Information on Michigan academic standards and instructional resources.
Responsible for providing final decisions in administrative appeals to MDE.
Learn more about the MDE office responsible for providing leadership in curriculum and instruction that provides students with greater choices to prepare for success.
Resources for educator certification, recognition programs, evaluation, and workforce research.
Resources related to financial and pupil accounting and auditing.
Options available for Michigan students that provide unique learning opportunities.
Food & Nutrition Programs
This MDE office provides resources and technical assistance in physical education, sex education, health education, behavioral, emotional, mental, and social education as well as safety, discipline, and transportation.
Resources for programs and initiatives that support school improvement efforts.
Resources for supporting special education in Michigan.
Michigan has an innovative and comprehensive system of assessments to measure student achievement in learning our state content standards.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
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Ensuring that an appropriately prepared and endorsed teacher is assigned to teach in Michigan’s classrooms is critical to student achievement. The State Board of Education (SBE) has approved standards for preparing teachers in each endorsement area.
Included in these preparation programs, Michigan has historically offered two different middle school or middle level endorsement programs. The Middle Level Specialization (ZL) endorsement and the Middle School (ZD) endorsement.
This endorsement was available for teachers with endorsements in the secondary grade ranges until approximately 1989. It specifically expanded the “7-8 all Subjects” endorsement to include 5-9 all subjects. It is rare but does exist for a small cadre of Michigan teachers. This endorsement has long been discontinued and no new endorsements of this type can be added to a Michigan certificate. More information on the “all subjects” endorsements can be found in the Self-Contained Classroom Guide.
The endorsement is currently available to Michigan teachers who complete a preparation program focused on the specific needs of adolescence. It expands a teacher’s endorsements to either grades 5-12, K-9 or 5-9.
In February 2016, some elementary endorsements were expanded to provide clarity to administrators placing teachers in elementary assignments. Many 6-8 endorsements now read K-8. The decision to make this change was meant to provide a clearer description of the preparation program a teacher completed. In August 2006, law passed to expand all 7-12 endorsements to include 6th grade. Certificates printed or viewed on the public view of the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) will appear with 6-12 endorsements where appropriate. All endorsements previously listed as 7-12 are now considered 6-12. This law did not change the ZD and ZL endorsements described above.
Ensuring that an appropriately prepared and endorsed educator is assigned to teach in Michigan’s schools is critical to student achievement. MDE recommends local districts consider pedagogical practices, content knowledge, and professional behaviors when placing staff to best serve the needs of all students in their districts.
