On 10 December 2007, the Arizona Board of Education approved the new Arizona high school graduation requirements.  Economics will be required for all students who graduate from Arizona schools beginning with the graduation class of 2012.  

The Arizona Board of Education Rule Change R7-2-302.01 regarding economics includes the following:
b.	Three credits in social studies to include the following:
i.	One credit of American history, including Arizona history;
ii.	One credit of world history/geography.
iii.	One-half credit of American government, including Arizona government
iv.	One-half credit of economics.

4.	Local school district governing boards or charter schools may grant to career and technical education and vocational education program completers a maximum of 3 1/2 credits to be used toward the Board English, mathematics, science, and economics credit requirements for graduation, subject to the following restrictions:
a.	The Board has approved the career and technical education and vocational education program for equivalent credit to be used toward the Board English, mathematics, science and economics credit requirements for graduation.
b.	A credit or partial credit may apply toward more than one subject area but shall count only as one credit or partial credit toward satisfying the 20 required credits.
c.	A student who satisfies any part of the Board English, mathematics, science, and economics requirements through the completion of a career and technical education and vocational education program shall still be required to earn 20 total credits to meet the graduation requirements prescribed in this rule.

The social studies courses cover the Arizona Social Studies Standard Articulated by Grade Level including American History, World History, Civics/Government, Geography and Economics (Strand 5).  The Arizona Economics Standards are the most comprehensive in the nation. The required Economics course will be the capstone to the K-12 Economics Standards.  The Economic Standard could be taught by a social studies teachers or a CTE teacher.

This is great news for the classroom teachers, members of the Standards Writing Committee, and Arizona Council on Economics staff who laid the excellent foundation for this to happen.  A number of years ago, the Social Studies Standard Task Force and Writing Committee recognized the need for a high school course to teach the high school Economics Standard (Strand 5 of the Social Studies Standard).  In a letter sent to the Arizona Board of Education in December 2004, they requested economics be required for high school graduation. Additional requests were made in February 2005 and June 2006.  

Shortly after I arrived in Arizona I was invited to make a formal presentation to the Arizona Board of Education on February 26, 2007.  Cheryl Lebo, Associate Superintendent of Standards and Assessment, and Carol Warren, Social Studies Program Specialist, Arizona Department of Education and I made the presentation together.  Each month during 2007 I attended the Board of Education meetings, Board work study sessions, public comment sessions and talked with many individual members of the Board of Education.  Special thanks to all who worked to make this a reality, including Greg Pratt, Mesa Community College; Ruth Cooper, The Thomas R. Brown Foundation; Barbara Gray, University High School, Tucson; and Jacqi Fifield, ACEE Board Executive Committee, who spoke so eloquently in public comment sessions in 2007.   Cheryl Lebo and Carol Warren at the Department of education also helped tremendously.

There were many teachers and supporters who spoke in public comments sessions in past years including Amy Willis, Ashley Hall and Sherri Perez, ACEE.  I know there were many more individuals who supported the effort over the years including Alice Temnick, President of the Arizona Society of Economics Teachers (ASET), and Michelle Crary, Career and Technical Education, Tempe Union High School District. I especially want to recognize John Morton, former ACEE President who had this as a goal when he began his leadership of the Council in 1997   Great thanks to him for helping get such outstanding economics standards included in the Social Studies Standard.

In next month‚s article, I will discuss how the Arizona Council will offer opportunities to prepare teachers to become Highly Qualified* in economics and our planned services to provide teachers with the classroom materials and lessons to teach the Economics Standards in the required economics high school course.  (The Federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that a teacher have Highly Qualified status to teach the state standards in subject areas - economics, history, civics/government, mathematics, etc.)  

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Upcoming ACEE Programs

Stock Market Game Workshop for Teachers
January 29, 2008 - Tempe

This workshop offers fun and innovative ways to teach your students about the exciting world of investing, economics, business, mathematics and personal finance. Receive interactive lessons to teach the Arizona Academic Standards. This workshop will help you easily integrate this curriculum into your classroom even if you don‚t have a strong background! You will leave this workshop with access to thousands of on-line lessons and a clear idea of how to introduce this difficult subject to your classroom using hands-on and activity-based lessons. Take advantage of this state-of-the-art website, our resources, and our incredible support staff to offer you all the support you need throughout the semester.



