Personal Curriculum Information Guide

Huron School District

The Michigan Merit Curriculum

Personal Curriculum Information Guide

What is a Personal Curriculum?

The Michigan Legislature has provided an opportunity for students to modify specific State of Michigan Graduation requirements in a documented process.  This individualized credit requirement and/or content expectation modification is called a Personal Curriculum (PC).  The majority of students will exit high school with a diploma without the help of a PC, but for some students a PC can provide the modifications necessary for them to earn a high school diploma.

Who is eligible for a Personal Curriculum?

All students in grades 9-12 are eligible.  Students with a documented disability and/or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) are eligible to modify the MMC to a greater extent than their non-disabled peers.

When should a Personal Curriculum be used?

A personal curriculum may be requested for one of four reasons according to state statute:

  1. Students who are interested in earning additional credits in math, science, English language arts, or foreign languages.
  2. Students who demonstrate a need to reduce the Algebra II requirement in the Michigan Merit Curriculum.
  3. Students transferring from out-of-state or nonpublic schools after completing two years of high school.
  4. Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Who can request a Personal Curriculum?

A parent, legal guardian, school staff member or a student who has adult status (18 years or older) are the only individuals that can request a PC.

When can a Personal Curriculum be requested?

A PC can be requested at any time.

What is the process for requesting a Personal Curriculum for a Huron High School student?

Personal curriculum forms are available in the Huron High School office.  A request for a PC can be made using the Personal Curriculum Pre-Application form also located in the office.  The completed request form should then be submitted to the student’s case manager (for students with an IEP) or their guidance counselor (for students without an IEP) by the end of the current trimester for consideration for the following trimester requests.  Within 30 school days from the date the Personal Curriculum Pre-Application form is received the PC process will be completed.

What happens after a PC request is submitted?

The Personal Curriculum committee will convene, review the request along with existing student performance records and make a recommendation to either grant or deny the PC.  During this meeting, the Personal Curriculum Team Meeting form will be completed to serve as a checklist that all necessary preliminary actions have been taken.

If the committee decides to grant the request, a PC will be created with the student, parent/guardian, administrators, case manager (for students with an IEP), and other applicable staff using the Personal Curriculum Plan packet.

Personal Curriculum process and procedure timeline:

  1. PC is requested by parent/guardian, teacher, or emancipated student
  2. Within 10 school days the student’s case manager (for students with an IEP) or guidance counselor (for students without an IEP) will document their receipt of the request and discuss next steps with the parent/guardian.
  3. PC committee meets to determine eligibility for a PC for the student in question.
  4. If eligible, the PC committee writes the PC with the student, and parent/guardian using the student’s EDP and IEP (if applicable).
  5. PC is agreed to in writing by all participants, including the Superintendent.
  6. PC is implemented by appropriate staff.  PC must include measurable goals with a method of evaluation.
  7. Student progress is monitored on a quarterly basis in accordance with the district trimester scheduled by the committee in the modified areas.
  8. Revisions take on the same format as the initial request.


The following is a list of resources to assist educators, students and parents in understanding when and how to use a personal curriculum to modify the Michigan Merit Curriculum:

Michigan Department of Education resources:

Parent Resources:

The following two-page guides are a great resource for parents, highlighting the four instances in which a personal curriculum can be implemented.

  1. Focus on Enrichment
  2. Focus on Students with IEP’s
  3. Focus on Transfer Students
  4. Focus on Algebra II