card.
3. Completed and signed Attendance Evaluation Form which includes the sum of unexcused absences from the previous school year and term 1 of the current 9th grade school year’s sending school report card.
4. Completed and signed Section Recommendation Form providing equitable standards from the sending school’s recommendation.
5. Completed and signed School Discipline/Conduct Form which includes the discipline records from the sending school’s records for the sum of discipline record from the previous school year and the term 1 of the current 9th grade school year concerning incidents resulting in suspension or expulsion pursuant to M.G.L. c.71 Section 37H and 37H ½ and incidents resulting in more than ten (10) days of suspension for a single infraction or for cumulative infractions pursuant M.G.L. c.71 Section 37H ¾.  
6. Following receipt of a completed application packet, an interview with each applicant will take place at Blue Hills Regional.  Our goal is to have all interviews completed by mid-July.

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

1. The Admission Office will notify the applicant’s Guidance Counselor/school designee responsible for submitting the application that the application is incomplete.  This notification will specify what is needed for completion.
2. The applicant's parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified by our Admission Office in the event that the problem is not resolved by the applicant’s Guidance Counselor/school designee.  The notification specifies what part(s) of the application are missing.
3. If after notifying the applicant’s Guidance Counselor/school designee and parent(s)/guardian(s), the application remains incomplete for ten school days, the application will be placed on ‘inactive’ status, until such time as the additional information is received.

 

B. APPLICATION PROCESS - FOR ADMISSION TO THE NINTH AND TENTH GRADES FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR

1. Students interested in applying to Blue Hills Regional Technical School for admission for the current school year must:

Stage 1: Obtain an application by applying online, obtaining an application from their guidance counselor/school designee, accessing Blue Hills Regional School District website at www.bluehills.org for an application or visiting the Admissions Office at Blue Hills Regional Technical School as early in the school year as possible.
Stage 2: Complete the application online or return the completed application form the Admissions Office.  The completed application packet will be sent to the student’s guidance counselor/school designee to complete and submit it to the Admissions Office. 
Stage 3: Completed application packets may also be sent directly to the Blue Hills Admissions Office, provided the guidance counselor/school designee has completed their portion of the application.  After the application is submitted online or entered online, the applicant can review the status of their application by logging on the account that they created when they submitted an online application.  The applicant can also get status updates from the local Guidance Counselor or the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education or designee at Blue Hills Regional Technical School.
Stage 4: Upon receipt of a completed application packet, each applicant will have an Interview at Blue Hills Regional.  If the applicant or parent/guardian cannot provide transportation, the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education or a representative will go to the school to interview the applicant. 

Applications received after the first school day of October, may limit the student’s opportunity for admission.

2. It is the responsibility of the applicant’s Guidance Counselor/school designee to:

1. complete their portion of the application form.
2. forward the completed application to the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education at Blue Hills Regional Technical School. Complete applications include:
1. Completed application form (including signature of the parent/guardian. Student’s signature is recommended but not required).  
2. For applications to grades 9 and 10 (admission during the school year), submit the previous school year and the current school year to the date of the application grades in English language arts, social studies, math and science.  An official report card is required.
3. For applications to grades 9 and 10 (admission during the school year), submit the previous school year and the current school year to the date of the application unexcused absences from the official report card.
4. For applications to grades 9 and 10 (admission during the school year), submit the previous school year and the current school year to the date of the application discipline records from the previous school year and the term 1 of the current school year concerning incidents resulting in suspension or expulsion pursuant to M.G.L. c.71 Section 37H and 37H ½ and incidents resulting in more than ten (10) days of suspension for a single infraction or for cumulative infractions pursuant M.G.L. c.71 Section 37H ¾.  
5. For applications to grades 9 and 10 (admission during the school year) the sending school's recommendation is required.
6. Following receipt of a completed application packet, an interview with each applicant will take place at Blue Hills Regional. Our goal is to have all interviews completed by First Friday in November.  

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

1. The Admission Office at Blue Hills Regional will notify the applicant’s Guidance Counselor/school designee responsible for submitting the application, that the application is incomplete.  This notification will specify what is needed for 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 their Guidance Counselor/school designee.    
3. If after notifying their Guidance Counselor/school designee and parent(s)/guardian(s) the application remains incomplete for ten school days, the application will be placed on ‘inactive’ status, until such time as the additional information is received. 

C. LATE APPLICATIONS

Applications from any rising or current eighth grade student received after Second Friday in December and/or interviews completed after the last school day in January will be evaluated using the same criteria as other applications and their composite score will be integrated in rank order on the established waiting list.