Common Sense Economics with John Stossel Video Clips
February 7, 2008 - Tucson  
February 8, 2008 - Mesa

Join ACEE for this workshop that will help high school teachers enhance their basic knowledge of economics and apply an economic way of thinking to everyday issues in contemporary life. The workshop will evaluate such broad sample questions as: Is life getting worse? Does outsourcing cost American jobs? Who really pays taxes? What is the impact of Rent Control on low-income families? The workshop leader will focus on using a package of tools to infuse excitement and fun into high school economics, government, and personal finance curriculum units. A curriculum packet will include two DVDs of video clips of interviews by libertarian television journalist John Stossel and a companion instructor‚s manual designed to stimulate classroom discussion.

Pre-registration required. Event time: 8:30 - 3:00.



Arizona Society for Economics Teachers (ASET) 7th Annual Conference
Saturday, February 9th - Mesa Community College LB145

Join the ASET for the only economics conference put on by teachers for teachers.  Four hours of professional development will be awarded.

Event Schedule:
7:30 am	Breakfast and Registration
8:00 am	Guest Speaker - Dr. Dwight Lee
9:15 am	Vendor Exhibits Open
9:30 am	Lesson Demonstration - John Morton
10:15 am	Vendor Exhibits Open
10:30 am	Keynote Speaker - Dr. David Schmidtz
11:30 am	Vendor Exhibits Open
11:45 am	Awards and Raffle

Join us for dinner and a content-rich evening where you‚ll learn to integrate economics with the books you already use in your classroom. Correlated with the Arizona elementary Mathematic, Social Studies and Language Arts Standards, each participant will receive their own copy of "Teaching Economics Using Children‚s Literature."  Discover an easy way to break these disciplines into manageable bites. Using 21 titles that include, "A Chair for My Mother," "A Goat in the Rug," "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenwiler," "The Giving Tree," "Island of the Blue Dolphin," you'll be able to combine stories and economic concepts to help your students realize that economic is a very real and interesting part of the world around them. Pre-registration required. Event time: 4:30 - 9:00pm.



Virtual Economics CD Workshop
February 28, 2008 - Tucson

Join us for this workshop as we introduce participating teachers to the use of the National Council on Economic Education's Virtual Economics CD.  The CD-ROM enables teachers of grades K - 12 to integrate economics into their curricula. The lesson plans are searchable by Arizona Standards. The CD is the ultimate online resource in economic education, with over 1,200 grade-specific lesson plans. Cosponsored with the Thomas R. Brown Foundation.

Pre-registration required.



Economics of Disasters
March 6, 2008 - Phoenix location

Join us for this exciting new program and have the option of participating in a field test with your students!  Some of the questions we‚ll answer during this workshop include: Are Disasters Good for the Economy? When Disaster Strikes, What Can Government Do?  When Disaster Strikes, What Can We Do? When Disaster Strikes, What Can Markets Do?  Co-sponsored with the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE).  

Pre-registration required. Event time: 8:30 - 3:00pm.



Economics of Water Use and the Environment
March 31, 2008 - Tucson

This day-long workshop for teachers grades 4-12 discusses water issues that are embedded in various curricula, within an economics framework. Topics covered will be how water differs from other resources, potabillity standards, water rights and laws, choice, and issues specific to Arizona . Co-sponsored with the Thomas R. Brown Foundation.

Pre-registration required. Event time: 8:30 - 3:00pm.



Economics to Teach the Standards
June 9th - 13th - Arizona State University, Tempe

Join the ACEE for this week-long 3 credit graduate course for all Arizona teachers!
 $600 scholarships are available for those who qualify!

Pre-registration is required. Event time: 8:30 - 4:30 daily.

Program Synopsis: The goal of the course is to provide teachers with both economic knowledge and effective pedagogy to enable their students to make better economic decisions as consumers, producers, and citizens.

IFeaturing:
•	In-depth economic analysis of many of each economic concepts required by the standards.
•	Applications for teaching the economics course required for graduation.
•	Class activities, demonstrations and simulations, lecture, presentations, and group discussions.
•	Coverage of the Arizona Economic Standards, providing teachers with materials that can be used to meet these standards at their grade levels.

