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Arizona student advisory panel urges practical civics, stronger financial literacy in schools
Summary
Students on the Arizona State Board of Education’s Student Advisory Panel recommended embedding hands‑on civics and applied personal finance into existing government and economics courses, expanding elective options and teacher training to improve civic participation and real‑world financial skills.
Students on the Arizona State Board of Education’s Student Advisory Panel told the board that civics instruction too often focuses on memorizing facts rather than teaching practical participation, and recommended bolstering media literacy, voter education and debate opportunities in existing government courses.
Shreya Raman, a junior at BASIS Ahwatukee, Emilio Saenz, vice chair of the student panel and a sophomore at Phoenix Country Day School, and Muriel Coe, a senior at Arizona School for the Arts, presented the panel’s report and asked the board to make civics and financial literacy more experiential and more consistently available across school types. “There is a big difference between government and civics,” Raman said, adding that students need instruction on “voting, understanding credible news sources, and democratic participation.”
On financial literacy, the students urged that practical skills—budgeting, credit, taxes, loans and basic investing—be integrated into existing economics curricula so students graduate able to manage personal finances. The panel reported that only about 31 percent of students currently have access to financial courses while more than 68 percent want them, and recommended simulations, budgeting exercises and community partnerships to provide hands‑on practice.
Superintendent Horn told the panel the department will take the written recommendations, assign staff reviewers and consider actions, and said the department requires a half‑year of government and a half‑year of economics for graduation but prefers embedding additional content rather than adding more required courses that would reduce electives. Dr. Clay and other board members praised the students and said they planned to share the presentation with local superintendents and county advisory groups.
The students also highlighted uneven access across public, charter and private schools and urged investment in educator training so instruction is application‑based rather than memorization‑focused. Board members suggested the students’ materials be shared broadly and recommended that the department consider the panel’s ideas when reviewing standards and assessments.
The board did not take a vote on policy at the meeting; members directed staff to review the panel’s written recommendations and to return with possible implementation steps and materials the department can share with districts and schools.