Applications from any rising or current ninth grade student received after the mid-June and/or interviews completed after mid-July will be evaluated using the same criteria as other applications and their composite score will be integrated in rank order on the established waiting list.

D. TRANSFER STUDENTS

Applications from students who are enrolled in a state-approved (Chapter 74) Vocational Technical School program in another school (transfer students) will be considered for admission) if they relocate away from their current school.  For Fall Admission to the 9th and 10th Grade, applicants may pursue a different program of study and 11th and 12th Grade applicants must pursue the same program of study at Blue Hills Regional Technical School.  For Admission during the current School Year, 9th grade applicants and 10th grade applicants during their first term may pursue a different program of study.  As of second term of 10th, 11th and 12th Grade applicants must pursue the same program of study at Blue Hills Regional Technical School.  All transfer applicants must be interviewed by Blue Hills Regional Technical School. If the applicant or parent/guardian cannot provide transportation, the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education or a representative from the admissions staff at Blue Hills Regional Technical School will go to the applicant’s school to interview the applicant. Their applications will be evaluated according to the provisions of this Admission Policy.

E. WITHDRAWN STUDENTS

Students who withdraw from Blue Hills Regional Technical School and who are attending or not attending another high school may reapply to Blue Hills Regional following the procedures contained in this admission policy and will be evaluated using the criteria contained in this Admission Policy.  A student who has withdrawn from Blue Hills is not guaranteed an acceptance.

F. HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENTS

Students who are formally being home-schooled may apply for admission to Blue Hills Regional Technical School, including admission during the school year, provided all admission criteria are followed.  The home-schooled student’s parent(s) guardian(s) must submit a copy of the home schooled approval letter from the local school superintendent, provide documentation showing the approval of the curriculum, and provide evidence of work reflecting state benchmarks.  Home schooled students will be accepted to Blue Hills Regional Technical School according to the selection criteria contained in this Admission Policy.  The Admission Policy for home -schooled students include:

Students who are home-schooled may apply for admission to Blue Hills Regional Technical School, including admission during the school year, provided all admission policy criteria is followed:

1. The home-schooled student must submit a copy of the “Home School Approval Letter” from the local superintendent.
2. If grades are not available, a representative sample portfolio of student’s body of work in English, Math, Science and Social Studies must be submitted to the District Middle School Principal or designee and the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education to review together for evaluation based on academic achievement.

VII. SELECTION CRITERIA

Completed applications are processed by the Admission Committee using weighted admissions criteria. Each applicant will be assigned a score derived from the sum of the sub scores of the following criteria:

A. Scholastic Achievement: Maximum 20 points

Grade Averages	Points
90-100 (A)	20
80-89 (B)	15
70-79 (C)	10
60-69 (D)	5
0-59 (F)	0

For applications for grade 9 (fall admission), the average of grade 7 and term 1 grade 8 marks in English, social studies, mathematics and science from the sending school report card are required. For applications for grades 10 (fall admission) the average of the previous school year and term 1 of the current school year marks in English, social studies, mathematics and science from the sending school report card are required. For applications to grades 9 and 10 (admission during the school year) the previous school year and the current school year to the date of the application marks in English, social studies, mathematics and science from the sending school report card are required. 

Students who receive pass/fail grades, a passing grade, will be assigned the lowest possible score that represents a passing mark.

B. Attendance: Maximum 15 points

Number of  Unexcused Absences	Points
0	15
1	15
2	14
3	13
4	12
5	11
6	10
7	9
8	8
9	7
10	6
11	5
12	4
13	3
14	2
15	1
16	0

For applications to grade 9 (fall admission), the sum of grade 7 and term 1 grade 8 unexcused absences from the school report card are used. For applications to grades 10 (fall admission) the sum of the previous school year and term 1 current school year unexcused absences from the sending school report card are used. For applications to grades 9 and 10 (admission during the school year) unexcused absences from the five previous completed terms will be used.

C. School Discipline/Conduct: Maximum 15 points

Discipline Reported by Sending School	Points
1 or more 37H or 37H ½ infractions	0
1 or more 37H ¾ infraction resulting in 10+days of suspension Either for a single infraction or cumulatively	0
No 37H, 37H ½ and/or 37H ¾ infractions resulting in 10+ days of suspension, either for a single infraction or cumulatively.	15

For applications to Grade 9 (fall admission), the sum of Grade 7 and Term 1 of Grade 8 discipline records from the sending school are used. For applications to Grade 10 (fall admission) the sum of the previous school year and Term 1 of the current school year’s discipline records from the sending school are used. For applications to Grades 9 and 10 (admission during the school year), the school discipline records from the five previous completed terms will be used.

