Students in Genesee County and Throughout Michigan Are Increasingly Benefiting from Rigorous Programs

During Meeting in Flint Area, State Board of Education Hears About Successes of Programs Such as Advanced Placement, CTE

Kelsey von Daggenhausen, a 2026 Lake Fenton High School graduate, shares her experience as a former student of the Genesee Career Institute CTE Early Middle College during today's State Board of Education meeting. She is now attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she has double majors. 

LANSING – The number of Michigan students who participate in rigorous programs that prepare them for higher education and careers—and in some cases give them a head start at postsecondary education or work-based experience—continues to grow.

At today’s State Board of Education meeting held at the Genesee Intermediate School District, board members learned about successes statewide and in Genesee County for programs such as Career and Technical Education (CTE), Advanced Placement and Early Middle College. The presentation highlighted those programs, dual enrollment and International Baccalaureate programs.

Presenters included Kelsey von Daggenhausen, a 2026 Lake Fenton High School graduate who attended the Genesee Career Institute CTE Early Middle College in the nursing prerequisite program. This fall she started at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she has double majors in biology, health and society; and biopyschology, cognition and neuroscience. College officials told her it was the Early Middle College Program that got her accepted to the university.

“These rigorous programs help us advance three goals in Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan,” said State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko. “Goal 4 is to expand secondary learning opportunities for all students. Goal 5 is to increase the percentage of students who graduate from high school, and Goal 6 is to increase the percentage of adults with a postsecondary credential. We put Students First when we give them opportunities to pursue their interests, develop their talents and prepare for college and careers.

“Test scores are an important measure of student learning, and we have work to do to improve them,” he said. “The literacy plan we presented today outlines how we will work with educators to strengthen reading instruction and improve literacy outcomes across Michigan. When we place too much emphasis on any single measure, we can overlook accomplishments like Kelsey’s. She participated in career and technical education and Early Middle College, graduated from high school with 63 credits and is now succeeding at the University of Michigan. Her story shows the difference educators make when they open these doors for students. Success in career and technical education, Early Middle College, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs is also an important measure of how well Michigan’s public schools prepare students for life after graduation.”

Today’s State Board of Education was the first of several in the coming months that will be held in local school communities, moving beyond the board’s usual meeting spot at the Michigan Department of Education in Lansing. That made the Genesee Intermediate School District near Flint a perfect location for a presentation from MDE and local educators updating the board on Goal 4 progress.

As a U-M student, when she meets people, von Daggenhausen is often asked what year she is, which is a complicated question to answer after she completed the Early Middle College program that gave her a head start at completing college.

“I think this is my most prepared question (to answer),” von Daggenhausen said. “I have it down to a T now after being asked about it about a hundred times. I am a freshman residence-wise because I do live in the dorms, and a sophomore age-wise. I’m 19. And I’m a junior credit-wise, because I have 63 credits. I get a lot of weird looks, like, ‘What are you talking about.’ Then I have the absolute blessing to talk about this program and how much it has given me.”

During the meeting, local and state education officials celebrated successes that include:

• Continuing growth in participation and success in Advanced Placement courses and exams that give students the chance to tackle college-level work while still in high school and earn college credit and placement. Data from 2022 to 2026 illustrate the growth. Michigan students participating in Advanced Placement increased 20% from 69,731 to 83,839 students during that time. Students earning scores of 3, 4 or 5—which indicates they are succeeding at levels that may earn them college credit—on at least one Advanced Placement exam increased 55% from 34,114 to 53,022.

• Increasing participation in dual enrollment, which allows high school students to enroll in college courses while still in high school and earn postsecondary credit. Dual enrollment participation in Michigan has increased 35.4% in 5 years. School districts where participation is particularly high include Alpena Public Schools, where 70% of seniors are dual-enrolled, and Dearborn Public Schools, where 64% of seniors participate in dual enrollment.

• A 6% increase over 5 years in students participating in International Baccalaureate, an internationally recognized academic program that offers rigorous coursework which may lead to college credit. Michigan in 2025 was home to 31 International Baccalaureate high schools serving over 12,000 students.

• The number of students completing Career and Technical Education programs skyrocketing from 44,609 to 57,918 from 2022 to 2026, an increase of just under 30%. CTE provides secondary and postsecondary programs that combine academic, technical and work‑based learning to prepare students for in‑demand careers, industry certifications and further education.

• The number of Early Middle College students growing 16%, from 15,015 in 2022 to 17,421 in 2026. Early Middle College is a five-year high school program that allows students to earn a high school diploma while simultaneously earning college credits, an associate degree or professional certifications.

“I’m particularly pleased to see that participation in rigorous high school programs that provide opportunities for a pathway to postsecondary education and well-paying and rewarding careers is on the rise for students from a variety of backgrounds,” said State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh. “We’re seeing participation and success for students of color, children who are economically disadvantaged, and young people from both urban and rural parts of Michigan.”

For example, Black/African American student participation in Advanced Placement courses increased nearly 104% from 2022 to 2026, from 2,778 to 5,653. Female learners in CTE jumped by more than 5,000, or close to 12% during that same time period. Early Middle College enrollment among Hispanic/Latino students increased more than 52%, from 951 to 1,449.

During the State Board of Education meeting, Genesee Intermediate School District officials shared information about how its Early Middle College and CTE programs have benefited students.

Genesee had 5,012 CTE students countywide during the 2024-25 school year. The county has programs to prepare them for careers such as nursing; dentistry; public safety; teaching; electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning work; welding; mechatronics and computing.

The Genesee County CTE Early Middle College program has experienced tremendous growth, with the number of students increasing 67% from 2022 to 2026—from 115 to 192 students. Participation in that program and at Genesee Early College and Mott Middle College in 2025 saved families an estimated $540,000 in college costs.

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