MAKING A CASE FOR PLACEMENT IN THE 9TH GRADE

FINDING A HOME FOR PERSONAL FINANCE EDUCATION

PUBLIC EDUCATION’S DILEMMA:RIGOR AND RELEVANCE

Learning in which students demonstrate a thorough, in-depth mastery of challenging tasks to develop cognitive skills through reflective thought, analysis, problem-solving, evaluation, or creativity.

Learning in which students apply core knowledge, concepts, or skills to solve real-world problems.

Relevant learning is interdisciplinary and contextual.

RIGOR

THIS HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY

THE ADOPTION OF COMMON CORE STANDARDS IN ENGLISH AND MATH IN 40

STATES AND 3 TERRITORIES.

RELEVANCE

Curriculum that shows how academic knowledge and skills are used in “real world” applications may motivate more students to persevere in the academic courses that prepare them for college and careers

RELEVANCE THROUGH INTEGRATION

In general, integrated curriculum includes: A combination of

subjects An emphasis on

projects Sources that go

beyond textbooks Relationships among

concepts Thematic units as

organizing principles

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NATURAL COMBINATIONS

Integration is performed by overtly makingconnections or creating combinations: Agriculture/Social

Studies Nursing/Biology Personal

Finance/Algebra Journalism/English

Language Arts

CCS EXPECTATIONS IN MATH

“The high school standards call on students to practice applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges; they prepare students to think and reason mathematically.”

“The high school standards set a rigorous definition of college and career readiness, by helping students develop a depth of understanding and ability to apply mathematics to novel situations, as college students and employees regularly do.”

WHERE DOES PERSONAL FINANCE FIT IN?

In the wake of a painfully slow economic recovery, decision makers in some states are placing a greater emphasis on personal finance education at the high school level—and some states even require financial literacy classes for graduation.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR?

4 States require a mandatory semester course for graduation (Utah, Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia)

8 States require an elective be offered

20 other States require that personal finance be incorporated in other subjects such as Math or Economics

THERE IS STUDENT DEMAND

According to the 2011 Teens & Money Survey conducted by investment firm Charles Schwab, among 16-to-18-year-olds surveyed, 86 percent said they would rather learn about money management in a class than make financial mistakes in the real world.

WHERE DOES FLORIDA STAND?

Florida adopted the Common Core Standards for Math and English on July 27, 2010. They were fully implemented and assessed in 2014-15.

Florida has embedded all PF standards in an already overcrowded Economics curriculum taught in 12th grade.

CCS FOR MATHEMATICS

• The CCS for Math are void of any Personal Finance Standards.

• Historically, weaker students find Algebra an insurmountable obstacle to graduation

• PF can offer relevance to an otherwise esoteric subject

HOW CAN WE MEET STUDENT NEEDS?

The curriculum playing field is already very crowded.

Teaching PF in the 12th grade, like many states do, is too late.

The most vulnerable citizens often don’t reach 12th grade.

Many teachers are uncomfortable teaching PF.

INTEGRATION IS THE ANSWER

We want all students to take personal finance at an early stage of their schooling.

Offering PF in ninth grade compliments the study of Algebra and can provide applications for improved understanding

PERSONAL FINANCE & ALGEBRA

Algebra is taken in 8th or 9th grade.

It is a core requirement for graduation with a state mandated EOC.

Personal Finance offers “real world” applications that the CCS requires.

All students will be college and/or career prepared.

PERSONAL FINANCE ADDS PRACTICALITY TO ALGEBRA

Analyze monthly, annual, and life-long financial plans

Compute inflation problems that involve exponential growth

Summarize and interpret information from graphs, tables and charts.

QUESTIONS LINGER

Can the DOE revisit its commitment to placing PF standards in the H.S. Econ curriculum?

Can a stand alone PF class be added in the ninth grade to compliment the teaching of Algebra?

Can the Algebra EOC eventually be edited to assess student’s understanding of PF when CCS is fully implemented?