Any student whose application indicates disciplinary infractions resulting in 0 (zero) awarded points will be given the opportunity to present mitigating evidence and an explanation of the suspension(s), in writing to the principal.  The principal will have the authority to adjust the awarded points according to the following guidelines.

Evidence provides a reasonable explanation and assurance of changed behavior	10 points
Evidence provides a limited explanation and partial assurance of changed behavior	5 points
Evidence does not provide a reasonable assurance of changed behavior	0 points

D. Sending School’s Recommendation: Maximum 5 points

Rating	Points
Excellent	5 - 4.5
Above Average	4 - 3.5
Average	3 - 2.5
Below Average	2 - 1.5
Poor	1 - 0.0

An equitable recommendation form is used and completed by the sending school.  The sending school guidance counselor, teacher or designee will complete the form based on the applicant’s potential for success in a vocational school environment.  There are ten (10) tasks rated in ability/skill.   Each task is given points ranging from .5 points for Excellent; .4 points for Above Average; .3 points for Average; .2 points for below Average and .1 points for Poor. 

E. Interview: Maximum 45 points

Rating	Points
Excellent	37 - 45
Above Average	28 - 36
Average	19 - 27
Below Average	10 - 18
Poor	0 - 9

Upon receipt of a completed application packet, each applicant will have an interview.  An interview form is used and completed by Admission Interviewers.  Each student is asked the same sets of questions and rated according to a standard rubric.  

After points are given in each area, the points are totaled for each applicant. A maximum total of one hundred (100) points can be earned.

VIII. SELECTION PROCESS

The Admission Committee at Blue Hills Regional Technical School will examine, discuss and make recommendations for action on the applicants.

The Admission Committee considers scholastic achievement, attendance, school behavior, sending school’s recommendation and interview results. Applications are reviewed, processed and assigned points by grade level.

After a point total for each resident applicant has been determined, all resident applicants are placed in order of their "point total".  Resident applicants are then accepted in order of the point total they have achieved. The resident applicant with the highest point total is accepted first, the resident applicant with the second highest point total is accepted second, and so on until all seats are filled.  The second official application will be offered the second seat and so forth.  All resident applicants are accepted or placed on a waiting list.  Applicants who applied by the initial application deadline are awarded ten additional points when placed on the waiting list. If openings occur, the seats are filled by accepting resident applicants from the waiting list. These resident applicants, like those accepted earlier, are accepted in order of their place on the waiting list determined by the total points given according to the selection criteria.  In the event that there are more resident applicants with the same “point total” than there are seats available, therefore creating a tie for one or more available seat(s), the applications with the same “point total” will be put in order by date of the official application, first to last date.  The first official application will be offered the seat first.  The second official date of application will be offered the next seat and so forth.  For example, two applications with the same “point total” of 80 are applying for one available seat.  One application has an official application date of September 1st and the other application has an official application date of November 15th.   The application submitted first according to the official application date of September 1st will be the first one on the list followed by next official application date of November 15th.

Non-resident applicants are evaluated using the criteria in this Admission Policy and will be placed on the waiting list after the resident applicants. Non-resident applicants on the waiting list will only be accepted if all resident applicants on the waiting list have been accepted. Non-resident applicants for Fall Admission will be considered only after the first Friday in May.

Rising or Current Eighth Grade Applicants
Rising or current eighth grade applicants whose completed application forms are received on or before the second Friday in December application deadline date will be interviewed. It is expected that application packets and interviews will be completed by the last school day in January. 

Applications received from rising or current eighth grade students and interviews completed after the last school day in January will be evaluated using the same criteria as other applications and their composite score will be integrated in rank order on the established waiting list.  Applicants will be notified of their status by a letter sent electronically to the parent/guardian email listed on the application by Mid- February.  Applicants whose completed application packets are not received and have not been interviewed by Mid-January will receive a letter sent electronically to the parent/guardian email listed on the application informing them of their status.  

Accepted rising and current eighth grade students must notify the Admissions Office of their intention to attend Blue Hills Regional within two weeks after the initial acceptance notification is sent through email.  If no such notification is received, applicants on the waiting list will be accepted in their place.  Thus, a second round of acceptance letters will be sent by Mid-March.  The number of acceptance letters sent will be based on the number of unfilled openings.

