The Dirty Truth… How TROY uses Personal Curriculums in order for students to achieve to their fullest potential

Don’t follow your passion…Let what you do become your passion Video Students’ strengths lead to achievement…. which leads to motivation and passion that ends with lasting success. How do we even get to a point where students’ motivation and passion lead them in a path to follow opportunities? Students must graduate earning their high school diploma and our vision is that 98% of students will graduate with a diploma. The State of Michigan has provided the Personal Curriculum (2009) as another tool/pathway to navigate the high school graduation requirements, with high intentions of keeping the integrity of the diploma, making all kids college and career ready. The PC was intended to help ALL students be successful with graduation requirements. Getting to the diploma will look different for each student and that is ok!

Four Pathways After Graduation Four Year College Community College/Trade Program Military Workforce The bottom line is that students have four pathways to choose from after graduation. * Four-year college * Community college/trade program/apprenticeship * Military * Workforce   The way a student earns their diploma should be individualized to align with their strengths which will optimize their career/college pathway direction.

YES you can! How to use PCs to guide student success https://troyk12mi- my.sharepoint.com/personal/rmacleish_troy_k12_mi_us/Documents/2018- 2019/PC%20materials/PC%20Form%20Troy.docx Many districts in Michigan are very resistant to modifications of ANY content area/ core curriculum. I️ hear, “No... we can’t do that!” Well...For a student with and IEP, the state has said, “Yes- we can!” We can modify, we can exchange, and we can substitute to meet individual needs. * Essential Standards-60% * G/H- Grading to keep the integrity of the diploma Focusing on our students EDP and career pathways is critical. Guiding students toward unique opportunities, keeping “The Dirty Truth” message present in every IEP meeting, is most important. What are districts worried about? My favorite, “They still have a 3.5 because we have done credit/no grade for classes students have not met all the standards in.” If a student has struggled in high school content area they will struggle in college content classes….Truth Parents and students have dreams of what the student wants to do post-graduation. Does reality of the students cognitive and academic achievement align with their thinking? That is why, it is imperative that we be the” Reality Promotors” that focus on student strengths while navigating around the weaknesses as exposed in “The Dirty Truth”. It begins with us helping the student and their parents understanding their disability.

Shift Happens… TSD Guidance working Document In Troy we are encouraging this mind shift from, “no we can’t” to “yes, we can!”   How is Troy School District do it? Use a working document that is discussed at each IEP from Freshman year on through Senior year. Case managers keep track of students on their caseloads By their junior year, it becomes an official document used when developing the actual personal curriculum document. A committee meets twice a year to approve all PC’s for general education and special education

Credit Exchanges

Sample One Troy PC sample 1 Student’s Post-School Goal: Student is interested in a job in the Cyber Security field.  Area of Certification – LD – Reading Comprehension B. MMC MATH CREDIT MODIFICATION  COURSE TO BE WAIVED:  Modified Content/Course:  Algebra 2 – Second Semester    Date: 2017  Rationale:  Student failed a full year of Algebra 2A, due to severe school anxiety. This resulted in numerous absences and loss of credit. He passed Algebra 2A, Semester 1 over the summer.  Student passed the Algebra 1 Lab freshman year and is over the required four math credits for graduation.  During his senior year, the student is taking a math related course.  Student also attended three semesters at OSTC in the Cyber Security cluster.  F. MMC SOCIAL SCIENCE EDUCATION CREDIT MODIFICATION  Modified Content/Course: World History II  Date: 2018  Due to his Learning Disability in Reading Comprehension and his high anxiety at school, student did not take World History II.  Student attended three semesters at OSTC in the Cyber Security cluster, which according to his EDP is his career pathway.  Modified Content/Course: Government & Economics  Due to his Learning Disability in Reading Comprehension and his high anxiety at school, student did not take Government or Economics.  Student attended three semesters at OSTC in the Cyber Security cluster, which according to his EDP is his career pathway. 

Sample Two Troy PC sample 2 Student’s Post-School Goal: Student’s career goal is Engineering.  Area of Certification – ASD H. MMC WORLD LANGUAGE CREDIT MODIFICATION (IEP ONLY) COURSE TO BE WAIVED: Modified Content/Course: World Language I & II   Date: 2016, 2017 Rationale: Due to student’s difficulties in writing and understanding standard English convention, student did not take a World Language. Student took courses that will better prepare him for success next year in Engineering at Oakland University. (Two years of Engineering/Drawing and Computer Science). This classes aligned with his career pathway on his EDP. He continues to take math and science courses that will prepare him in his college courses.

Sample Three Troy PC sample 3 Student’s Post-School Goal: Student is interested in working in the field of graphic design including animation or game designer. Area of Certification – ASD B. MMC MATH CREDIT MODIFICATION COURSE TO BE WAIVED: Modified Content/Course: Geometry   Date: 2016 Rationale: Student was enrolled in RR Math – Integrated Math I to establish a stronger foundation in math and to prepare him for Algebra I. Algebra II Date:2017 Student was enrolled in RR Math – Integrated Math II to establish a stronger foundation in math. Student was successful in Algebra 1 and took the Math Lab. He will not have the necessary skills to meet the academic requirements for Algebra 2. Senior Math Date:2018 Student will only have 3.5 math credits for graduation due to his two years in Resource Room Math. However, he took Video Game Design which is aligned to his career pathway. F. MMC SOCIAL SCIENCE EDUCATION CREDIT MODIFICATION Modified Content/Course: World History II Date: 2018 Student took four years of Special Education Achievement Skills to help with his lack of organization, anxiety and to keep him on track in his GE classes. Due to this he was unable to take World History II. Ben utilized space in his schedule to take classes that aligned with his career pathway found on his EDP. H. MMC WORLD LANGUAGE CREDIT MODIFICATION (IEP ONLY) Modified Content/Course: . .5 credit of WL Date: 2017 Student has .5 credit in World Language and 1 credit in VPAA courses. He took four years of Special Education Achievement Skills to help with his lack of organization, anxiety and to keep him on track in his GE classes. Due to this he was unable to take the additional .5 WL credit. Ben utilized space in his schedule to take classes that aligned with his career pathway found on his EDP.

Be a “Reality Promotor”…Not a “Dream Crusher”

Additional questions and comments can be directed to: Robin Macleish Rmacleish@Troy.K12.Mi.Us 248-823-5208