The new curriculum seeks to ensure that students graduating from Michigan high schools are ready to face the challenges of the 21st century. It aims to prepare them either for college or for further training that will allow them to find employment and build satisfying careers.

While most middle schoolers give little thought to life beyond getting a driver's license at age 16, they now will have to start considering their futures a little more in depth. In addition to advice from teachers and school administrators, they will need the help of parents to map out personalized Educational Development Plans that will provide guidance in scheduling four years of high school classes.

It will be a scary proposition for most kids, no doubt, and that is why it is vital for parents to take an active interest in their children's education. Talk about their classes. Attend school open houses and parent/teacher conferences. Ask questions. Insist that school work come before extracurricular activities and other outside interests. Make sure homework assignments are being completed.

Discuss with your children where their interests lie and what types of careers they may want to pursue. Talk about what types of classes will be necessary to work toward those goals. Don't make your children feel as those they must decide the course of their lives at the age of 14 or 15, but make it clear that it is important to choose a direction that can be changed or modified as they grow and their interests change.

In short, let your children know that you care about them, their education and their future. And because you do, you expect them to take school seriously and do their best. Be prepared to set boundaries and establish expectations - but also offer encouragement when it is needed, praise when it is deserved and help when things get rough.

The ultimate goal of the Michigan Merit Curriculum - success for all of the state's children - is admirable. But is it achievable? The federal government vows that no child will be left behind, but some fear that Michigan's tougher new high school graduation requirements could have the opposite effect.

Don't let that happen to your children.