Instructors:
Dr. William Boyes, Arizona State University
John Morton, Arizona Council on Economic Education
Debbie Henney, Mesa Community College
Alice Temnick, Cactus Shadows High School

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Congratulations to our Stock Market Game and InvestWrite Winners!

It's time to register for your spring teams - the sooner you register, the more interest your students will earn! Join us for our Stock Market Game Spring 2008 competition beginning Monday, February 11th! Contact Ashley Hall for more information at ahall@azecon.org.

Stock Market Game portfolio competition winners will be invited to an awards ceremony in May to be honored for all their hard work and to receive their prizes. 1st place prize is $200 gift card, 2nd place prize is $150 gift card, 3rd place prize is $100 gift card, and 4th place prize is a $50 gift card.

Elementary School Division
1st Place:	Zac H., Cole P., and Justin M.
	Teacher: Vaunee Lewis - School: Franklin South Elementary School
2nd Place:	Vincent Maxey and Jamie Dorer
	Teacher: Rachel Hellring - School: Navajo Elementary School
3rd Place:	George Muhn
	Teacher: Rachel Hellring - School: Navajo Elementary School
4th Place:	Manuel Villegas
	Teacher: Vaunee Lewis - School: Franklin South Elementary School
Middle School Division
1st Place:	Kameron Poole
	Teacher: Colleen Hogan - School: Crossroads School
2nd Place:	Ashley Gilmore
	Êteacher: Colleen Hogan Êschool: Crossroads School
3rd Place:	McKay Bagley and Brian Williams
	Teacher: Robyn Arnold - School: Queek Creek Middle School
4th Place:	Jessica Porcayo
	Teacher: Colleen Hogan - School: Crossroads School
High School Division
1st Place:	Sami Alpert, Parsa Sadeghi, Pascal Soultani and Madeleine Hopson
	Teacher: Nikki Alward - School: Desert Mountain High School
2nd Place:	Christian Miranda and Cruz Fernandez
	Teacher: Adrienne Rivera - School: Mesa High School
3rd Place:	Greg Clark, Stacy Smith, Austin Bowler and Brad Douthit
	Teacher: Nikki Alward - School: Desert Mountain High School
4th Place:	Taylor Simons
	Teacher: Brett Haglin - School: Mesquite High School

InvestWrite competition winners will be invited to an awards ceremony in May to be honored for all their hard work and to receive their prizes. Winners will receive a new laptop computer!

Elementary School
Chris B. from Mesquite Elementary School in Tucson
Teacher: Elizabeth Bradshaw

Middle School
Jordan P. from Mohave Middle School in Scottsdale
Teacher: Debra Sheets

High School
David R. from Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale
Teacher: Roger Moore

Thank you to all our hard working students and teachers and congratulations on your great achievements! Good luck this semester!

Teachers! If you are interested in having a Wachovia Securities representative come into your classroom to speak with your students about the stock market, please contact us at ahall@azecon.org

Team fees for the Arizona Stock Market Game are underwritten by a contribution from Wachovia Securities, LLC, Member NYSE/SIPC.

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7th Annual ASET Conference
Ethics, Economics and Freedom: The Morality of Markets

Saturday, February 9th, 2008
Mesa Community College • 883 West Southern Avenue • Mesa, AZ 85202

ASET presents the only economic education conference in Arizona
put on by teachers, for teachers.

Event Schedule
7:30 am	Breakfast and Registration
8:00 am	Guest Speaker - Dr. Dwight Lee
9:15 am	Vendor Exhibits Open
9:30 am	Lesson Demonstration - John Morton
10:15 am	Vendor Exhibits Open
10:30 am	Keynote Speaker - Dr. David Schmidtz
11:30 am	Vendor Exhibits Open
11:45 am	Awards and Raffle

Dr. Dwight Lee
Dr. Dwight Lee is the Professor of Economics and Private Enterprise at the University of Georgia. Dr. Leeâs research has covered a variety of areas including the environment and natural resources, political decision-making, public finance, law, and labor economics. Dr. Lee has published over 320 articles and commentaries, and has coauthored ten books. Lee has lectured throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa.

