Texas Council on Economic Education Financial Mentors of America

What do you want for your teens?

 Happy  A career they love  Nice standard of living - Self-sufficient  Excellent health  Giving back to the community - Making a difference Traditionally, teens learned these values and skills from parents. But because they are teens, sometimes it is difficult to teach them all they need to know. Now you have help. YOUR school district is now your partner.

Four Rs Reading,‘Riting,‘Rithmetic & Rate of Return 2011 – 12 th grade economics course must teach macro economics, micro economics and Personal Financial Literacy (PFL), and how to pay for college 2011 PFL added to K-8 th grade math with implementation in middle school starting Sept – 2 major changes occurred that impact YOU HB 5 - change graduation standards to assure students will be career and college ready & require every 8 th grade and high school student to have a plan for graduation HB every high school student must be offered a 1-semester PRL elective. Will it make a difference in the future of your teen?

 Foundation Plan (22 Credits) (1 credit = 1 yr) ◦ English – 4 credits ◦ Math – 3 credits ◦ Science – 3 credits ◦ Social Studies – 3 credits ◦ Language, other than English – 2 credits ◦ Physical Ed – 1 credit ◦ Fine Arts – 1 credit ◦ 5 Electives (CTE or certification courses) – 5 credits 17 Base

 Endorsements (4 Credits) ◦ Advanced Math or CTE Math – 1 credit ◦ Advanced Science or CTE Science – 1 credit ◦ Electives – 2 credits STEM Business & Industry Public Service Arts / Humanities Multidisciplinary

1. Goal – Post-secondary education is important for being self- sufficient and obtaining an occupation paying $35,000 or more. 2. Goal – Graduate from HS “college and career ready” 3. Goal – Reduce the cost of post-secondary education. ◦ Know now how much it will cost – research schools now ◦ Know who is paying – complete practice FAFSA, Texas grants, free tuition ◦ How much you are paying ◦ How much the student is paying - average college debt = $35,200 (2013) with a payoff of $140,000.

4 Goal – Reduce future expense and be better prepared for post- secondary education: ◦ Take AP (Advanced Placement), dual credit classes with community and 4-yr colleges ◦ Obtain AA (Associates of Arts) degree, or certificate/licenses if they will advance your career ◦ Take serious the PSAT -> National Merit Qualifying Scholarship Test = free ride to college ◦ Take SAT preps – often free ◦ Select PFL elective in high school – course should link PFL to careers and post- secondary funding and selection, scholarships, internships, planning, critical thinking 5. Goal – Be better prepared for post-secondary education ◦ Learn how to study and build critical thinking skills ◦ Self-imposed study or homework 2 hours / night ◦ Take MOOCS (Massively Open Online Courses), Khan Academy, YouTube audio books, TEDX ◦ Work in summer, paid or unpaid internships, volunteer, take summer learning opps 6. Goal – Have a solid plan for your student to accomplish these goals as they enter high school (do not waste 9 th grade).

 It is not tested this year, therefore may not be taught in class  You should review the PFL chapter in September  Create practical ways to teach your children PFL subject matter  Use economicstexas.org as a free resource of great material for all grades

 May not be offered in your school  Contains ◦ Career Discovery with Interest Assessment and career mentors ◦ Personal Financial Education ◦ Preparation and planning for Post-Secondary Education ◦ Model HS Plan for Endorsements ◦ file://localhost/Users/lorrainedecker/Documents/M y Videos/Game Videos/Game Fox 26.mp4 file://localhost/Users/lorrainedecker/Documents/M y Videos/Game Videos/Game Fox 26.mp4

 Contact your school district ◦ Advocate in High School teaching Academy of Finance, Entrepreneur Course and Stock Market Game and FMA’s Game of Real Life ◦ Advocate for Middle School teaching of Math PFL TEKS and Connect the Dots  Contact your employer and friends to serve as volunteers – career mentors, businesses in game, leadership team  TOUCH - Introduce Laura Ewing and Lorraine Decker to people who care

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