increases math scores. See details on independent study here
supports new Texas financial literacy and math requirements
offers Math Behind the Market online lessons that apply math to investing activities
develops proficiency in number sense, ratios, statistics, algebra, percentages, reasoning, estimating, analyzing charts and graphs, and problem solving
Students participating in the SMG™ are also eligible for the InvestWrite competition which involves individual students responding to an essay prompt about investing.
Smith, DeLauro and Fleissner Join the TCEE Board
TCEE welcome three new members to the non-profit’s Board of Directors.
Rear Admiral Robert Smith III, retired from the U. S. Navy and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-Houston Branch, currently serves as the President of Texas A and M Galveston.
Andrew DeLaurois the Area Director for Citibank in Houston and Bryan/College Station.
Thomas Fleissner is currently the President and CEO of Houston Information Team LLC in Houston, Texas.
Smith, DeLauro and Fleissner join six other members of the Texas Council on Economic Education Board of Directors.
Joe Adams, Vice President-Public Affairs of Union Pacific Railroad
John Anderson, Anderson Investments
James Cooper, James C. Cooper, Inc.
Laura Jaramillo, Vice President/Manager of Wells Fargo
Sherry L. Kiser, Director, Economic Education/Special Projects of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Carol Trout, Trout Foundation
TCEE appreciates the Board of Directors’ dedication to economic, financial literacy and entrepreneurship education.
TCEE Board of Directors Elects New Officers for 2012
At the November 3, 2011 TCEE Board of Directors meeting, James Cooper was elected chair, John Anderson vice-chair, Joe Adams treasurer, and Thomas Fleissner secretary. Laura Ewing, president of TCEE thanked Carol Trout for serving as chair for the past two years and James Cooper for his duties as treasurer. She expressed appreciation for Anderson continuing in his role as vice-chair.
TCEE Publishes Online Primer:.
Economics For Educators, Revised Edition
Teachers new to teaching economics and financial literacy may ring their hands and wonder how they are going to remember all of those college lectures to impart to their students. And, they may worry how to translate difficult concepts into understandable questions and issues to address at their students’ level. More experienced teachers might need a refresher course on certain concepts before planning lectures, discussions and activities for their students.
Robert Hodgin, Ph.D., Economics Professor at the University of Houston Clear Lake and Texas Council on Economic Education have just the solution: Economics For Educators, Revised Edition. The book, funded by The Council for Economic Education and the Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, is a free download on the TCEE website. Hodgin has included financial literacy concepts as well as providing more in-depth explanation on other concepts included in the original volume.
When Hodgin was asked his rationale in writing the book, “I wrote this short primer to help K-12 educators prepare to properly teach economic ideas to their students. Economics provides a useful way of thinking about how the world works and its main themes deserve a rightful place in each student’s mindset. The main themes-efficiency, trade-offs and opportunity cost-echo throughout the eighteen Microeconomic and Macroeconomic lessons. Written in plain language, each lesson orients the busy educator on the meaning and application of core economic terms, concepts and tools. Other economic concepts then can be directly integrated with the more fundamental ones presented. It is my hope that the work enhances teacher knowledge and confidence, then gets multiplied by the number of students they enlighten on this useful subject.”
According to Laura Ewing, President of the Texas Council on Economic Education, “the book is concise and to the point with each chapter readable and easily completed in a short amount of time. The vivid color charts and graphs provide a visual explanation that teachers can use to encourage student involvement and analysis. Using the 5E lesson format, teachers will have examples of relevant and real life questions to ask their students.”
The book can be downloaded for free . Individuals who would like a copy of the book can contact TCEE at tcee@economicstexas.org to learn how to order. There will be a fee charged that covers the cost of publication, shipping and handling.
RAISE TEXAS $2000 College Savings Video Contest
Starting, December 5, 2011, RAISE Texas presents the 2011-2012 Save ‘n SMILE Family Video Contest, where one Grand Prize winner will receive a $2,000 college savings deposit in their child’s name through the Texas Tuition Promise Fund. RAISE Texas will also award two $250 deposit runner-up prizes.