John Morton
John Morton is the founder and Senior Program Officer for the Arizona Council on Economic Education. ÊHe has taught economics for 31 years at the high school and university levels. ÊMorton who has authored or coauthored more than 80 publications, earned his M.A. from the University of Illinois and pursued postgraduate work at the University of Chicago.

Dr. David Schmidtz
David Schmidtz is the Professor of Philosophy, joint Professor of Economics, and Director of the Program of Philosophy of Freedom at the University of Arizona. Dr. Schmidtz is the author of Elements of Justice, Rational Choice and Moral Agency and co-author, with Robert Goodin, of Social Welfare and Individual Responsibility. He is the editor of Robert Nozick and edited, with Elizabeth Willott, Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works. His lectures on justice have taken him to sixteen countries and six continents.

Live outside Maricopa County?
Thomas R. Brown Foundation will cover your hotel cost when you register for ASET!
Contact Mark Sammons for further information: mjs@famofc.com

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•	Are you a high school junior or senior?
•	Are you actively engaged in improving your community?
•	Would you like to participate in an eight week, paid summer internship with a local non-profit organization?
•	Are you interested in developing valuable leadership skills?
•	Would you like to spend an exciting week in Washington, D.C. learning how non-profits, government and business work together to improve our communities?

Apply Today.
Deadline: February 29, 2008
To apply today, click here

- nomination form and eligibility requirements listed*
- letters of reference from teachers and mentors are required

The Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE)
is once again offering its always popular summer residential programs, with ten sessions of Economics for Leaders.

Registration is now open for all of the programs and can be done on-line, click here

Economics for Leaders - 2008
June 15 - 21	University of Texas
June 22 - 28	Eckerd College
July 6 - 12	University of Colorado
July 13 - 19	Hillsdale College
July 13 - 19	Cornell University
July 20 - 26	University of San Francisco
July 20 - 26	The College of William Mary
July 27 - August 2	TBA
July 27 - August 2	Claremont McKenna College
August 3 - 9	University of British Columbia

The late Noble Laureate, Milton Friedman, once stated that "leaders in particular should learn economics because their decisions are more important." To answer this call, FTE created the Economics for Leaders (EFL) program. This week long summer program, held on prestigious campuses nationwide, integrates economic reasoning skills with leadership development. Past participants have described the week as life changing.

Please encourage your students to apply. To be eligible, students must be juniors who are academically on-track for their senior year. Deadline to apply is February 15, 2008. To apply online, and for more information, click here

The Arizona Foundation for Legal Services Education invites you to vote!

On behalf of Kids Voting Arizona, I invite your school to participate in the upcoming 2008 Kids Voting Arizona Presidential Preference Election on Feb. 5th and the General Election November 4th.

It's easy to get your school signed up click here, and you'll receive free curriculum and materials that will help your school teach its student citizens about this year's exciting Presidential Election.

To make sure you get your materials in time for the Feb 5th election, we recommend setting up your students to vote online for the Presidential Preference election - but Kids Voting Arizona will provide the option of paper ballots or online polling for the November 4th General Election.

Please click here to get started today!

Jeff Schade
Kids Voting Arizona
and Arizona Foundation for Legal Services Education

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The Arizona Council on Economic Education is pleased to announce the Arizona Economics Challenge on Saturday, April 5th at BASiS Scottsdale Charter School. Economics Challenge is a friendly competition for all Arizona Students grades 9-12 and for all levels!

The Arizona Economics Challenge is an opportunity for teams of high school students from across the state to demonstrate their knowledge on a wide array of economics topics.

Teams of four students are tested in areas of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and international economics. Students enrolled in an economics course may compete in one of two divisions. First place teams from each division will advance to compete in an on-line Western Regional Competition on April 29th. Winning Regional teams will receive an all-expense paid trip to compete for The National Championship title in New York City on May 16-19, 2008.

Space in limited! Teachers, sign up today to reserve your teams. Don't miss our February 29th deadline!

STAFF

Elizabeth Volard - President
evolard@azecon.org

John Morton - Senior Program Officer
econzone@aol.com

Ashley Hal - Program Coordinator
ahall@azecon.org

Ted Raper - Stock Market Simulation Coordinator
traper@azecon.org

Arizona Council on Economic Education
Investing in Students' Futures

6691 E. Camelback Rd. Suite B297
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(p) 480-368-8020
(f) 480-368-8011

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