Potential Adverse Effects of Using a Personal Curriculum
Parents and students should understand the possible consequences for modifications of the MMC credit requirements or HSCEs. PC modifications that reduce the number of content expectations mastered by the student may affect the student’s:
- Performance on the Michigan Merit Exam (MME).
- Admission to college.
- Eligibility for college scholarships.
- Admission to a trade school.
- Ability to secure a job in the career of choice.
- Eligibility for NCAA athletic programs.
Modifications that create barriers to student success may impact the district’s ability to:
- Achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
- Meet improvement targets informed by the Continuous Improvement and Monitoring System (CIMS-2), the State Performance Plan (SPP), and the Annual Performance Report (APR).
Personal Curriculum (PC) School Resource
ActPoint is an easy to use automated service schools can use to accurately pre-qualify Personal Curriculum requests specific to the Michigan Merit Curriculum.
Using the ActPoint decision-tree application, Michigan school administrators have unlimited access to an automated, self-service system which accurately diagnoses, analyzes, and prescribes specific action steps for most Michigan Merit Curriculum Personal Curriculum options as prescribed by the legislature.
ActPoint eliminates inconsistencies and errors in the qualification process and links to relevant documents, policies, and procedures. It automatically generates personalized action plans and/or forms and reports to assist the user in understanding the decision before taking the next step.
For more information, visit: www.actpoint.com/mi.
Educational Development Plans
The board of a school district or board of directors of a public school academy shall provide the opportunity for each pupil to develop an educational development plan during grade 7, and shall ensure that each pupil reviews his or her educational development plan during grade 8 and revises it as appropriate before he or she begins high school. … An educational development plan shall be designed to assist pupils to identify career development goals as they relate to academic requirements. ~MMC legislation
EDP School Resources
Schools use paper EDPs, electronic EDPs, or Web-based systems such as MyDreamExplorer® or Career Cruising to help students write their education and career goals, including strategies and high school classes that will help them reach these goals.
A free online career exploration course called CareerForward® (cFWD) is available through Michigan Virtual University (MVU) as a resource. The cFWD course provides a good starting point for students to explore the world of work in the 21st century.
For more information, visit
www.mivhs.com.
An Educational Development Plan (EDP) documents an ongoing process in which a student identifies both career goals and a plan of action to achieve them. All students are required to develop an EDP with guidance from school advisors. When applicable, parents and community contacts should also be included. EDPs must be based on high school readiness scores and a career pathways program.
State law requires local schools to provide students an opportunity to begin developing an EDP in grade 7 and requires that every student review and revise his or her EDP in grade 8 as appropriate.
Creating an EDP in grade 7 rather than grade 8 can benefit the student by providing additional time to think about career and education goals as the student prepares for the rigor demanded at the high school level. By preparing the initial EDPs in middle school, students can better plan their high school curriculum to meet postsecondary goals.
EDPs are “living” documents, updated as student interests and abilities become more obvious and focused. A student’s EDP should be reviewed and updated at least annually. An EDP process could also include yearly work samples that document the student’s progress toward anticipated goals and accomplishments. The school must establish times to annually review EDPs and update them as students choose and change high school courses or career pathways.
Sharing Resources in an Educational Development Plan (EDP) and a Personal Curriculum
The EDP may identify special resources and support needed for the student’s success in the PC.
For example, an EDP might contain a personal literacy plan to aid a student who is a struggling reader or a prevention plan for a student who has been identified as at risk of dropping out of high school.
Through the EDP process, each student becomes more aware of the connection between a career goal and the requirements for attaining that goal. The EDP provides opportunities for a student to learn about him or herself, to understand career pathway options, and to explore postsecondary education and training.
The EDP engages each student to think about the credits he or she needs to take in middle and high school, and how those credits coordinate with his or her career pathway. This enhances understanding of the relevance between high school and preparation for entering college or the workforce.
Each student should be aware of the basic requirements for college and employment, disability supports (if receiving special education services), and traditional or alternative pathways for meeting the MMC (e.g., community college, trade schools, technical college, apprenticeship program, Career and Technical Education, or an interdisciplinary course sequence).
No specific form/format is required for EDPs. Schools may design EDPs that best meet their local needs. The following are some essential elements to include in any EDP:
Personal Information: This includes the student’s name, date of birth, and grade level. The school can use a personal identification number to maintain confidentiality. The EDP is a learning and planning document and should be maintained with the same policies governing other student records, as required in the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Career Goal(s): The student should identify a career pathway and goals for achieving success. Goals may be more general in middle school and become more specific as the student progresses through high school.
Educational/Training Goal(s): The student should identify the level of educational preparation needed to meet career goals. This encourages the student to think beyond high school graduation and set long-range goals. Options include on-the-job training, military service, certificate programs, two-year associate degree programs, apprenticeship programs, trade or technical education, four-year university programs, and advanced university degree or professional preparation programs.
Assessment Results: The student may summarize the results of various assessments, highlighting information that is relevant to making career decisions. Assessment data may include formal and informal data such as career interest surveys, aptitude testing, informal observations, student projects or hobbies, academic achievement, values assessments, and extracurricular activities. From this information, the student will be able to identify individual interests and strengths. The student may also set improvement goals. Over time, the student will be able to use this information to confirm career decisions or adjust goals.
Plan(s) of Action: The action plan should include high school course selections; projected completion date; desired degree, certificate, or other credential; timeline for college application; financial assistance deadlines; and employment opportunities. The scope of student planning can include career awareness or exploration activities and work-based activities. Students may also investigate educational programs available within the school or college curriculum that will provide opportunities to become more aware and skilled in a career pathway (e.g., an internship in a community agency or intensive project-based learning in a particular course).
Parent Consultation/Endorsement: Parents/guardians should have the opportunity to review and endorse their child’s EDP. Parents/guardians may also need to discuss assessment results or have assistance interpreting them. The student should be encouraged to discuss career-related issues with the parents and share his or her goals and action plans.
