Measuring the Success of Teacher Training

The College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado has developed a curriculum in financial planning for high school students. The High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) is a six-unit course designed to provide junior and senior high school students with an educational program in personal financial management. It acquaints students with basic financial planning concepts-time value of money, debt management, earning an income, protecting assets, budgeting, and saving money-through 10 or more hours of instruction. The HSFPP also shows how financial management concepts apply to everyday life.1 This project was done to address a serious problem in America-many people don't know how to manage their financial resources. Teachers, however, often feel insecure when faced with teaching financial management concepts to students.

In Alabama, the state Extension Service (home economics) is helping Alabama teachers gain competence in financial management education and confidence to teach the HSFPP to students through a four-hour intensive training session. Teacher knowledge of financial management concepts before and following the instructional session was tested to determine whether knowledge was gained from the training session.

A pre/post-test was designed to measure knowledge of financial management concepts in each of the six units.2 The pre- test was given at the beginning of each session, followed by four hours of intensive training. Each instructional session included: (1) an overview of the six units of the HSFPP course, with teachers having an opportunity to develop a teaching plan; (2) an opportunity to share with and learn from other teachers; (3) an introduction to at least two games that can be used to enhance learning; (4) hands-on experience solving time value of money problems using a financial calculator; and (5) an introduction to a variety of resources, from videotapes to speakers, available to high school teachers to supplement the teachers' manual and student workbook. At the end of the training session, teachers completed a post-test to measure knowledge of financial management concepts in each of the six units.

The HSFPP was introduced in Alabama in December 1990. As of June 1991, 15 county agents and 96 teachers from 13 counties had participated in the training.

The results presented here are based on the pre- and post- tests administered to four groups of teachers. Forty-six participants completed both the pre- and post-test.

Data show that the knowledge of financial management concepts increased significantly as a result of these training sessions. Training Session A involved seven teachers from three counties. Analysis of pre- and post-test scores show learning did occur and was significant at p<.005. Training Sessions B, C, and D involved 39 teachers from 10 counties. Pre- and post-test data show learning also occurred in these sessions, and was significant at p<.001.

Teacher responses to the training sessions were positive. They learned from each other and developed a lesson plan and a list of potential resources for each unit. Reports showed that 2,843 Alabama high school students, taught by 44 teachers, had completed the HSFPP at the end of the 1990-1991 school year. This pilot program was a success and is being expanded.

1. College for Financial Planning, High School Financial Planning Programs (Denver, Colorado: College for Financial Planning, 1989).

2. M. Mitchell and J. Jolley, Research Design Explained (Fort Worth, Texas: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1988).