Pub. 6 2016 Issue 1

Arizona Shows Promising Progress in Economic and Personal Finance Education 2016 Survey of the States for our Nation’s Schools S C OTTSDALE, AZ. FEBRUARY 4, 2016 – THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION HAS RELEASED ITS BI-ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF K-12 ECO- NOMIC AND FINANCIAL EDUCATION IN THE UNITED tates. Arizona joins 14 other leading states which have adopted mandatory standards spanning both economics and personal finance from Kindergarten to 12th grade. Further- more, a high school economics and personal finance course is required for high school graduation. At the end of 2007, when most of our country was still unaware of the impending financial crisis, the worst since the Great Depression, the Arizona Department of Education and the Board of Education approved new economic and financial education standards. Teachers are now required to be highly qualified to teach high school economics. Arizona has certainly come a long way, as demonstrated by the 2013 legislative mandate (SB1449) for financial literacy education. “I definitely see the positive difference in my incoming fresh- men college students because of the new financial literacy mandate.” Debbie Henney, economics professor at Mesa Community College. According to the Center for Financial Security at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, state standards matter and those states which combine personal finance and econom- ics, support teachers and hold students accountable give their students the best chance to become sound financial managers and stewards of their own personal credit. Georgia, Texas and Idaho have shown student credit scores are 8 to 17 points higher by age 22 for graduates who have met a financial education requirement. Although Arizona’s economic and financial education standards were implemented a few years later than those in Georgia, Texas and Idaho, we hope to see similar results. In comparison to math education, economic education is still a very new subject so there is much to learn about the optimal strategy in terms of topics, duration, testing and grade levels. The 55th annual Financial Literacy and Economic Educa- tion Conference will be held in Arizona on October 5-8, 2016 at the Renaissance Downtown Phoenix Hotel, featuring a diverse selection of professional development workshops on economics and financial literacy. K-12 teachers from around the State and around the country and the world will be at- tending. The last time this conference came to Arizona was 1963! w Please visit www.azecon.org for more information on the national conference and the survey of the states. The Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1973, dedicated to improving economic and personal financial literacy in Arizona. It is an affiliate of the national Council for Economic Education. Working with many partners, ACEE trains 1,500 teachers reaching more than 200,000 students annually. Arizona Shows Promising Progress in Economic an 2016 Survey of the States for our N Scottsdale, AZ. February 4, 2016 – The national Council fo its bi-annual comprehensive review of K-12 economic and States. Arizona joins 14 other leading states which have ad both economics and personal finance from Kindergarten to school economics and personal finance course is required f At the end of 2007, when most of our country was still una crisis, the worst since the Great Depression, the Arizona De Board of E cation approved new economic and financial e now required to be highly qualified to teach high school eco long way, as demonstrated by the 2013 legislative mandate education. “I definitely see the positive difference in my inc because of the new financial literacy mandate.” Debbie Hen Community College. According to the Center for Financial Security at the Unive standards matter and those states which combine personal teachers and hold students accountable give their students financial managers and stewards of their own personal cred shown student credit scores are 8 to 17 points higher by age financial education requirement. Although Arizona’s econ standards were implemented a few years later than those in to see similar results. In comparison to math education, ec subject so there is much to learn about the optimal strategy and grade levels. The 55th annual Financial Literacy and Economic Educatio on October 5-8, 2016 at the Renaissance Downtown Phoen of professional development workshops on economics and around the State and around the country and the world wil conference came to Arizona was 1963! Please visit www.azecon.org for more information on the n the states. The Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) is a 5 founded in 1973, dedicated to improving economic and pe Arizona. It is an affiliate of the national Council for Econo partners, ACEE trains 1,500 teachers reaching more than 4 www.azbankers.org