Every two years, the Council for Economic Education (CEE) conducts a comprehensive look into the state of K-12 economic and financial education in the United States, collecting data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The biennial Survey of the States serves as an important benchmark for our progress, revealing both how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.

SURVEY OF THE STATES BY THE NUMBERS – AS OF 2/5/2020

Requirements matter. Research indicates that in states that have requirements, students exhibit more informed behavior around college financing, in particular those from lower-income families. In states without requirements, there is a 15-point gap in access to financial education between kids from lower-income versus wealthier families.



Yet, even without state requirements, actions can be taken. Schools can come to CEE for free resources and professional development for teachers, and parents and community leaders can encourage their elected representatives or state treasurer or education officials to act to implement requirements.



More from the 2020 Survey of the States:

• North Carolina expands and strengthens instruction in economics and personal finance

• Florida’s partial victory

• Requirements matter. So does access.

Take action today!

Research shows that requirements are the main driver of economics and personal finance being taught in schools. You can take action to make sure that all of our students – not just those living in states with strong financial education mandates – are equipped with the tools to make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities. Here’s what you can do:



Teachers:

• Access FREE classroom resources at EconEdLink

• Find in-person professional development opportunities in your state

• Participate in the National Economics Challenge or the National Personal Finance Challenge

• Assess your students’ economic and financial literacy using CEE’s Online Assessment Center



Parents and community leaders

• Use CEE’s advocacy toolkit to encourage your school, district, or state to adopt comprehensive standards in economics and personal finance

For media inquiries about the Survey of the States study, please contact: Kate Alexander, kate[at]successioncommunications.com, 201-638-3946