INDIANA
GRADE
B
SUMMARY OF GRADE
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Significant Accomplishments: Required Financial Literacy Education High School Standards; Required Grades 6-12 financial literacy instruction; Financial Literacy Standards Frameworks; Grades K-6 social studies financial literacy standards
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Needs Improvement: Needs to require a high school stand-alone personal finance course
AN IN-DEPTH LOOK
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Indiana requires that all its students achieve the Financial Literacy Education (FLE) High School Standards by the end of 12th grade. Students may meet these standards through instruction in Business Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, or other available subject areas.
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2009 Indiana Public Law 154 (House Bill 1581) mandates that “Each school corporation, charter school, and accredited nonpublic school shall include in its curriculum for all students in grades 6 through 12 instruction concerning personal financial responsibility.” This requirement can be met through integrating financial literacy instruction into curriculum or by conducting a financial literacy seminar. Furthermore, the state board must adopt financial literacy curriculum appropriate for each grade level and as a separate subject or as units incorporated into an appropriate subject. The Indiana Department of Education provides a Financial Literacy Standards Framework, Financial Literacy Standards for end of 8th Grade, and Financial Literacy Standards for end of 12th Grade under the Academic Standards.
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Furthermore, Indiana Academic Standards for Social Studies have personal finance standards under the Economics section for Grades K-6, ensuring financial literacy instruction.
By providing financial literacy instruction in Grades K-12 through specific K-12 standards, Indiana receives a “B.” Indiana could improve its grade to an “A” by incorporating the Financial Literacy Education High School standards into a required stand-alone personal finance course.