Is a high school course with personal finance concepts required to be taken as a graduation requirement? No, personal finance is not included in the graduation requirements, either as a stand-alone course or embedded in another course. Commencing with classes graduating in 2023, in order to graduate, students must complete a minimum of 25 credits, including not fewer than 9 credits in the humanities (including civics and the arts). Humanities includes English, social studies, and fine arts. The program of instruction offered by public schools must include the following subject matter: career education and consumer education, but no high school course is identified for delivering this content. By law, the State Board of Education is required to assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include personal financial management education. In 2014, a state law allowed the Department of Education (DOE) and other identified organizations to create a plan to provide high school students with personal finance instruction. High schools may offer courses and programs in any of the 16 career clusters identified by the DOE. A personal finance course can be part of the following career clusters program of study: business management & administration, finance, and marketing.
Grade A for the Class of 2027. In July 2023, the governor signed into law a bill that adds personal financial management and financial literacy to the state's required program of instruction for public schools. This law adds a half-credit of personal financial management and financial literacy to the high school graduation requirements beginning with the graduating Class of 2027. The course can count as either a humanities credit or as an elective credit and will not add to students' existing required credits for high school graduation. The DOE is required to provide curriculum and resources to help local school boards develop the course, which must include instruction on banking, investing, savings, the handling of personal finance matters, and the impact of using credit cards and debit cards. In his press release announcing his signing of this bill, Governor Lamont stated: "This course will help give every student a better shot at financial success, particularly those who are not fortunate enough to be given the opportunity or the resources to receive this kind of instruction at home. Financial education is as important as math, science, and reading."
Under the education laws and regulations in Connecticut, a student could graduate without ever being taught substantive personal finance concepts in high school. The 2015 Social Studies Framework includes economics content but does not include substantive personal finance content. The DOE has identified financial literacy education tools and models to assist educators who teach this content in a stand-alone high school course or embed this content in other courses for grade 6 to 12 students.
Not applicable.
2027