Accepted students from the second round must notify the Admissions Office of their intention to attend Blue Hills Regional within two weeks after the initial acceptance notification is sent through email. 

A third round of acceptances will take place, if openings remain, based on the process described above. 

Rising or Current Ninth Grade Applicants
Rising or current ninth grade applicants whose completed application forms are received on or before the mid-June application deadline date will be interviewed. It is expected that application packets and interviews will be completed by mid-July.   If after notifying the applicant’s Guidance Counselor/school designee and parent(s)/guardian(s), the application remains incomplete for ten school days, the application will be placed on an ‘inactive withdrawal’ status, until such time as the additional information is received and/or applicant reactivates his/her application.

Applications received from rising or current ninth grade students and interviews completed by mid-July will be evaluated using the same criteria as other applications and their composite score will be integrated in rank order on the established waiting list.  Applicants will be notified of their status by a letter sent electronically to the parent/guardian email listed on the application by Mid- August.  Applicants whose completed application packets are not received and have not been interviewed by Mid-July will receive a letter informing them of their status.  

Accepted rising and current ninth grade students must notify the Admissions Office of their intention to attend Blue Hills Regional within two weeks of acceptance.  If no such notification is received, applicants on the waiting list will be accepted in their place. Thus, a second round of acceptance letters will be sent.  The number of acceptance letters sent will be based on the number of unfilled openings.

Please note that students accepted in the initial round who notify the Admissions Office after the confirmation deadline date will be placed on the wait list based on their rank order score. 

A second and/or third, etc. round of acceptances will take place, if openings remain, based on the process described above. 

All notifications will state that the admissions decision is conditional on meeting the requirements noted in the Enrollment section of the policy.

IX. ENROLLMENT

In order to enroll at Blue Hills Regional Technical School for the fall, applicants must have been promoted to the grade they wish to enter by their sending school district.  An official final transcript of grades/report card is required to be submitted to the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education prior to enrollment.  

Rising and current grade 9 applicants will be advised to make up any failed courses required for graduation from Blue Hills Regional Technical School.

Acceptance and enrollment at Blue Hills Regional Technical School is based upon the accuracy and completeness of the student’s application.  Blue Hills Regional Technical School reserves the right to revoke its acceptance of any student, at any time, if it determines that the student, the student’s parent/guardian(s), or the student’s sending school district provided inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information during the application process.

All accepted incoming students will participate in a placement testing.  Additionally, prior to the first day of school, and in accordance with the Massachusetts State Law, updated physical examination and immunization records of incoming students must be forwarded to Blue Hills Regional Technical School.

X. VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL PROGRAM PLACEMENT

All ninth graders who enroll in Blue Hills Regional Technical School participate in a technical exploratory program.  First, the mini exploratory program is the preliminary introduction to Blue Hills Regional’s technical program offerings.  For the mini exploratory, students rotate through all seventeen (17) technical programs for one period of time (about 40 minutes).  Students then choose the top nine (9) vocational technical programs they wish to explore for a one-week (approx. 30 hours) period of time during nine (9) technical week cycles.  

A universal exploratory evaluation form is used by each technical program.  Each student will be assigned a total score derived from the sum of the sub scores (points) in the following areas:  Professionalism/Employability, Participation, Quality/Completeness of Work, Safety and Tech/Related for a maximum total of 100 points.  At the end of the last exploratory, each student selects his/her first, second, and third choice programs for final placement.

Students are admitted into the technical program of their choice based first on the total point score they received in that program.  The student with the highest total point score for a technical program is admitted first.  The student with the next highest point total score in that program is admitted second, and so on.  In the event that equal grades are earned by multiple students applying to the same vocational program, consideration will be given to the overall average students received in all exploratory programs.  For example, if two students earned a 94 in Culinary Arts and only one seat is available, the student with the highest overall average of all exploratory grades will be placed in Culinary Arts.  If a student does not receive his/her first choice, their second choice becomes their new first choice for purpose of placement.  Students will be placed in their second choice area following the same procedure as their first choice placement that is, based on the score they received in that program, and so on.  Students are admitted to the second or third choice of program in order of his/her rating for the technical program.    

