Idaho is doing better than most states when it comes to teaching financial literacy. Vermont’s Champlain College Center for Financial Literacy graded the 50 states on efforts to produce high school graduates that know how to do things like save for retirement and buy a house.
Idaho was one of seven states to get an A. The majority of states received a C or lower. The report gives Idaho high marks for having financial literacy instruction as a graduation requirement as well as having state guidelines on how to teach personal finance and assessing students on financial literacy.
The study doesn’t look at classroom teaching or outcomes, just policies states have in place.
Of Idaho’s neighbors Utah also got an A. Nevada got a C. Montana, Wyoming and Oregon got Ds. Washington got an F despite having a state Director of Financial Regulation whose duties include “bringing personal finance education to all of the citizens in the state.”
Copyright 2013 Boise State Public Radio