Special Programs

Structure

Oakland ACE students are required to attend a weekly College Success Seminar all three years of the program. Students also benefit from the monitoring and guidance of Oakland ACE staff, and professional counseling from both high school and college counselors.

Students accepted into the Oakland ACE program agree to an additional year of high school (grade 13). During the first year (grade 11), students attend both their high school and Oakland Community College for the equivalent of a half-time schedule each. Students attend their high school for typically two hours during the second year (grade 12) and spend the third year (grade 13) completely on the OCC campus.   Students can attend classes at their home high school either in-person or online.

Student programs of study are very individualized. However, the typical student enrolls in approximately 14 hours of college credit during grade 11, 20 credit hours during grade 12, and 28 credit hours during grade 13 (all during OCC Fall and Winter terms). This allows students the ability to earn the 62 college credits that many OCC degree programs require.

By joining the ACE program, students and families agree that the student will not be eligible to receive their high school diploma until the end of their fifth year of high school. At least one high school graduation requirement will be taken through OCC in the fifth year.  

Support

Students admitted to Oakland ACE are required to attend a weeklong orientation program during the summer between grades 10 and 11. This program is designed to help students acclimate to the rigors of the early college program.

During all three years of the program, students are required to meet weekly in a seminar setting where they are engaged in a college readiness and life management skills curriculum. Topics include responsibility, attendance, preparation, follow through, communication, and stress management. Students learn to advocate for themselves. Students also meet regularly with Oakland ACE staff, who monitor progress toward both the high school diploma and associate’s degree.

Students have access to counselors at their high school and at OCC. 

Supplemental services such as tutoring, which are available to all OCC students, are also available to ACE students through campus Academic Support Center.

To learn even more about the Oakland ACE Program, click here.   

More questions about the ACE program? Contact Amanda McKay, Supervisor of Student Programs at ACE, Amanda.Mckay@oakland.k12.mi.us

Farmington Public Schools boasts one of the largest CTE programs in Oakland County, with 11 state-approved programs and more than 60 percent of high school students participating in these series of courses. FPS offers its high school students CTE programs designed to prepare them for a broad range of employment and training services, as well as post-secondary education. The programs are offered under the guidance of certified teachers, counselors and cooperative education coordinators. Please refer to FPS CTE Programs by Career Cluster to learn more about each of our CTE programs and 1.0 exchange credit for Science or World Language or Visual, Performing & Applied Arts.

Visit the CTE webpages for details.

Farmington Central High School (FCHS) serves students, ages 16-19, in an alternative setting while meeting the Farmington Public Schools’ benchmarks and all common core academic requirements. Classes offered are: English, math, social studies, science, business, and art. In addition, opportunities are offered for new credit or credit recovery utilizing an online learning environment called E20/20.

The school provides a smaller learning environment where students can learn who had trouble learning in a traditional high school environment. Through continued collaboration among students, parents, teachers and advisors, the hope is to increase the rate of students remaining in school and graduating. The goal is for students to grow both academically and socially and to leave school with a clear idea of their next step in life and a plan on how they are going to get there.

FCHS is located on Highmeadow Road in Farmington Hills. Students attending FCHS report to school Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 2:45 p.m.  Transportation, to and from this program, is not provided by the District.  

For more information about this program, parents should contact their child’s school counselor or Farmington Central High School, at 248-489-3827.

To learn more visit the Farmington Central High School website.

The Oakland Opportunity Academy (OAA) is an alternative high school program available to 11th and 12th grade students within Farmington Public Schools.  OAA provides an opportunity for high school students to obtain a high school diploma by taking classes in the late afternoon and evening.  OAA provides students a structured learning environment in which they receive instruction, online and through teachers and tutors, in the areas of English, math, science and social studies.  In addition, students at OAA participate in a career preparation program in one of the following areas: 

• Biotechnology & Environmental Science (Natural Resources and Animal & Plant Systems)
• iTeam (Computer Applications, Business Management, Marketing and Sales)
• Culinary Arts & Hospitality (Food & Beverage Preparation and Travel & Tourism)
• Transportation Technology (Automotive Technology and Auto Collision Repair & Refinishing)

This program is offered at the Oakland Technical Center Southwest Campus located in Wixom.  Transportation, to and from this program, is not provided by the District.  Within this program, students attend school Monday through Thursday from 1:30 until 8 p.m.

For more information about this program, parents should contact their child’s school counselor.

As you look ahead to high school graduation, you've got some big decisions to make about what comes next. No matter what's on your horizon, OSTC will get you there!  OSTC is a learning destination, where purposeful learning is centered on you. Here, you get to explore your direction, experience amazing opportunities and prepare to excel in the real world — whether you're heading to college, starting your career or pursuing additional training. We have it all: high school and college credit, national industry certifications, personalized instruction, awesome teachers, paid internships, student leadership opportunities, scholarships and more! Convenient block scheduling and free transportation make it easy to fit OSTC into your life -- and because we partner with your high school, all our programs are tuition free!

At OSTC, you will:

• Meet Michigan high school graduation requirements! Gain a competitive advantage by acquiring both technical skills and required academic credits.
• Get connected! Meet students who have similar goals, interests and talents in a friendly environment. 
• Learn from industry experts! Connect with experienced and qualified instructors to acquire technical and academic skills for high-demand careers.

You can do it — and we can help. Take a look at our exciting programs and get ready to enhance your education at OSTC!

To learn more about OSTC visit the following website.

The IB Diploma Programme is designed for highly motivated students interested in earning the IB Diploma, or individual IB Courses, in addition to their high school diploma. Students enter the two-year Diploma Programme as a high school junior. Students begin to take courses designed to prepare them for IB during their freshmen and sophomore years. IB offers high quality programmes of international education to a worldwide community of schools. The Programme began in 1968 as a non-profit education foundation. It was designed to provide a consistent education for internationally minded students preparing for college, by providing a common curriculum and common assessments. IB Programmes promote the education of the whole person, emphasizing intellectual, personal, emotional and social growth through all domains of knowledge. The IB approach is interdisciplinary and requires students to apply learning in one course to learning in another. Students learn to transfer critical and conceptual thinking from one situation to the next. Additionally, the curriculum encourages the study of international perspectives so students are prepared to navigate the increasingly global marketplace. Today, there are more than 1.95 million IB students in 5,500 schools in 160 countries.

In Farmington Public Schools, the IB program is a 4 year high school program. The first two years in the program are considered to be IB Prep where the classes and the content are intended to prepare the student for the standards and requirements of the full IB program. The last two years of the program is what is considered to be the actual IB program where students are taking IB classes based on the IB curriculum.

Visit the IB Programme website for more information.