Michigan students have the opportunity to start their Educational Development Plan (EDP) in 7th grade and review it as they move through high school, along with a talent portfolio of their interests and strengths. Done well, the EDP is a living plan that grows with the student. Done in a hurry, it becomes a form that gets filled in and forgotten.

The challenge: a plan without exploration

The difference usually comes down to what happens between reviews. A student who has spent the year exploring colleges, trades, the military and careers has something real to write down. A student who has not ends up guessing, and the plan reflects it.

What students tell us

Across the 13th Year™ network, students are most open early, and their options narrow as graduation gets closer:

  • 32%of 9th graders are weighing more than one path after high school. By 12th grade, 16% are.
  • 53%of 9th graders are interested in more than one career field, compared with 33% of seniors.
  • 11%of 9th graders say they are not sure yet what comes next. Only 2% of seniors say so.
  • 23%of students planning on college are also considering another path, such as the skilled trades, the military, work or a business of their own.

For planning, that means the most valuable exploration happens in the first years of high school, while students are still open to what they find.

Figures come from more than 3,800 responses students submitted at 13th Year™ kiosks and school links across the 13th Year™ network in 2026, not only Michigan schools. Students could choose more than one answer, and some responded more than once.

Dual enrollment

Dual enrollment in Michigan

Michigan dual enrollment is governed by the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act (1996 PA 160) and the Career and Technical Preparation Act (2000 PA 258), with guidance from the Michigan Department of Education. According to the department, the law provides for payment of eligible charges from a district's state aid, and eligible charges include tuition, mandatory course fees, material fees and registration fees, but not transportation, parking or activity fees. Up to 10 courses overall can be covered under the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act.

Students who explore interests early, for example through daily exploration on a 13th Year™ kiosk, can choose dual enrollment courses that build toward a specific credential or major rather than filling a schedule.

Official program information: Michigan Department of Education →

What students need before the planning meeting

The most productive planning conversations happen when a student walks in with something to talk about: a career they read about, a program that surprised them, a question about the military or an apprenticeship. That kind of curiosity comes from exposure, and exposure works best when it is frequent, self-directed and part of the school day.

Practical ways to build exploration into the year

  • Treat the EDP as year-round. Give students regular, low-pressure chances to explore between reviews, so each update reflects something new.
  • Feed the talent portfolio. Encourage students to note the programs, careers and opportunities that caught their attention, so their portfolio captures real interests.
  • Show every pathway. College, skilled trades, apprenticeships, military service and direct-to-career options all belong in the plan. Students should see them side by side.
  • Make exploration self-serve. Let students explore on their own time, so counselor time goes to the conversations that need it.

Where the Student Pathway System™ goes

13th Year™ places an interactive college and career kiosk in your hallway, a modern guidance resource students use before, during and after school. Students explore colleges, skilled trades, military service and careers between EDP reviews, so they come to each review with interests they have already explored. It supports, and does not replace, your school's EDP tools and school counselors.

For administrators, the questions are usually privacy and workload. The 13th Year™ platform is FERPA aligned and designed with student privacy considerations in mind. It does not access the high school's student information system, and no student data is sold. Kiosks come at no cost to the school, and 13th Year™ delivers, installs and supports every kiosk, so it is built to support your counselors, not burden them.

See how 13th Year™ supports Michigan high schools, or request a kiosk for your school.