The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy recommends the following Best Practices Guidelines when developing and/or selecting personal finance educational materials.

Teachers, authors, publishers, educational consultants and others are encouraged to apply as many of the Guidelines statements as are appropriate for a specific educational resource.

Objectivity

• Materials are objective in content and tone, and often include differing viewpoints. The materials do not deceive or mislead.
• Materials are informative and do not promote a specific brand or provider.
• Materials identify their content creator and list contact information.
• Materials identify organizations that provide substantial funds for development and dissemination.
• Recommended sources of additional information also meet objectivity guidelines.

• Materials correlate to one or more of the National Standards in Personal Finance developed by Jump$tart that are available on the web at www.jumpstart.org
• Materials correlate to state or national standards in one or more of the discipline standards created by the following organizations:
  
  Business National Business Education Association http://www.nbea.org
  Economics National Council on Economic Education http://www.ncee.net
  Mathematics National Council of Teachers of Mathematics http://www.standards.nctm.org
  Family and Consumer Science National Association of Family and Consumer Sciences http://www.aafcs.org/fcs/pages/more.html

Design

Teaching and Learning
• Materials use plain-language. Technical terms, abbreviations, and acronyms are clearly defined.
• Materials require little additional teacher preparation.
• Materials include student learning objectives and assessment tools, background information, lesson plans, and activities that stimulate student participation.
• Materials appeal to contemporary student interests and identify resources for additional information.
• Lesson plans and activities address a variety of learning styles, such as visual, auditory, touch and group interaction.
• Copyright restrictions and terms of use are clearly stated.

Target Group

• Materials identify target educational settings, such as traditional classrooms, home schooling, after-school or youth clubs, rural and urban settings.
• Materials identify the intended user, such as teacher, parent, or student.
• The reading level is appropriate for the target group.
• Materials reflect diversity in areas such as age, race, gender, and household income.
• Text, illustrations, and learning activities are culturally sensitive and appropriate for the target groups. Text is translated if necessary.

Accurate and Up-to-Date

• Materials are regularly revised to be accurate, relevant, and current.
• The date of original publication is clearly stated, along with dates of subsequent revisions.

Available and Accessible

• Resources are readily available to teachers and learners.
• Web-based resources are accessible using the technology and software typically found in schools and public libraries.
• The price for materials, if any, is reasonable compared to similar resources.
• Materials that are also available in special needs formats such as other languages, audio, and Braille are clearly identified.
• New or updated materials are submitted to the Jump$tart Personal Finance Clearinghouse at www.jumpstartclearinghouse.org

Assessment

• Materials are tested before publication under conditions that realistically replicate the target settings and audiences.
• Feedback from teachers and learners shapes development and revision of materials.
• Materials include assessment tools, such as pre- and post-tests and/or examples of acceptable work, where appropriate.
• Assessment tools measure both student knowledge and behavioral change as a result of teaching and learning.

Best Practices Task Force from the Jump$tart Board and Partners:

Rosella Bannister (Jump$tart Clearinghouse), Michael Beacham, (Money Savvy Generation), John Clow (Leatherstocking Center for Economic Education), Phil Heckman (Credit Union National Association), Jerry Mason (Edelman Financial Services), Virginia Morris (Lightbulb Press), Diane Riggs (Junior Achievement), Elizabeth Schiever (National Endowment for Financial Education), Stacey Sechrest (Citibank), Paul Strassels (American Center for Credit Education), Maxine Sweet (Experian) Erica Tobe (Cooperative Extension USDA), Melanie Trausch (eFunds Corporation) Beth Woehler (Foundation for Financial Literacy) and Laura Levine (Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy).

Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, Permission is granted to freely use the Best Practices Guidelines for educational purposes. First Edition, November, 2003.