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Economic
and Financial Education In Hawaii
Assessing the Present, Finding the Future
Kimberly Burnett and Sumner J. La Croix
August 11, 2003
Economic
education in Hawaii's K-12 schools got its formal start in
the early 1970s, with the first courses in economics and consumer
education being established in high schools. The number of
students enrolled in economics courses in public high schools
increased dramatically over the next 15 years, with roughly
25 percent of high school seniors in public schools enrolled
in an economics course in 1986. Between 1986 and 1999, enrollment
rates would almost double, to 47 percent of high school seniors.
By 1999, Hawaii public enrollment rates were close to national
private-public enrollment rates. This record of success would
move into reverse gear in 1999. Between 1998-99 and 2001-02,
enrollment rates in economics courses at public high schools
tumbled, from 47 to 29 percent. Reasons for the enrollment
declines include a drop in the number of public high schools
offering economics since 1999; fewer available trained teachers;
declining student interest in the elective; as well as scheduling
and resource pressures. The enrollment rate in economics courses
in Hawaii's private high schools stood at 66 percent of high
school seniors in 2002-03, more than double the public school
rate.
The declining enrollment rate in public high school economics courses is the central problem with the state of economic literacy in Hawaii. It is critical that major players meet soon-within four to six weeks of this conference's conclusion-to discuss how they will help to reserve this troubling trend. A recommitment by the Hawaii Department of Education, the UHM Department of Economics, UHM College of Education, UHM College of Business, the business community and its representatives, Hawaii's public and private schools, and a reorganization and new role for key players such as the Hawaii Council on Economic Education are the key ingredients in restoring economic education to the extraordinary heights achieved between 1965 and 1999. The enterprise of K-12 education in Hawaii has been extremely successful-at least until 1999. It is time for all major players to re-examine the nature of their commitment to this field-a field listed as one of ten core fields in the federal No Child Left Behind Act. A recommitment to the endeavor of K-12 education from each major player could offer big results, as demonstrated by the extraordinary record of Hawaii high school students on AP economics tests.
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