The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement has designated CEE as the lead grant recipient for the competitive Excellence in Economic Education (EEE) grant program since 2004. In turn, through a competitive process, CEE distributes $1.5 million to qualified educational organizations in an effort to strengthen and increase both teacher’s and student’s knowledge of economics.

Congress first authorized EEE (20 USC 7267) as a part of the landmark No Child Left Behind Act. The EEE program promotes economic and financial literacy among all students in kindergarten through grade 12.

CEE Projects Funded through EEE

• Basic Economics Test (BET)
• Test of Economic Knowledge (TEK)
• What Works: A Review of Research on Outcomes and Effective Program Delivery in Precollege Economic Education
• Focus: Middle School World History
• Focus: Economics – Grades K-2
• Focus: Understanding Economics in Civics and Government
• Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics, 2nd edition

Examples of Sub-grants Funded through EEE

• EconEd Webinars: Using Technology to Serve Teachers of Geographically Isolated Areas and Minority Students

Bessie B. Moore Center for Economic Education created nine webinars enabling the delivery of professional development programs to teachers and students from geographically isolated populations Webinars reached teachers throughout the state of Arkansas and extended teacher-training activities beyond normal coverage areas. Topics covered ranged from youth entrepreneurship, Arkansas history, using children’s literature to teach economics to strategies for teaching high school economics.

• Financial Literacy Certification Program in NYC

More than 100 schools in New York City participated in this program through Working in Support of Education (w!se) NY.  The goals of the program are to increase the number of high school students who are financially literate, influence student financial behavior through instruction, and measure the level of effectiveness in teaching personal finance.

Post-instruction, students in the program are budgeting, using banks, saving money, setting financial goals, comparing prices and talking about money matters with family.

•  Refugee Youth Program

Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc. served 30 students in grades 9-12 in the economic education program. All students were refugees who have been in the United States less than five years.  After the program, 93% of participants demonstrated competency in the fundamentals of personal finance. 100% of participants participated in career exploration or a college planning program in conjunction with the personal finance curriculum.

Update on EEE

CEE has reached out directly to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to request that the Department of Education continue to support this important program in 2012-2013 through discretionary funds because the EEE program was not included in the FY2012 budget.

We received a wonderful response in support of the letter to Secretary Duncan. Below is a copy of the letter including all of its supporters.