To enter, create a video, three minutes or less, that shares what a RAISE Texas $2,000 college savings account deposit would mean to your family. We want to hear your stories! How important is a college education for your child? What does your child want to be when he or she grows up and how can a college degree help achieve his or her dreams? Click on the link below for complete details or visit the Raise Texas website.
TCEE & Texas Teachers Pilot FLIGHT Personal Financial Literacy Program
On September 29, 2011, the Texas Council on Economic Education, with funding support from the Texas Credit Union Foundation (TCUF), provided training for a pilot group of teachers who received more intensive instruction on financial literacy from a series of expert business speakers. Using national personal financial literacy standards (PFL) from Jump$tart and senior level economics TEKS as their guide, the presenters spoke on investments, wise consumer habits, financial institutions, insurance, credit and the role that taxes playing in making financial decisions, as well as bankruptcy. The teachers will use the content information as they utilize the Building Wealth, NEFE, Financial Fitness for Life (Bank of America and Council for Economic Education/CEE) and Virtual Economic (State Farm and CEE) materials and lessons with their students. They also received information and access to Hands on Banking, Wells Fargo’s online student financial literacy program.
Students will take pre and post tests as well as participate in the Financial Literacy/Finance Challenge. Pre and post test results and PFL Challenge scores will be utilized to help teachers and TCEE determine more effective methods to build their students’ financial literacy.
TCEE to Pilot FLIGHT Financial Literacy Program
TCEE, with funding from the Texas Credit Union Foundation and Smarter Texas, will sponsor a one semester FLIGHT pilot project on financial literacy. Twenty middle and high school teachers will be included in the project and applications for inclusion in the program are to be submitted by September 26, 2011. A stipend will provide expense reimbursement to districts and teachers who complete the one day training on September 29 in Houston, teach lessons during the fall, have teams participate in the PFL/Finance online challenge from November 28-December 9, 2011, and return the results of the student pre and post tests by December 20,2011. Compete Details
CEE National Conference 2011
Texans represented their state well October 13 to 15, 2011 at the 50th anniversary of the national Council for Economic Education conference in Chicago, Illinois. Due to the special speakers and tours provided by CEE and their partners, TCEE minimized its schedule of activities. The Texas participants enjoyed an evening of traditional Italian food dining on Friday evening. Everyone was encouraged to wear their favorite TCEE shirt or jacket from previous conferences.
TCEE Board Chair, Carol Trout, and her husband, Jim Trout, received the first annual Tim Shaunty TCE award in appreciation of their support of the council’s activities.
TCEE Promotes A Smarter Texas Through K-12 Financial Literacy
Can an education in the principles of financial literacy bring about a Smarter Texas? The Texas Council on Economic Education, Opportunity Texas and the national Council for Economic Education certainly think so.
TCEE has long supported the teaching of economics and financial literacy in the social studies, career/technical, language arts, science and math classes from kindergarten through grade 12. TCEE offers staff development opportunities and hands-on student activities through the Stock Market Game™, the Economics Challenge, and now the Personal Financial Literacy (PFL) Challenge.
While TCEE supports the teaching of economic and financial literacy principles at the high school level, students have already established spending practices that may not be healthy to their pocket books and will be difficult to correct and change as adults.
The Economic Extravaganza 2011 was made possible by the Council for Economic Education through funding from the United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.
TCEE thanks the Brizendine family for entrusting their support of the council’s educational programs by establishing the James Brizendine Memorial Trust Fund. The Brizendines have long been active supporters of education by serving as teachers, elected officials and contributors towards educational foundations. For TCEE to be named a recipient of this family’s donation is touching and appreciated. Thank you to the Brizendine family for allowing TCEE to play a part in remembering a person who cared much for so many.
