New Hampshire Financial Literacy Standards
New Hampshire receives a “B” in public school benchmarks for financial education, says the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College. As of 2015, the Granite State had made passing a high school course that teaches personal finance concepts a requirement for graduation. These standards are met through a half-year course in economics.
Based on New Hampshire’s criteria mandating one of six economics standards covering personal finance topics, Champlain estimates that students receive approximately 10 hours of money management instruction by the time they graduate. However, how the Granite State measures student achievement in personal finance remains unclear.
New Hampshire mandates financial education instruction in its K-12 educational standards; high schools must offer, and students must take a money management course. These criteria must be met at the district level. No standards for testing are in place, according to the Council for Economic Education.
National Standards for Financial Education
Financial Literacy Standards for Older Youth & Adults (High School through Adults)
Although there is no direct mandate by the New Hampshire State Board of Education, it is recommended that national standards be implemented. Financial education is a unique subject; all participants have developed financial habits and relationships with money before instruction begins.
National standards are those that have been proven in empirical and theoretical research to produce the highest improvements in participant test scores.
Financial Literacy Standards for Kids (Kids PK through 8th Grade)
In collaboration with education leader Heidi Jacobs, the NFEC created these financial literacy standards to define learning goals and educational targets for optimal child financial education. Guided by strong pedagogical theory, the standards ensure that instructional targets are age- and developmentally-appropriate and that lessons can be effectively scaffolded. Standards represent five sections based on topic areas in the NFEC curriculum.
Standards for Financial Education Instructors
The NFEC teamed with the well-known Danielson Group to develop the first and only national standards for financial educators – The Framework for Teaching Personal Finance – to define optimal educator skill sets and performance levels. The framework also identifies the financial educator responsibilities empirically proven to produce highest gains in participant test scores. This framework is used in all 50 states, including New Hampshire.
