Learning List recently reviewed Decker & Associates’ Real Life Personal Finance (RLPF), which was submitted for state adoption in Texas in response to the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2019 call for high school Personal Financial Literacy products aligned to the new PFL Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). RLPF is a comprehensive resource that supports instruction in Texas high school Personal Financial Literacy courses. Content is available online. Resources support independent study and are appropriate for students in self-paced and credit recovery learning environments. Instruction emphasizes the importance of post-secondary education in achieving career goals.
RLPF is aspirational in tone. Instruction asks a student to consider the lifestyle they would like in the future, the earnings needed to support that lifestyle, and how current decisions may affect their ability to achieve their goals. Instruction helps students identify career interests and addresses the importance of post-secondary education in pursuing career choices. [Read more…]
The course’s capstone project asks students to compete in the experiential “Game of Real Life.” The game requires students to work in teams and calculate a score based on “working, paying bills, and making life decisions” as they “age” from 19 to 26. The game requires that students make financial decisions, such as deciding on post-secondary education, renting or purchasing a home, and selecting investment options. The team with the highest aggregate income or net worth wins the game.
About Decker & Associates*
Since 1980, major employers, school districts, and government organizations have trusted the Deckers to provide objective personal financial education, tax planning, investment strategies, benefits selection, estate planning workshops, and counseling to thousands worldwide.
Beginning in 2012, at the requests of numerous educators, parents and students, the Deckers created a high school course, Real Life Financial Mathematics (RLFM).
Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Decker & Associates.