2011 National Economics Challenge Finals
The 2011 National Economics Challenge was held on May 22nd in New York City. Out of the six finalists, Mounds View Senior HIgh School from Arden Hills, MN and Phillips Academy from Andover, MA made it to the finals. This video shows the last two teams going head-to-head for the title of champions. The National Economics Challenge is the only national competition to foster interest in economics among high school students by recognizing their achievements and offering a fun and competitive way to showcase their knowledge. For information about the Texas Economic Challenge click here.
TCEE Announces the State Winners of the Personal Financial Literacy (PFL) Challenge
Congratulations to Bellaire High School (Houston ISD) Economics Teacher Michael Clark For Providing The Top Two Texas State Winning Teams In the PFL Challenge.
TCEE appreciates the hard work of all the teachers and students who participated in the first annual PFL Challenge as well as the support by their campus and district administrators.
TCEE and State Farm Congratulate Economics Challenge Winners
Congratulations to Bellaire High School (Houston ISD) Economics teacher Michael Clark for providing the top two Texas State Winning Teams in the Economics Challenge Adam Smith Division. The Bellaire Lakers will compete at their campus online on April 27 in the U. S. regional competition, and if they are one of the top scoring teams in the nation, they will advance to the U. S. finals in New York City. The Bellaire Heat scored second in the Adam Smith division!
Thank you to Texas Council’s Economic Challenge partner, State Farm, for providing financial, media, planning and volunteer support to make the April 14, 2011 competition day such a success.
The Economics Challenge adds the fun of a competition to make learning economic concepts come alive. Working in teams of four, students compete either in the David Ricardo or Adam Smith division. The top fall and spring winners in each of the four state regions compete for the state championship in the spring. Visit the Economics Challenge Homepage for complete information. For the Economics Challenge rules in Texas, click here.
In May 2010 Houston Independent School District’s Bellaire High School won second place in the nation in the Adam Smith division. Plano ISD’s Plano High School’s team won third in the nation in the David Ricardo division.
At the heart of the project are 22 colorful posters (set A and B), each describing an important economic concept identified in the NationalStandards in Economics and in most state Standards.
A Teacher’s Guide accompanies most poster and DVD sets.
Virtual Economics 4.0 Has Arrived!
How can teachers receive hands-on lessons that provide real world relevance for their students? By receiving training in Virtual Economics 4.0, teachers will learn about learning opportunities and content information that are relevant and beneficial for students in their grade level (s) and subject(s). At the end of the training, teachers will receive a Virtual Economics 4.0 CD or flash drive.
What subjects are supported by VE 4.0? VE 4.0 provides lessons forkindergarten through grade 12 math, language arts, science, social studies as well as high school economics and career and technical education. By integrating economic and financial literacy into the four core subjects and career/technical, teachers utilize every day events and actions to help students develop critical thinking skills and learn subject content.
What is Virtual Economics 4.0? Virtual Economics 4.0 is the nation’s most comprehensive educational resource for teachers of economics. Revised to incorporate new publications, current data, improved operating features, and increased accessibility, Virtual Economics 4.0 includes 51 key economic concepts, a glossary with 500-plus terms and definitions, and over 1,200 activity-based lessons, each accompanied by a multi-media demonstration. This training helps educators increase student understanding of economic, personal finance and entrepreneurship concepts.
What districts qualify for the training? Texas has over 100 districts that have been targeted to receive the trainings. The training is free of charge to the district, school and teachers.
The Texas Council on Economic Education (TCEE) and Council for Economic Education (CEE) join State Farm in supporting the America’s Promise Alliance Grad Nation campaign goal to end the high school dropout crisis and prepare young people for college and the 21st century workforce. These high schools are identified in the Grad Nation report “2,000 Lowest Performing High Schools” and are identified as having graduation rates lover than 60%. CEE and State Farm believe that improving economic education across K-12 in these school districts (which include feeder schools) will impact these communities by preparing young people to be financially educated. CEE will therefore award grants to councils and centers that provide a robust strategy for delivering training workshops to K-12 educators who teach in these “Target Districts.” Applicants can explore Target Districts in their state or region by accessing the PDF file available for download on the online application.
