The Georgia Council on Economic Education (GCEE) has named the Houston County Schools the recipient of the 2013 Georgia Program of Excellence in Economic Education Award for their commitment to professional development for teachers that makes them lesson content experts in economics. Houston County makes instruction in economics essential for teachers and students.
GCEE presented Houston County Schools coordinator of social studies and media Pamela Knauer with the 2013 Georgia Program of Excellence Award at the 41st Annual Luncheon Meeting of the Georgia Council on Economic Education on May 20 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Professional development
Changes in education are underway in Georgia. The College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) is here, and with it a greater emphasis on achievement and accountability for schools and school systems around Georgia.
To be ready, the Houston County Schools decided that social studies teachers needed to be content experts in economics. Starting in 2009, more than 160 Houston County K through 12 teachers have attended 21 different workshops on grade-appropriate instruction in economics.
With teachers across Houston County attending economics workshops every year since then, student achievement scores on the economics portion of the End of Course Test (EOCT) and the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) have significantly improved. More training for teachers is scheduled for this summer.
“This award is the result of the hard work of Houston County’s social studies and K-12 teachers who work tirelessly to give effective economics instruction to our students. Houston County teachers use the economics professional learning they are given, and the students learn the economics,” said Knauer.
Teachers in Houston County attend economics workshops for elementary, middle and high school, like Using Biographies of Great Americans to Teach Economics for K to third grade, U.S. Economic History for fourth and fifth grades, Economics in World Studies for sixth and seventh grades, Georgia Economic History for eighth grade, and Teaching High School Economics and the GPS.
All K-12 lesson content is correlated to the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS), the state’s academic benchmark. Teachers also learn strategies incorporating best instructional practices so they have the flexibility to teach in different ways while meeting the same standards in economics.
Economics comfort factor
Often, social studies teachers feel confident teaching geography, history, and civics, but less so teaching economics. Houston County’s curriculum staff noted that as their social studies and K-12 teachers attended in-service professional development in economics, teachers also became more comfortable with the content. As teachers’ expertise and comfort levels in teaching economics have increased, student achievement in the economics domain on standardized tests has also increased.
Professional learning is also provided early in the school year for new teachers or teachers switching grades so they have all the tools they need quickly. If teachers have to teach two different subjects in middle school, economics training is also provided to them so all students benefit by having a confident, well-trained economics teacher.
“Houston County is a great example of exactly the right way to implement economic education in a school system. Every teacher in every school attends the right workshops, receives the right instructional materials, and participates in the right special programs. Pam Knauer does a wonderful job of orchestrating all of these activities,” said David Martin, GCEE executive director.
Impact on Students
The growing expertise of teachers in economics lesson content gives students in Houston County Schools the “economic way of thinking.” As teachers master lesson content and prepare students to adapt to life in a global economy, they have heard from some parents that their students can actually talk about economics on a level that many adults cannot.
Teachers engage students with economics content that offers real-life lessons for students from kindergarten to twelfth grade, like Mini-Society’s Market Day for early grades, the Stock Market Game for fourth to 12th grades, Personal Budget projects, and “A Market in Oil” in the high school economics course.
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