If a student is not able to be placed in his/her first, second or third choice of program, the guidance counselor will meet with the student and present a list of the technical programs with openings and invite the student to select their top choices in rank order.  If the student chooses a technical program in which he/she previously explored, the technical program placement will be made using the same criteria discussed above.  If several students are vying for one seat, students will be placed in the program based on the grade received in the program during exploratory.  If a student did not explore the program, they may be assigned to the program after students who have received an exploratory grade for the program.   In the event of a tie, we will use the overall average of all exploratories to break the tie.  In a case where the overall average is also a tie, we will blindly draw a student’s name.

Students who enroll at Blue Hills Regional in the tenth grade may explore the technical programs that have openings.  Students are evaluated using the same criteria and scale during the period of exploration.  If the number of enrollees seeking a technical program exceeds the number of openings, the evaluative total point score/grades would determine the placement.  Additional guidance is available to students and parents.  

Students who wish to transfer from one technical program to another during the school year may apply for transfer only once up until October 1 of a student’s sophomore year.  Transfers will not be allowed for students in grades 11 or 12.  Transfer requests will be considered subject to the availability of openings in the requested program.  Each transfer applicant will be interviewed and counseled individually to determine the appropriateness of the transfer for the particular student.  Transfers will not occur without parent(s)/guardian(s) permission.

XI. REVIEW and APPEALS

Acceptance at Blue Hills Regional Technical School is based upon the accuracy of the admission criteria information provided by the sending school district and the accuracy of information provided by parents/guardians and students on the admission application form. 

Upon the receipt of a letter from the Admissions Committee of the Blue Hills Regional Technical School indicating that the applicant has not been accepted or placed on the wait list, the parent(s)/guardian(s) and/or applicant may request a review of the decision by sending a letter to the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education Stephanie Albernaz.   The request must be in the form of a letter that states the reasons(s) why they think the decision should be reconsidered.  The letter can be sent to the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education, Stephanie Albernaz by email at salbernaz@bluehills.org , by fax: 781-828-0794, or mailed to 800 Randolph Street, Canton, MA 02021 to Ms. Albernaz’s attention.     The letter must arrive within fifteen (15) business days of the date on the non-accept determination letter.  The Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education will conduct an administrative review of the application materials and notify the parent/guardian in writing of the results of this review within fifteen (15) business days.  

If after the review, a parent/guardian is not satisfied with the decision of the Director of Admissions and Post-Secondary Education, they may request an appeal based on any extenuating circumstances that may have impacted their student’s application point total.  The appeal, along with any supporting documents, must be submitted in writing to the Principal, Geoffrey Zini.  This request must be made in writing and must arrive within fifteen (15) business days of the Director Admissions’ review.  This appeal letter can be sent to Principal Geoffrey Zini by email at gzini@bluehills.org , by fax: 781-828-0794, or mailed to 800 Randolph Street, Canton, MA 02021 to Mr. Zini’s attention.   The Principal’s Office will respond in writing to the parent/guardian to schedule an appeal meeting on the matter with the applicant, the parent/guardian and the Principal, within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the letter.  After the meeting, the Principal will notify the parent/guardian in writing of the results of this review within fifteen (15) business days.

If a parent/guardian is not satisfied with the decision of the Principal, the parent/guardian and/or applicant may appeal the decision to Superintendent-Director Jill Rossetti.  This request must be made in writing and must arrive within fifteen (15) days of the Principal’s review.  This final appeal letter can be sent to the Superintendent-Director Jill Rossetti at jrossetti@bluehills.org, by fax: 781-828-0794, or mailed to 800 Randolph Street, Canton, MA 02021 to Ms. Jill Rossetti’s attention.     The Superintendent-Director’s Office will respond in writing to the parent/guardian to schedule an appeal meeting on the matter with the applicant, the parent/guardian and the Superintendent-Director, within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the letter.    After the meeting, the Superintendent-Director will notify the parent/guardian in writing of the results of this review within fifteen (15) business days.  The decision of the Superintendent-Director will be final.

If the decision to deny admission is upheld by Superintendent-Director Jill Rossetti, Superintendent-Director Jill Rossetti will retain documents detailing the specific admission requirements used to deny admission and such will be made available to the parent/guardian and student upon request.

With regard to program placement, the parent/guardian of a student, who was not placed in a particular technical program, may request a review of the decision by sending a letter to the Principal.  She/he will review the matter and respond in writing within thirty days.

XII. MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS

Blue Hills Regional Technical School maintains records of all students who apply, enroll, or are waitlisted, as well as their score on admission criteria, to facilitate analysis of its admission system and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Blue Hills will provide this information to the Department upon request.

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