Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements (Michigan Merit Curriculum)
To prepare Michigan's students with the knowledge and skills needed for the jobs in the 21st Century, the State of Michigan has enacted a rigorous new set of statewide graduation requirements that are among the best in the nation. With these new graduation requirements, students will be well-prepared for future success in college and the workplace. The Michigan Merit Curriculum requires students entering 8th grade in 2006, to obtain a minimum of 16 credits for graduation, which could be met using alternative instructional delivery methods such as alternative course work, humanities course sequences, career and technology courses, industrial technology or vocational education courses, or through a combination of these programs. In addition, students need to complete two credits of a language other than English in grades 9-12; OR an equivalent learning experience in grades K-12 prior to graduation.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS - Four (4) credits in English, which must include Literature and Composition 9 as well as Literature and Composition 10, or their approved alternative.
MATHEMATICS - Four (4) credits in mathematics, which must include: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and math in the senior year.
SCIENCE - Three (3) credits in science, which must include: Physical Science and Biology, along with an additional science credit.
SOCIAL STUDIES - Three (3) credits in social studies, which must include: One (1) credit in U. S. History to include Geography, one (1) credit in World History to include Geography, one-half credit (.5) of American Government, and one-half (.5) credit of Economics.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION - One-half (.5) credit in Foundations of Physical Education.
HEALTH - One-half (.5) credit in Skills for Health and Life. No personal curriculum modifications.
VISUAL, PERFORMING AND APPLIED ARTS - One (1) credit in Visual, Performing, or Applied Arts (VPAA).
LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH - Two (2) credits in World Language.
PERSONAL FINANCE - 0.5 credit in Personal Finance if student does not take Economics (beginning with the Class of 2028).
ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCE - To achieve the on-line requirement in the Michigan Merit Curriculum, students will be involved in structured learning activities that utilize technology with intranet/intranet-based tools and resources as the delivery method for instruction, research, assessment and communication. These activities may include one or more of the following: WebQuests, blogs, wikis, podcasts, videocasts, online research, online field trips, online simulations, educational gaming, electronic portfolios, test preparation and career planning tools.
All required courses/credits must be aligned with Course/Credit Content Expectations and Guidelines developed by Michigan Department of Education.