The Impact of the Michigan Merit Curriculum on High School Math Course-Taking

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dabgoudw

The Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) is a statewide college-preparatory policy requiring core coursework, including math through Algebra 2 and science options, for students graduating in 2011 and later. Using detailed Michigan high school transcript data, the study evaluates how the MMC affects course-taking, achievement, and college enrollment. Results indicate modest additional math course time, higher-level completion driven by low-SES schools, no strong evidence for ACT math score gains, and increased college enrollment mainly among well-prepared students.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Estimating the Effect of a Mandatory Course-Taking Policy

Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis June 2019, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 164–188 DOI: 10.3102/0162373719834067 [Article reuse guidelines:sagepub.com/journals-permissions](Article reuse guidelines:sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](Article reuse guidelines:sagepub.com/journals-permissions)© 2019 AERA. [http://eepa.aera.net](http://eepa.aera.net) The Impact of the Michigan Merit Curriculum on High School Math Course-Taking Soobin Kim Michigan State University Gregory Wallsworth Amazon Ran Xu Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Barbara Schneider Kenneth Frank Michigan State University Brian Jacob Susan Dynarski University of Michigan Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) is a statewide college-preparatory policy that applies to the highschool graduating class of 2011 and later. Using detailed Michigan high school transcript data, this article examines the effect of theMMC on various students’course-taking and achievement outcomes. Our analyses suggest that (a) post-MMC cohorts took and passed approximately 0.2 additional years’of math courses, and students at low socioeconomic status (SES) schools drove nearly all of these effects; (b) post-policy students also completed higher-level courses, with the largest increase among the least prepared students; (c) we did not find strong evidence on students’ACT math scores; and (d) we found an increase in college enrollment rates for post-MMC cohorts, and the increase is mostly driven by well-prepared students. Keywords: educational policy evaluation, high schools, mathematics education, policy analysis Introduction with the introduction of the Common Core, considerable attention has been drawn to policies that establish uniform curricular standards. This article looks at one such policy, the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC), which established a college-preparatory curriculum for all students entering ninth grade in or after the 2006–2007 school year. The MMC required all students to pass a core set of classes that included math up to Algebra 2, Chemistry, or Physics; 4 years of English; and 2 years of a foreign language. In this regard, the MMC is not alone; by 2018, 28 states will have adopted similar requirements for math (Jacob, Dynarski, Frank,& Schneider, 2017) . Given the prevalence of such policies, one would expect a burgeoning literature examining their impact. However, despite the appeal of default curriculum policies, we actually know surprisingly little about whether changing course requirements will necessarily lead to improved outcomes for students (Mazzeo, 2010) . while there is a lack of knowledge regarding their impact, theories suggest these kinds of policies may address two potential concerns in U.S. high schools. First, they are often implemented to update high school curricula to match the Estimating the Effect of a Mandatory Course-Taking Policy increasingly rigorous expectations of colleges and employers (Gardner, Larsen, Baker, Campbell, & Crosby, 1983) . Second, they aim to reduce inequality in course offerings (National Governors Association, 1990) . Previous literature on course tracking has demonstrated that it often results in segregation of students by race and socioeconomic class, and the attempts to break such patterns by allowing students to choose courses freely often perpetuate previous patterns of tracking (Kao & Thompson, 2003; Kelly, 2009; Oakes, 1990). Requiring all students to take more advanced courses is one way to address this issue. There is a growing body of research on the potential impacts of such policies, especially how they can improve academic and job market outcomes. However, additional research is needed to assess how this type of change may affect less-prepared students. In this study, using the uniquely detailed high school transcript data from the Michigan Transcript Study (MTS), weare able to investigate the mechanism through which the MMC may influence an important long-ru

FAQs

What is the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC)?

MMC is a statewide college-preparatory policy requiring students to complete a core set of classes, including math through Algebra 2 and specified courses in other subjects.

How did the MMC affect students' math course-taking?

Post-MMC cohorts took and passed about 0.2 additional years of math courses, with low-SES schools driving most of the effects.

Did the MMC improve ACT math scores and college enrollment?

The study did not find strong evidence of improvements in students' ACT math scores, but it did find higher college enrollment rates, mostly driven by well-prepared students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dabgoudw