Which schools are the target schools approved for the free training? Click here for the list of schools.
How does our district set up a staff development program? Contact Laura Ewing or Catherine Rinhart at tcee@economicstexas.org or 713.655.1650.
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>Make A Donation to Support the Work of TCEE<
Investment Simulation & Competition
Spring session: February 6 – April 13, 2012
The SMG is easy to teach and easy to learn.
Register student teams NOW & access lessons and other support materials immediately
Free Teacher Training
Live and webinar training make it easy for Texas teachers to learn about the program and implement the SMG in their classroom.
Click here for more information. Contact Debbie at smg@economicstexas.org with questions.
Math and the SMG: Perfect Partners
_______________________________________________________________________________________
The Stock Market Game™ -
_______________________________________________________________________________________
www.investwrite.info
Students participating in the SMG™ are also eligible for the InvestWrite competition which involves individual students responding to an essay prompt about investing.
Smith, DeLauro and Fleissner Join the TCEE Board
TCEE welcome three new members to the non-profit’s Board of Directors.
Smith, DeLauro and Fleissner join six other members of the Texas Council on Economic Education Board of Directors.
TCEE appreciates the Board of Directors’ dedication to economic, financial literacy and entrepreneurship education.
TCEE Board of Directors Elects New Officers for 2012
TCEE Publishes Online Primer:.
Economics For Educators, Revised Edition
Teachers new to teaching economics and financial literacy may ring their hands and wonder how they are going to remember all of those college lectures to impart to their students. And, they may worry how to translate difficult concepts into understandable questions and issues to address at their students’ level. More experienced teachers might need a refresher course on certain concepts before planning lectures, discussions and activities for their students.
Robert Hodgin, Ph.D., Economics Professor at the University of Houston Clear Lake and Texas Council on Economic Education have just the solution: Economics For Educators, Revised Edition. The book, funded by The Council for Economic Education and the Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, is a free download on the TCEE website. Hodgin has included financial literacy concepts as well as providing more in-depth explanation on other concepts included in the original volume.
When Hodgin was asked his rationale in writing the book, “I wrote this short primer to help K-12 educators prepare to properly teach economic ideas to their students. Economics provides a useful way of thinking about how the world works and its main themes deserve a rightful place in each student’s mindset. The main themes-efficiency, trade-offs and opportunity cost-echo throughout the eighteen Microeconomic and Macroeconomic lessons. Written in plain language, each lesson orients the busy educator on the meaning and application of core economic terms, concepts and tools. Other economic concepts then can be directly integrated with the more fundamental ones presented. It is my hope that the work enhances teacher knowledge and confidence, then gets multiplied by the number of students they enlighten on this useful subject.”
According to Laura Ewing, President of the Texas Council on Economic Education, “the book is concise and to the point with each chapter readable and easily completed in a short amount of time. The vivid color charts and graphs provide a visual explanation that teachers can use to encourage student involvement and analysis. Using the 5E lesson format, teachers will have examples of relevant and real life questions to ask their students.”
The book can be downloaded for free . Individuals who would like a copy of the book can contact TCEE at tcee@economicstexas.org to learn how to order. There will be a fee charged that covers the cost of publication, shipping and handling.
RAISE TEXAS $2000 College Savings Video Contest
Starting, December 5, 2011, RAISE Texas presents the 2011-2012 Save ‘n SMILE Family Video Contest,
where one Grand Prize winner will receive a $2,000 college savings deposit in their child’s name through the Texas Tuition Promise Fund. RAISE Texas will also award two $250 deposit runner-up prizes.
To enter, create a video, three minutes or less, that shares what a RAISE Texas $2,000 college savings account deposit would mean to your family. We want to hear your stories! How important is a college education for your child? What does your child want to be when he or she grows up and how can a college degree help achieve his or her dreams? Click on the link below for complete details or visit the Raise Texas website.
