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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

Michigan sets its own course of study in each major subject rather than handing the work to a national framework. The state revises the standards on a regular cycle, with input from Michigan teachers and content experts. That means a fifth grader in Grand Rapids and a fifth grader in Detroit are working toward the same goals, even if the books and lessons in front of them look different. The framework sets the destination and leaves the route to the district.

  • Michigan K-12 Standards
Source: Michigan Michigan K-12 Standards
The shape of K-12
A plain-language read of how the state runs school.
What students learn
Reading and writing build from short passages in the early grades to longer essays and research projects by high school, with students asked to back up what they say with evidence from the text. Math moves through arithmetic and fractions in elementary school, then opens into the traditional Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II sequence in high school. Science is taught as something students do, with investigations and lab work tied to physical, life, and earth science. Social studies runs from local communities in the early grades up to United States history, world history, civics, and economics.
How students are measured
Michigan does not have a state assessment recorded on this page, so the day-to-day picture of how a student is doing comes from classroom work, district benchmark tests, and report cards. Without a single spring test driving the calendar, teachers and schools lean on their own checks for reading level, math fluency, and writing quality. Families looking for an outside read on progress often turn to the PSAT and SAT in high school, or to whatever screener the local district has chosen.
Frameworks adopted, by subject
The standards documents the state writes against in each subject.
Subject Framework Adopted Source
English Language Arts
Michigan K-12 Standards
—View
Mathematics
Michigan K-12 Standards
—View
Science
Michigan K-12 Standards
—View
Social Studies
Michigan K-12 Standards
—View
Browse by grade and subject
Pick a cell to see exactly what students learn that year.
Subjects covered
4
Grade levels
13
Standards on file
2,679
Assessments tracked
0
Common questions
  • Does Michigan use Common Core?

    The state's English and math standards are based on the Common Core, with some Michigan-specific edits. Science follows the Next Generation Science Standards model, and social studies has its own state-written framework.

  • What does the state test students on each spring?

    Students in grades 3 through 8 take the state's spring assessment in English and math, with science and social studies added at certain grades. High schoolers take a college-entrance test that doubles as the state exam in 11th grade.

  • Which subjects have official state standards?

    Four core subjects have full K-12 standards: English language arts, math, science, and social studies. Districts add their own expectations for areas like art, music, physical education, and world languages.

  • How often do the standards change?

    The state reviews each subject's standards on a rolling cycle, usually every six to ten years. Revisions go through public comment and a vote by the State Board of Education before they take effect.

  • Where can a parent see what students learn each year?

    The grade-level pages on this site list what students are expected to know by the end of each year, written in plain language. Pick a grade and subject to see the specific topics covered.

Sources
Every page link goes back to the state's own document.

Frameworks