Located in:
- Program-specific Requirements for Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Programs
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the following as it pertains to adult education and literacy programs and activities under title II of WIOA, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA).
a. Aligning of Content Standards
Describe how the eligible agency has aligned its content standards for adult education with State-adopted challenging academic content standards, as adopted under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)).
Current Narrative:
The State of Michigan adopted the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) which is crafted around the philosophical belief that all students will need post-secondary learning opportunities beyond high school. It is not a curriculum in the traditional sense in that it doesn’t describe instructional materials and approaches. Instead it specifies that all students who earn a diploma, at a minimum, have demonstrated proficiency with the content outlined by the state academic standards or guidelines. Since districts are responsible for awarding diplomas so too are they responsible for providing all students the opportunity to learn the content outlined by the standards. As the learning skills for college and the workplace have merged, the MMC, if properly implemented, will prepare students with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in our global economy and an emerging workforce. The MMC supports the need for personalization, acceleration, and innovation in an atmosphere of high expectations and high support for students earning a diploma in Michigan. Districts must ensure that any student who entered 8th grade in 2006 and wishes to receive a high school diploma from a public school must meet the requirements of the MMC, including alternative and adult education students.
The State of Michigan adopted the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for adult education and the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity – Workforce Development (LEO-WD) requires all adult education providers in the state to align their curriculum to the CCRS. Professional development opportunities will be provided to ensure program administrators fully understand the standards and are able to implement these standards program-wide. The LEO-WD will also continue to provide targeted and specific teacher training on these standards at all levels, including adult basic education, adult secondary education, and ESL.