RAISE Texas_Save ‘n SMILE_Family_Video Contest_Flyer
TCEE & Texas Teachers Pilot FLIGHT Personal Financial Literacy Program
On September 29, 2011, the Texas Council on Economic Education, with funding support from the Texas Credit Union Foundation (TCUF), provided training for a pilot group of teachers who received more intensive instruction on financial literacy from a series of expert business speakers. Using national personal financial literacy standards (PFL) from Jump$tart and senior level economics TEKS as their guide, the presenters spoke on investments, wise consumer habits, financial institutions, insurance, credit and the role that taxes playing in making financial decisions, as well as bankruptcy. The teachers will use the content information as they utilize the Building Wealth, NEFE, Financial Fitness for Life (Bank of America and Council for Economic Education/CEE) and Virtual Economic (State Farm and CEE) materials and lessons with their students. They also received information and access to Hands on Banking, Wells Fargo’s online student financial literacy program.
Students will take pre and post tests as well as participate in the Financial Literacy/Finance Challenge. Pre and post test results and PFL Challenge scores will be utilized to help teachers and TCEE determine more effective methods to build their students’ financial literacy.
TCEE to Pilot FLIGHT Financial Literacy Program
TCEE, with funding from the Texas Credit Union Foundation and Smarter Texas, will sponsor a one semester FLIGHT pilot project on financial literacy. Twenty middle and high school teachers will be included in the project and applications for inclusion in the program are to be submitted by September 26, 2011. A stipend will provide expense reimbursement to districts and teachers who complete the one day training on September 29 in Houston, teach lessons during the fall, have teams participate in the PFL/Finance online challenge from November 28-December 9, 2011, and return the results of the student pre and post tests by December 20,2011. Compete Details
CEE National Conference 2011
Texans represented their state well October 13 to 15, 2011 at the 50th anniversary of the national Council for Economic Education conference in Chicago, Illinois. Due to the special speakers and tours provided by CEE and their partners, TCEE minimized its schedule of activities. The Texas participants enjoyed an evening of traditional Italian food dining on Friday evening. Everyone was encouraged to wear their favorite TCEE shirt or jacket from previous conferences.
Can an education in the principles of financial literacy bring about a Smarter Texas? The Texas Council on Economic Education, Opportunity Texas and the national Council for Economic Education certainly think so.
TCEE has long supported the teaching of economics and financial literacy in the social studies, career/technical, language arts, science and math classes from kindergarten through grade 12. TCEE offers staff development opportunities and hands-on student activities through the Stock Market Game™, the Economics Challenge, and now the Personal Financial Literacy (PFL) Challenge.
While TCEE supports the teaching of economic and financial literacy principles at the high school level, students have already established spending practices that may not be healthy to their pocket books and will be difficult to correct and change as adults.
Continue reading about Smarter Texas____________________________________________a
Economic Extravaganza 2011 A Hit With Teachers
The Economic Extravaganza 2011 was made possible by the Council for Economic Education through funding from the United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.
Continue reading about the Economics Extravaganza 2011
James Brizendine Memorial Fund
TCEE thanks the Brizendine family for entrusting their support of the council’s educational programs by establishing the James Brizendine Memorial Trust Fund. The Brizendines have long been active supporters of education by serving as teachers, elected officials and contributors towards educational foundations. For TCEE to be named a recipient of this family’s donation is touching and appreciated. Thank you to the Brizendine family for allowing TCEE to play a part in remembering a person who cared much for so many.
2011 National Economics Challenge Finals
The 2011 National Economics Challenge was held on May 22nd in New York City. Out of the six finalists, Mounds View Senior HIgh School from Arden Hills, MN and Phillips Academy from Andover, MA made it to the finals. This video shows the last two teams going head-to-head for the title of champions. The National Economics Challenge is the only national competition to foster interest in economics among high school students by recognizing their achievements and offering a fun and competitive way to showcase their knowledge. For information about the Texas Economic Challenge click here.
