Personal Financial Literacy
Frequently Asked Questions

 

Middle School

• Will local districts determine in what year or years of middle school the content will be delivered, or will this be stipulated by the State Department of Education?

Standards

• When were districts required to align their K through 12 curriculum to the Personal Financial Literacy standard (New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) 9.1?
• Where can districts find resources to develop content?
• Will the state require specific textbooks?

Graduation Requirements

• Can students earn graduation credit for accomplishing the requirements of Standard 9.1?
• What strategies can districts employ to fulfill the 2.5 required credits in financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy?
• Can a student receive graduation credit by taking a single course that satisfies both the 2.5 credit Personal Financial Literacy requirement and the 5.0 credit 21st Century Life and Careers or Career and Technical Education requirement?
• Will the state of NJ be utilizing an exit test to assess student mastery for this requirement?
• Will local districts determine in what year or years of high school the course will be delivered, or will this be stipulated by the New Jersey Department of Education?
• Can the content be delivered using an online delivery method (Internet-based programs), or must it be delivered through a seat-time delivery system? Can a combination of seat-time and online programs be utilized to meet the requirement?

Teacher Certification

• What teacher certificate(s) are required to teach a course in Personal Financial Literacy?
• What teacher certificate is required to teach financial literacy integrated into another content area?

Middle School

Will local districts determine in what year or years of middle school the content will be delivered, or will this be stipulated by the State Department of Education?
In compliance with legislation enacted on January 3, 2019, personal financial literacy instruction is required for pupils in each of the grades six through eight.
Additional middle school resources can be found on the New Jersey Department of Education website.

Standards

When were districts required to align their K through 12 curriculum to the Personal Financial Literacy standard (New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) 9.1?
Districts should have aligned their K through 12 curriculum to the Personal Financial Literacy standard by September 2015.

Where can districts find resources to develop content?
New Jersey Student Learning Standard 9.1 outlines clear and specific benchmarks for student achievement in Personal Financial Literacy.
New Jersey Student Learning Standard 9.3 outlines what students should know and be able to do upon completion of a CTE program of study in the following areas:

• Economic Literacy: Standard 9.3: Finance Career Cluster®
• Business Literacy: Standard 9.3: Business Management & Administration Career Cluster
• Entrepreneurial Literacy: Standard 9.3: Business Management & Administration Career Cluster

Additional K through 12 Resources can be found on the New Jersey Department of Education website.

Will the state require specific textbooks?
Instructional materials, including any textbooks, are a district decision.

Graduation Requirements

Can students earn graduation credit for accomplishing the requirements of Standard 9.1?
N.J.A.C. 6A:8-5.1 Graduation requirements

• For a State-endorsed diploma, district boards of education shall develop, adopt, and implement local graduation requirements that prepare students for success in post-secondary degree programs, careers, and civic life in the 21st century, and that include the following:
  
  v. At least 2.5 credits in financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy, effective with 2010-2011 grade nine class

What strategies can districts employ to fulfill the 2.5 required credits in financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy?
By completing a stand-alone, half-year course taught by staff holding a Social Studies; Business: Finance, Economics, and Law; Comprehensive Business; Comprehensive Family and Consumer Sciences; General Business certificate; or Math certificate.
By completing one or more elective courses that integrate the content and skills required by N.J.A.C. 6A:8-5.1(a)1v and taught by staff holding a Social Studies; Business: Finance, Economics, and Law; Comprehensive Business; Comprehensive Family and Consumer Sciences; General Business certificate; or Math certificate. 

Can a student receive graduation credit by taking a single course that satisfies both the 2.5 credit Personal Financial Literacy requirement and the 5.0 credit 21st Century Life and Careers or Career and Technical Education requirement?
A student may not receive two sets of Carnegie-Unit-like credits for the same experience. 

Will the state of NJ be utilizing an exit test to assess student mastery for this requirement?
School Districts are "responsible for assessing and publicly reporting on the progress of all students in developing the knowledge and skills specified by the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, including civics, financial literacy, and all content areas not currently included in the Statewide assessment program," as specified by N.J.A.C. 6A:8‑3.1(a)3

Will local districts determine in what year or years of high school the course will be delivered, or will this be stipulated by the New Jersey Department of Education?
This is a local decision.

Can the content be delivered using an online delivery method (Internet-based programs), or must it be delivered through a seat-time delivery system? Can a combination of seat-time and online programs be utilized to meet the requirement?
It is currently a local decision.

Teacher Certification

What teacher certificate(s) are required to teach a course in Personal Financial Literacy?

Business education teachers holding a Business Education certificate, including certificates #1300, #1301 or #1302 and their predecessors may teach financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy in grades K through 12. Or

• Family and consumer teachers holding the Family and Consumer Science certificate #1705 or its predecessors may teach financial literacy in grades K through 12. Or
• Math teachers holding the Mathematics certificate #1900 and its predecessors may teach business math courses that would satisfy business literacy in grades K-12. Or
• Social studies teachers holding the Social Studies certificate #2300 or its predecessors may teach economic literacy in grades K through 12.
• Elementary school teachers holding the Elementary School Teacher Endorsement #1000, may teach a course in financial literacy in grades N through 8, provided it complies with the requirement that it is no more than one-half of the daily instructional assignment (N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-9.3(b)2.iv).
• Elementary school teachers holding the Elementary School Teacher Endorsement #1001, may teach a course in financial literacy in grades K through 6, provided it complies with the requirement that it is no more than one-half of the daily instructional assignment (N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-9.3(b)2.iv).

What teacher certificate is required to teach financial literacy integrated into another content area?
To teach financial literacy integrated into another content area, the teacher must possess the appropriate teaching endorsement for the relevant NJSLS for that content area.