Mississippi - 2017

Final Grade

C

Graduation Requirements

Is a high school course with personal finance concepts required to be taken as a graduation requirement? No, taking a course with personal finance concepts is not a graduation requirement. There are four different pathways to a high school diploma. In the traditional pathway option, students are required to take a half-year class in economics as part of the social studies mandate. See: Mississippi High School Graduation Requirements. Personal finance must be offered as an elective course in Mississippi high schools. The 2016 Public School Accountability Standards allow a half-year course in financial technology, resource management or national endowment for personal finance to be offered in lieu of a half-semester course in personal finance. See: Mississippi Accountability Standards 2016 (Appendix B).

High School Education Standards

Mississippi has created a Business and Technology educational framework for the Personal Finance elective course. See: Mississippi Business and Technology Framework.

Extra Credit

Mississippi is one of only four states that require personal finance be offered as an elective, which guarantees that all students have access to these topics.

Caveat

It is not clear how Mississippi monitors school district implementation of these personal finance education requirements or how it measures student achievement in financial literacy.