The Center for Financial Literacy is nationally recognized for its research and advocacy work. Below are past research reports and policy white papers that highlight the CFL’s efforts.
2017 HS Report CardUsing national data, the CFL graded all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) on their efforts to produce financially literate high school graduates. The 2017 report measures how well our high schools are providing personal finance education.
2016 National Report Card on Adult Financial LiteracyThis report highlights the urgent need for people of all ages, economic situations and backgrounds to better understand how to manage their money and develop lifelong habits necessary for a healthy financial life.
2015 HS Report CardUsing national data, the CFL graded all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) on their efforts to produce financially literate high school graduates. The 2015 report measures how well our high schools are providing personal finance education.
2013 HS Report CardIn 2013, the CFL released its first “National Report Card on State Efforts to Improve Financial Literacy in High Schools.” The CFL graded all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) on their efforts to produce financially literate high school graduates.
Prepped for SuccessA Study of Teacher Training, Financial Literacy & Classroom Outcomes. This study delivers the next logical discovery in that line of inquiry, exploring how personal finance taught by educators trained in that model affects learning.
VT Literacy Task ForceVermont’s Financial Literacy Task Force report, “Vermont’s Financial Literacy Action Plan,” with recommendations aimed at strengthening Vermonters’ financial futures. The task force has developed 13 actionable solutions to increase the financial wellbeing of citizens across the state.
Financial Literacy Education in VT HS 2011A survey of Vermont high school administrators found that most high school seniors are ill equipped to handle their personal finance needs after they graduate.
2012 White House: Every American Financially Empowered: A Guide to Increasing Financial Capability among Students, Workers, and Residents in CommunitiesThe goal of this resource guide is to inspire leaders at all levels to leverage partnerships to create their own financial capability initiatives as a means toward building financial well-being for every American.
The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau 2015: Advancing k-12 Financial Education: A Guide for PolicymakersThe CFPB developed this resource guide to help connect policymakers with tools, information, and insights to enhance K-12 financial education efforts.
The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau 2017: A guide for advancing k-12 financial educationThis revised guide is an update to the 2015 guide, and includes several new case studies and resources.
Milken Institute 2021: Financial Literacy in the United StatesThis report reviews and analyzes existing studies, surveys, and indicators to provide a systematic and comprehensive overview of the financial literacy landscape in the US.
Brookings Institute 2018: A Review of Large-Scale Youth Financial Literacy Education Policies and ProgramsPresents a holistic framework of financial literacy that reflects the various ways it has been defined by researchers and practitioners. It then examines state efforts to incorporate financial literacy education into their K-12 standards, mandates, and curricula, and review research on the effectiveness of these policies on student outcomes.
2019 Financial Literacy and Education Commission/ US Treasury Report: Best Practices for Financial Literacy and Education at Institutions of Higher EducationThe Financial Literacy and Education Commission report is in response to the “Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act”, requiring the FLEC to establish best practices for institutions of higher education regarding methods of teaching financial literacy and providing information to assist students with borrowing decisions.
2021 Game Changer: The Evaluation of the Jump$tart Financial Foundations for Educators (J$FFE) Professional Development ProgramIn this two year impact study, what happens to high school students when their teachers receive professional development that instructs those teachers on personal finance content as household consumers and, defying conventional wisdom, foregoes the pedagogical, classroom focus of most other teacher trainings.
2015 OECD PISA Financial Literacy Test Results ReportA series of reports on the OECD’s Programming for International Student Assessment’s (PISA) periodic testing program on student performance. The reports generally compare student (15 year olds) academic performance across countries.
Content-Based Teacher Professional Development Pilot ProjectThis initiative was created in response to independent and widely quoted research conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which found that relatively few teachers felt adequately prepared to teach personal finance or use their state’s standards.