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Curriculum & Instruction

Michigan Academic Standards

According to the dictionary, a standard is “something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison”. Today’s world is replete with standards documents such as standards of care, standards of quality, and even standard operating procedures. These various sets of standards serve to outline agreed-upon expectations, rules, or actions which guide practice and provide a platform for evaluating or comparing these practices.

The state academic standards posted here serve to outline learning expectations for Michigan’s students and are intended to guide local curriculum development. They should be used as a framework by schools for curriculum development with the curriculum itself prescribing instructional resources, methods, progressions, and additional knowledge valued by the local community. Furthermore, these standards provide a platform for state assessments, which are used to measure how well schools are providing opportunities for all students to learn the content outlined by the standards.  

On this page, you will also find the course/credit descriptions and guidelines for implementing the Michigan Merit Curriculum for each subject area.  For questions related to Academic Standards, please call the Curriculum and Instruction Unit at 517-241-2219.

MDE Links

Michigan Merit Curriculum/Graduation Requirements

Michigan Merit Curriculum

The Michigan Merit Curriculum is the result of an extraordinary partnership between the Executive Branch, State Board of Education, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Legislature and numerous education associations. MCL 380.1278a, MCL 380.1278b

High School Graduation Requirements Frequently Asked Questions (Updated 09/2017)

The Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document was designed to provide readers with additional information and clarification regarding the flexibility within the state graduation requirements. The FAQ document will be regularly updated as needed. For questions related to the Michigan Merit Curriculum, please contact the Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) Unit at 517-241-4285.