Michigan Merit Curriculum Requirements

“Public education is no longer about selecting and sorting students – it has evolved into a system that strives to prepare all students for lives outside of school . . .” Bill Daggett

In the past, the academic requirements that high school students had to meet in order to graduate were decided by a local board of education or public school academy governing board.  In other words, this resulted in a variance between each of the local districts as well as public school academies as to what was required of students as a condition for high school completion and the issuance of a high school diploma. 

As a matter of equity and economic interest, the Michigan Legislature passed the Michigan Merit Curriculum law, MCL 380.1278, to establish a common set of high school curriculum requirements.  This law is intended to raise the standards for a high school diploma and make those standards common across the state.

The Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) identifies the learning expectations for students in the content/subject areas that make up the core curriculum at the high school level.  These requirements interject rigor into the high school experience, and set standards expectations for instruction and assessment to better assure integrity regarding the academic skills and abilities of the diploma recipient.

Implementation of the Michigan High School Graduation Requirements begins with the high school class of 2011 and requires each high school student to earn the number of credits in the following subject areas:

4 Credits         English Language Arts
4 Credits         Mathematics
3 Credits         Science
3 Credits         Social Studies
1 Credit           Health/Physical Education
1 Credit           Visual, Performing, Applied Arts
2 Credits         World Language (Class of 2016 and beyond)
1 Course         Online Learning Experience

Each of these subject areas are defined by a set of high school content expectations (HSCE) that delineate the content that must be addressed within the course of instruction of each specific subject, i.e. Algebra I, Chemistry, etc.

Recognizing that students have different interests and abilities, and that some students will need more and varied learning opportunities to both meet or exceed these high school requirements, some flexibility is necessary.  The law addresses this need for flexibility by authorizing schools to make available, under specific conditions, the option to develop a “personal curriculum” to either enhance or alter the required curriculum without reducing expectations for student performance.  This provision or accommodation is based on the premise that multiple paths to the same end can be pursued without diminishing the value and purpose of the diploma.

The legislation also requires comprehensive student planning through the development of an Educational Development Plan (EDP) for all students.  Subsequently, the personal curriculum may be used as an approach to avert the drop out of students who struggle academically, and other students with specific or unique learning needs.  For example, some students may need or desire a personal curriculum to broaden study or accelerate completion of the requirements.  In other instances, they may need additional time to complete the math requirement of the curriculum.

The personal curriculum is intended to make the MMC accessible to all students while maintaining academic rigor.  Toward this end, the legislation states that a student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) may modify the requirements of the Michigan Merit Curriculum in ways not otherwise allowed for other students with a personal curriculum, so long as the modifications are consistent with the IEP and the student’s (EDP). 

Students who transfer from an out-of-state or non-public school and have already completed at least two years of high school may also benefit from a personal curriculum in order to lessen or avoid the unintended impact of the Michigan Merit Curriculum requirements that they now must meet.

Following is a summary of the authorized use of the personal curriculum.

• To go beyond the academic credit requirements by adding more math, science, English language arts, or world language credits
• To modify the Algebra II mathematics requirement
• To modify, if necessary, the credit requirements of a student with an IEP
• To modify credit requirements for a transfer student from out of state or from a nonpublic school who has completed the equivalent of two years of high school and is unable to meet the MMC requirements

The coursework taken to earn the required credits for the MMC is based on the HSCE/subject area content expectations or guidelines developed by the MDE as required by legislation.  Successful completion or student proficiency is measured by student performance assessments developed or selected by the Department or the school district that are typically in the form of end-of-course tests.

This, of course, begs the question of how course credits are to be awarded or what level of performance these assessments indicate proficiency or mastery of the subject area content.  Regarding the process of assigning course credit, the legislation authorizes each district or public school academy to set the “performance parameters” or cut scores for proficiency based on the academic experience performance of the students served.
It is mandated that these cut scores be predetermined, and not done on an individual basis, except in the case of students with an IEP.  The academic performance of these students may be measured by alternative standards of assessments including MI ACCESS as opposed to the usual state assessments of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) and the Michigan Merit Examination (MME).

As is usually the case, this legislation gives schools freedom of design and delivery of the required curriculum. Emphasis is, however, placed on students being provided the opportunity and instructional support to demonstrate proficiency/mastery of the content expectations. For instance, not all math content need be delivered in a traditional math class setting, rather some concepts may be better taught in a non-traditional setting such as a career technical education or web-based class. 

Regardless of the instructional setting, the school must document each student’s successful mastery of each curriculum requirement.  Accurate records of each student’s demonstration of content mastery in relation to the performance parameters (cut scores) and the awarding of credit must be kept since this impacts graduation and the issuance of a diploma.

Upon the successful completion of the Michigan Merit Curriculum requirements and any other local requirements of the district or public school academy, the student may be issued a diploma.  The intent of the legislation is that a student who requests, receives, and successfully completes a personal curriculum should be awarded a diploma since the personal curriculum is meant to individualize the rigor and relevance of the MMC while maintaining the integrity of the requirements and subsequent diploma.  Some students who cannot or do not complete all of the MMC requirements cannot be issued a diploma but may complete their high school course of study without earning a diploma according to local guidelines.  However, districts and public school academies must make this decision without further guidance from the MDE.

The following are additional points for consideration in implementing the personal curriculum.  These also include legislative revisions through January 13, 2009.

• Districts must offer the personal curriculum option to students. A district is not, however, obligated to approve all requests for a personal curriculum.
• A personal curriculum may be initiated by a parent or school personnel, including a counselor or administrator but parental consent is always required.  (An emancipated student may act on his or her own behalf in place of a parent.)
• The building principal of the students’ school is authorized to identify a staff person as the “counselor designee” to serve in a counseling role to facilitate the implementation of a personal curriculum.
• Toward meeting the math requirement, Algebra II may now be taken over a two year period and credit may be awarded for each year.  A personal curriculum is not needed for this adjustment.
• In a personal curriculum, a student may request to exchange one social studies credit for an additional credit in English, language arts, math, science or world languages. 

Since a personal curriculum may only be used to modify MMC requirements, a student may not exchange a social studies, Health/PE, or VPAA credit to earn credit in a world language until the world language requirement has taken effect for the class of 2016.  According to legislation, this option will subsequently not be available to students prior to the class of 2016 unless a local district or public school academy initiates the world language credit requirement for earlier graduating classes.  (Students may still earn high school credit in a world language, regardless of graduating class, before entering high school by demonstrating proficiciency by exam.)

Updated: April 30, 2009 2:20 PM