Dive Brief:
- Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has approved two changes affecting the state's high school graduation requirements.
- Under the amendment, students can take welding or or another career and technical education class in place of the traditional Algebra II requirement, and they can also opt to take their two years of foreign language in grades K-8.
- Additionally, the amendment says students needing one year of health and physical activity can break up the requirement, doing half a year of P.E. and counting extracurriculars as the other half.
Dive Insight:
Career and technical education has been a big focus of Snyder's. The Algebra II change reflects his desire to give more credit to these approaches to education while also acknowledging math skills can be taught through more real world experiences.
The gym shift may have some critics, as well, given the continuing rise of childhood obesity rates in the United States and the ongoing efforts to curb the problem.