New Model Standardizes Teacher Training in Personal Finance
Washington, DC, July 20, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The Jump$tart Teacher Training Alliance (J$TTA) today announced the release of a new tool designed to strengthen and standardize training for classroom teachers in personal finance. The J$TTA Model will be available to qualified organizations at no cost and will be delivered as a tool-kit, which approved users will access through a private portal on the Jump$tart website.
The concept for the Model was developed by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) based on its 2009 research that showed few personal teachers felt adequately prepared to teach the subject or to use their state’s standards. NEFE turned the program over to Jump$tart to administer on behalf of its partners.
Laura Levine, president and CEO of the Jump$tart Coalition said, “The Model focuses on teachers as learners—with the goal of improving their own levels of financial literacy, to give them the knowledge and confidence to teach personal finance more effectively.”
How it will Work
Non- and not-for-profit organizations and government agencies will apply for free access to the Model on the Jump$tart website. For-profit entities may use the Model in partnership with a non-profit or government agency. Qualified users will need to demonstrate experience in teacher training and event management—or have a committed partner that brings this experience to the table. Users will agree to conduct a minimum of 18 hours of training; follow the model, except where customization is permitted; and to participate in assessment research.
Organizations will conduct their own events—utilizing local sponsorship and expertise—following the prescribed course content. The Model will help organizations select and prepare presenters; allowing each organization plenty of room to customize their own events; while course content remains standard, to ensure consistency across the profession.
Why it is Different
The J$TTA Model was developed by five non-profit organizations—Council for Economic Education, Jump$tart, Junior Achievement USA, NEFE, and the Take Charge America Institute—with valuable insight from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of the Treasury. The five founders, which now serve at the J$TTA national advisory committee, support the model, jointly, as the standard in personal finance teacher training.
Levine explains, “Not only was the Model developed collaboratively; the J$TTA requires collaboration in conducting local training programs based on the Model. This initiative is a true testament to what the financial literacy community can achieve by working together.”
Because the J$TTA Model is designed to improve teachers’ knowledge of personal finance, it complements the many existing professional development programs focused on improving how teachers teach personal finance and since training is not tied to a particular program or curriculum, it is applicable across subjects.
Demonstrated Effectiveness
The J$TTA Model was developed over three years and pilot tested in five locations—Arizona, Chicago, Colorado, South Carolina, and Vermont. Each of the pilot locations conducted pre- and post-event assessments; and then another assessment six months after the training event. Research, conducted by NEFE, shows that teachers increased their knowledge, retained the knowledge after six months, made positive changes in their own financial habits, and integrated what they learned into their classrooms.
The complete research report can be found on Jump$tart’s website: http://bit.ly/12SH8Sr
About Jump$tart: The Jump$tart Coalition is a Washington, DC-based not-for-profit organization that seeks to improve the personal financial literacy of students in pre-kindergarten through college. It is a coalition of about 150 national organizations and a network of 49 affiliated state coalitions, which work individually, and collectively, to conduct and support financial education. Jump$tart is the original promoter of April as Financial Literacy Month. For more information about the Jump$tart Coalition, go to www.jumpstart.org or follow us on Twitter @NatlJumpstart.
The concept for the Model was developed by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) based on its 2009 research that showed few personal teachers felt adequately prepared to teach the subject or to use their state’s standards. NEFE turned the program over to Jump$tart to administer on behalf of its partners.
Laura Levine, president and CEO of the Jump$tart Coalition said, “The Model focuses on teachers as learners—with the goal of improving their own levels of financial literacy, to give them the knowledge and confidence to teach personal finance more effectively.”
How it will Work
Non- and not-for-profit organizations and government agencies will apply for free access to the Model on the Jump$tart website. For-profit entities may use the Model in partnership with a non-profit or government agency. Qualified users will need to demonstrate experience in teacher training and event management—or have a committed partner that brings this experience to the table. Users will agree to conduct a minimum of 18 hours of training; follow the model, except where customization is permitted; and to participate in assessment research.
Organizations will conduct their own events—utilizing local sponsorship and expertise—following the prescribed course content. The Model will help organizations select and prepare presenters; allowing each organization plenty of room to customize their own events; while course content remains standard, to ensure consistency across the profession.
Why it is Different
The J$TTA Model was developed by five non-profit organizations—Council for Economic Education, Jump$tart, Junior Achievement USA, NEFE, and the Take Charge America Institute—with valuable insight from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of the Treasury. The five founders, which now serve at the J$TTA national advisory committee, support the model, jointly, as the standard in personal finance teacher training.
Levine explains, “Not only was the Model developed collaboratively; the J$TTA requires collaboration in conducting local training programs based on the Model. This initiative is a true testament to what the financial literacy community can achieve by working together.”
Because the J$TTA Model is designed to improve teachers’ knowledge of personal finance, it complements the many existing professional development programs focused on improving how teachers teach personal finance and since training is not tied to a particular program or curriculum, it is applicable across subjects.
Demonstrated Effectiveness
The J$TTA Model was developed over three years and pilot tested in five locations—Arizona, Chicago, Colorado, South Carolina, and Vermont. Each of the pilot locations conducted pre- and post-event assessments; and then another assessment six months after the training event. Research, conducted by NEFE, shows that teachers increased their knowledge, retained the knowledge after six months, made positive changes in their own financial habits, and integrated what they learned into their classrooms.
The complete research report can be found on Jump$tart’s website: http://bit.ly/12SH8Sr
About Jump$tart: The Jump$tart Coalition is a Washington, DC-based not-for-profit organization that seeks to improve the personal financial literacy of students in pre-kindergarten through college. It is a coalition of about 150 national organizations and a network of 49 affiliated state coalitions, which work individually, and collectively, to conduct and support financial education. Jump$tart is the original promoter of April as Financial Literacy Month. For more information about the Jump$tart Coalition, go to www.jumpstart.org or follow us on Twitter @NatlJumpstart.
Contact
Jump$tart
Heather McElrath
703-472-2625
jumpstart.org
Heather McElrath
703-472-2625
jumpstart.org
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