Update on Passport to Financial Literacy Graduation Requirement and Resources

 

Update on Passport to Financial Literacy Graduation Requirement and Resources

OKLAHOMA CITY (October 1, 2013) - To succeed in today’s complex and globally competitive environment, Oklahoma students need tangible skills that allow them to make smart choices about their economic futures.  Financial literacy sets a strong foundation for Oklahoma’s students to become informed consumers who play positive roles in their communities, state, and nation.  Oklahoma educators have an opportunity to make a difference by ensuring each student is financially literate with his/her personal finances before high school graduation.  Oklahoma school districts are in the final year of the six-year implementation plan for the Passport to Financial Literacy graduation requirement.  As of this year, Oklahoma seniors (the class of 2014) must complete all “14 Areas of Instruction” (HB 1476) at a “satisfactory level” to earn their Passport to Financial Literacy and graduate.

The Passport to Financial Literacy is a new and different kind of high school graduation requirement.  According to Oklahoma State laws and regulations, the students must show "satisfactory knowledge and satisfactory completion” of ALL 14 Areas of Instruction to earn their Passport to Financial Literacy.  A course in PFL is not required by State law; it is the completion at a satisfactory level of all 14 Standards. If a student does not do this, they DO NOT earn their Passport to Financial Literacy.  It is the Passport to Financial Literacy which is required for high school graduation.  

There are a number of resources to help you prepare your students to be financially literate.  Many of these resources are free and available online. 

The Oklahoma State Department of Education has provided a basic Personal Financial Literacy (PFL) curriculum on our Website at http://ok.gov/sde/personal-financial-literacy and it includes:

1.  35 lessons covering each of the 14 areas of instruction and aligned to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy;

2.  Introduction, copyright information, and Table of Contents http://ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/PFLContents_Lesson%20Descriptions_Introduction.pdf;

3.  Accompanying teacher guides and media presentations http://ok.gov/sde/personal-financial-literacy-teacher-and-student-materials;

4.  Building Academic Vocabulary Teaching Strategies and PFL list http://ok.gov/sde/building-academic-vocabulary#PFL;

5.  PFL Glossary http://ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/PFLGlossary.pdf;

6.  PFL Pocket PASS and Guide booklet http://ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/PFLPassport_0.pdf :

7. PFL Passport/Cumulative Record http://ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/PFLCumRecord.pdf; and

8.  State Rules for the Passport to Financial Literacy http://ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/PFLRules.pdf.

The Oklahoma State Textbook Committee adopted several instructional materials, textbooks, resources, and electronic curriculum for Personal Financial Literacy, which are listed on their Website at http://oktextbooks.ok.gov.  Click on “Approved Titles” under the School District Information section for a list of approved materials at

http://oktextbooks.ok.gov/textbook_pdf/Personal_Financial_Lit_Approved_2012.pdf.

The Oklahoma Council on Economic Education (OCEE) created a Website; Money is OK http://www.moneyisok.org/, which is dedicated to providing resources for each of the 14 areas of instruction required for a student to earn the Passport to Financial Literacy.  Also, OCEE provides on-going professional development for teachers of personal financial literacy and economics.  Once again, OCEE will be providing PFL professional development for the State of Oklahoma.  Information about economic focused workshop topics and registration can be found on the OCEE Website at http://www.econisok.org/.

Through the generous support of the education technology company EverFi Inc., and a partnership with the Oklahoma Bankers Association (OBA) and OBA members, each Oklahoma high school now has access to leading financial literacy education technology free of charge.  This teaching tool can be used by instructors to supplement their current curriculum.  As you plan for the 2013-2014 school year, I want to make you aware of the pilot launch of EverFi across the state.  If you are interested, you can reach out directly to EverFi’s School Manager Jill Lehman at jill@everfi.com.

The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program for free. To receive these resources teachers must register on NEFE’s Website at http://hsfpp.nefe.org/home/. NEFE’s High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP) is a turnkey financial literacy program specifically focused on basic personal finance skills that are relevant to the lives of pre-teens, teens, and young adults.

NEFE supports teachers and community organizations as they help youth build a solid foundation for financial independence and decision making. Organized into six module topics (planning, borrowing, earning capability, investing, financial services, and insurance), the program includes six topical Student Guides, an assortment of 45-minute teacher lesson plans, and a growing collection of online resources and learning activities.

Take Charge Today, formerly Family Economics and Financial Education (FEFE) at the University of Arizona, offers online personal financial literacy resources including over 75 lessons that are ready-to-teach, activity-based lesson plans free of charge. Take Charge Today is a program and curriculum designed with a decision-based approach to personal finance. It provides a consistent framework for thinking through financial choices in order to improve well-being. You can register at http://takechargetoday.arizona.edu/.

WEOKIE Credit Union http://portal.foolproofonline.info/weokie/ in Oklahoma City and TTCU the Credit Union in Tulsa https://www.ttcu.com/asp/services/service_2_6.asp recognize the need to provide a resource for teaching the Passport to Financial Literacy.  WEOKIE and TTCU the Credit Union have contracted with FoolProof, a nationally recognized consumer advocacy group, to offer “FoolProof Financial Literacy” to the school systems across the state of Oklahoma at no cost.  It is a financial literacy program designed to teach students to manage their finances wisely. 

The curriculum is unusual for two reasons. It offers teachers a complete turnkey, web-driven way to teach all 14 of Oklahoma’s required financial literacy standards, and it immerses students in a hard-hitting look at the realities of the free enterprise system.  The “FoolProof Financial Literacy” program has over 25 hours of online financial literacy instruction, is full of videos, games, and interactive learning modules designed specifically for students in grades 7-12.  Over a hundred videos are used to introduce students to real-life young people, already facing real-life problems.

For more information on the Passport to Financial Literacy graduation requirement, contact Kelly Curtright, Director of Social Studies Education and Personal Financial Literacy Education at phone (405) 522-3523 or Kelly.Curtright@sde.ok.gov.