Michigan Merit Curriculum
Frequently Asked Questions - 04/17
This document is intended to provide general guidance. Due to the complexity of the law, policies and guidance will continue
to evolve. For specific information regarding the law, please refer to MCL 380.1278a and MCL 380.1278b.
380.1278(b) (7) The board of a school district or board of directors of a public school
academy that operates a high
school
shall ensure that each pupil is offered the curriculum
necessary for the pupil to meet the curricular requirements
of
this Section and Section
1278a. The board or board of directors may provide this curriculum by providing the
credits
specified in this Section and Section 1278a, by using alternative instructional
delivery methods such as alternative course
work, humanities course sequences, CTE,
industrial technology courses, or vocational
education, or by a combination of these.
School districts and public school academies that operate CTE programs are encouraged to
integrate the credit requirements of this Section and Section 1278a into those
programs.
380.1278(b) (14) This Section and Section 1278a do not prohibit a pupil from satisfying or
exceeding the credit
requirements of the Michigan merit standard under this Section and
Section 1278a through advanced studies such as
accelerated course placement, advanced
placement, dual enrollment in a postsecondary institution, or participation in
the
international baccalaureate program or an early college/middle college program.
1. What counts as a credit under the Michigan Merit Curriculum?
The MMC requires that credit be awarded based on a studentās demonstration that
he or she has successfully met the content expectations for the credit area, not by
the commonly used Carnegie unit, which is based on seat time. The subject area
standards, expectations, or guidelines outline the content required for earning the
total credit in each content area as specified in the legislation. Districts determine
the credit pathway options. A district may choose to assign a full subject area credit to
a course, or they may choose to design courses and learning experiences for students
that provide opportunities for students to earn partial credit in one or more content
areas.
2. How can students earn credit?
Students may earn credit if they successfully demonstrate mastery of the subject
area content standards, expectations, or guidelines for the credit. The assignment
of credit must be based, at least in part, on student performance on assessments
designed to measure the extent to which they meet the standards, expectations,
and guidelines. Assessments and criteria for success are determined by local
districts. Beyond earning credit through a traditional course setting, a student may
earn a credit in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to:
Work-based Learning Programs,
ā¢ Integrated Sequences,
ā¢ Project-based Learning,
ā¢ Independent Teacher-guided Study, or