TCEE Announces the State Winners of the Personal Financial Literacy (PFL) Challenge
Congratulations to Bellaire High School (Houston ISD) Economics Teacher Michael Clark For Providing The Top Two Texas State Winning Teams In the PFL Challenge.
TCEE appreciates the hard work of all the teachers and students who participated in the first annual PFL Challenge as well as the support by their campus and district administrators.
Continue reading about the State Winners of the PFL Challenge
TCEE and State Farm Congratulate Economics Challenge Winners
Congratulations to Bellaire High School (Houston ISD) Economics teacher Michael Clark for providing the top two Texas State Winning Teams in the Economics Challenge Adam Smith Division. The Bellaire Lakers will compete at their campus online on April 27 in the U. S. regional competition, and if they are one of the top scoring teams in the nation, they will advance to the U. S. finals in New York City. The Bellaire Heat scored second in the Adam Smith division!
Thank you to Texas Council’s Economic Challenge partner, State Farm, for providing financial, media, planning and volunteer support to make the April 14, 2011 competition day such a success.
Continue reading about the Economics Challenge winners
The E
conomics Challenge adds the fun of a competition to make learning economic concepts come alive. Working in teams of four, students compete either in the David Ricardo or Adam Smith division. The top fall and spring winners in each of the four state regions compete for the state championship in the spring. Visit the Economics Challenge Homepage for complete information. For the Economics Challenge rules in Texas, click here.
In May 2010 Houston Independent School District’s Bellaire High School won second place in the nation in the Adam Smith division. Plano ISD’s Plano High School’s team won third in the nation in the David Ricardo division.
The KidsEcon Posters Project
KidsEcon Posters© (KEP) is a curriculum project of the Indiana Council for Economic Education based at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The ICEE, an affiliate of the Council for Economic Education, is part of a national network of State Councils and University Centers.
The KidsEcon Posters© project gives teachers the tools they need to help their students understand the exciting economic world around them – making them more effective producers, consumers, savers, investors, and voting citizens.
At the heart of the project are 22 colorful posters (set A and B), each describing an important economic concept identified in the National Standards in Economics and in most state Standards.
A Teacher’s Guide accompanies most poster and DVD sets.
Virtual Economics 4.0 Has Arrived!
What subjects are supported by VE 4.0? VE 4.0 provides lessons for kindergarten through grade 12 math, language arts, science, social studies as well as high school economics and career and technical education. By integrating economic and financial literacy into the four core subjects and career/technical, teachers utilize every day events and actions to help students develop critical thinking skills and learn subject content.
What is Virtual Economics 4.0? Virtual Economics 4.0 is the nation’s most comprehensive educational resource for teachers of economics. Revised to incorporate new publications, current data, improved operating features, and increased accessibility, Virtual Economics 4.0 includes 51 key economic concepts, a glossary with 500-plus terms and definitions, and over 1,200 activity-based lessons, each accompanied by a multi-media demonstration. This training helps educators increase student understanding of economic, personal finance and entrepreneurship concepts.
What districts qualify for the training? Texas has over 100 districts that have been targeted to receive the trainings. The training is free of charge to the district, school and teachers.
The Texas Council on Economic Education (TCEE) and Council for Economic Education (CEE) join State Farm in supporting the America’s Promise Alliance Grad Nation campaign goal to end the high school dropout crisis and prepare young people for college and the 21st century workforce. These high schools are identified in the Grad Nation report “2,000 Lowest Performing High Schools” and are identified as having graduation rates lover than 60%. CEE and State Farm believe that improving economic education across K-12 in these school districts (which include feeder schools) will impact these communities by preparing young people to be financially educated. CEE will therefore award grants to councils and centers that provide a robust strategy for delivering training workshops to K-12 educators who teach in these “Target Districts.” Applicants can explore Target Districts in their state or region by accessing the PDF file available for download on the online application.
Which schools are the target schools approved for the free training? Click here for the list of schools.
How does our district set up a staff development program? Contact Laura Ewing or Catherine Rinhart at tcee@economicstexas.org or 713.655.1650.