Working in Support of Education
WHAT WE DO:
Working In Support of Education Inc. (w!se), based in New York, is a 501(c)(3), dedicated to promoting financial literacy, business and social entrepreneurship in secondary schools nationwide to prepare students for college and the workplace. A particular emphasis is on supporting disadvantaged, underserved and under-resourced communities. The flagship program of w!se is its Financial Literacy Certification Program, which was launched in 2003. This unique program - recipient of the U.S. Treasury Department 2007 John Sherman Award for Excellence in Financial Education - not only helps high school students become financially literate, it also enables high school teachers and administrators to measure the effectiveness of their instruction, using the w!se validated and reliable assessment tools. w!se is the New York State Affiliate for the Jump$tart Coalition®.
WHAT WE OFFER:
Through the Financial Literacy Certification Program, w!se invites high schools to teach a comprehensive unit or course on personal finance. Participating high schools administer the w!se national, standardized Certification Test. Professional development for teachers is delivered by w!se or by a partner, such as another state Jump$tart Coalition partner. Teachers also receive a manual that includes a curriculum outline based on national and state standards, a pre-test, access to online practice tests and the Financial Literacy Certification Test. Schools, teachers and students that excel receive official recognition with certificates, medals and awards. Students who pass the test are Certified Financially Literate, earning their CFL.
This Certification Program can be integrated seamlessly in an existing business, economics, math or consumer science course or can be used to enhance courses on financial planning or personal finance. It complements other financial programs and the array of instructional materials and curricula on personal finance offered by other not-for-profit and private sector providers.
WHAT WE NEED:
The Financial Literacy Certification Program is growing rapidly, reaching high schools in more than 20 states during the past school year. With support from partner organizations, especially Jump$tart Coalition affiliates in several states, w!se is looking to expand the program again in SY 2008-2009, not only in the 20 states where it already has a presence, but also in other states. Please support this expansion by partnering with us. We'd love to hear from you.
WHAT'S NEW:
w!se recently released its 2007-2008 Financial Literacy Certification Test results. An outstanding 74.4 percent of students passed this year's exam, a 25.4 percent (statistically significant) improvement over the passing rate for the Financial Literacy Pre-Tests.
We are also excited that the Financial Literacy Certification has value beyond the classroom. It is also helping students in their jobs or search for work experience. One student recently received a pay raise of $4 per hour when her manager learned that she had been Certified Financially Literate!
CONTACT INFORMATION:
David J. Anderson
Executive Vice
President
Working in Support of
Education
212-421-2700
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Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy |
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