Best Practices

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

The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy encourages teachers, authors, publishers, educational consultants and others to apply as many of the statements as appropriate for a specific educational resource.

Click here to download a free PDF copy of the 2010 updated Best Practices.

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.

Aligned to Standards

• Materials correlate to Jump$tart’s National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education.
• 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
  • Economics: Council for Economic Education
  • Family and Consumer Sciences: American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Mathematics: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
  • Social Studies: National Council for the Social Studies

Teaching and Learning

• 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 clearly stated.
• 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 http://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.

The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy grants permission to freely use these Best Practices statements for educational purposes.