After a year-long process of aligning curriculum to meet state guidelines and expectations the CTC has proposed granting english and math credits for CTC students.

The proposed curriculum alignments needed to be approved by school districts before students could start receiving credits.

The Montague Area School District has joined other districts including Whitehall, Orchard View and Holton in approving the curriculum alignments and granting credits for CTC classes.

The Montague Area Public Schools Board of Education approved the proposal unanimously at their Jan. 25 meeting.

Michael Carpenter, principal of the CTC, says lots of work was done on the proposal before it was brought for district approval.

“We certainly did our homework,” explains Carpenter. “We worked with teachers, administrators and advisors from all over the state at all levels of education.”

New Michigan Merit Curriculum requires students who entered eighth grade in 2006 or later to obtain a minimum of 16 credits to graduate. The credit breakdown is as follows.

Four — English/language arts, four — math, three — science, three — social studies, two — world language, one — physical education; visual, performing and applied arts; and an online learning experience.

Speaking about the Michigan Merit Curriculum and the CTC Montague Superintendent Dave Sipka says, “a lot of those skills are being taught in an applied format and we were duplicating what students were learning.”

With the increased credit demand on students, those attending the CTC would be under more pressure to acquire credits with little room for error had the approval for CTC credits not been accepted by the board of education.

“Sitting in a math class isn’t exciting to some students,” says Sipka. “But going to the Tech Center and using skills becomes exciting and can perk their interests.”

Making the alignment was a “no brainer” for Carpenter.

“We apply and use academic skills everyday,” said the principal. “Our programs provide students with hands-on learning they can use in other academic settings.”

“It’s a great place to apply learning to career paths,” noted Sipka.

The impact on enrollment at the CTC won’t be known until March, according to Principal Carpenter.

“This year we anticipated down enrollment, but it was one of our highest and retention was also great compared to past years,” says Carpenter.

He also comments that that much of the credit should go to the districts who are helping students find where their aptitudes point and helping to direct them there.

“It shows you can do something in more than one manner and get to the same goal,” Carpenter says.

Sipka adds, “We want kids motivated about learning and this is a great way to do it.”