Empowering Educators—Teaching Personal Finance in PA with AI & Top Websites
1. Understand the New Requirement
PA’s Act 35 of 2023 mandates a half‑credit personal finance course, starting in 2026–2027, for all high school students—public and nonpublic pdesas.orgPA Auditor General. Educators have flexibility in when (grades 9–12) and how to implement this requirement. LEAs can choose to allow this credit to fulfill part of social studies, math, business, or family and consumer sciences requirements Pennsylvania General Assembly+4pdesas.org+4Center for Financial Literacy+4.
2. Explore Official Guidance & Resources
Pennsylvania Personal Finance Toolkit (SAS/PDE): Offers guidance on course requirements, academic standards, educator certification, local curriculum development, and reporting via PIMS pdesas.org.
Model Curriculum: The state is required to release its updated model course by 2025–26, which teachers can adapt or integrate into their lesson plans Pennsylvania General Assembly+1.
3. Online Resources You Can Rely On
Here are some excellent websites to enrich your curriculum:
Council for Economic Education (CEE): Offers training, ready-to-use classroom materials, and educator workshops. PA has engaged with CEE to support this initiative Council for Economic Education+1.
Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF): Provides a rich library of free lesson plans, activities, and teacher certification courses. Also offers training opportunities to build confidence in instruction MarketWatch+1.
Philadelphia Financial Scholars: A nonprofit that delivers simulation-rich curriculum and paid PD for teachers—especially helpful for educators new to the subject PA Auditor General+1.
4. Boost Your Teaching with AI Tools
Incorporating AI into the classroom can make financial concepts more interactive:
ChatGPT or other AI tutors:
Generate real‑world scenarios (e.g., budgeting for college or credit card repayment exercises).
Help students practice financial literacy via chat simulations—like calculating loan payments or comparing insurance options.
AI for personalized learning:
Use quizzes or flashcards generated via AI tailored to student performance.
Differentiate lessons for students who need more support versus those ready for advanced personal finance topics.
Ethical use:
Clearly explain to students how AI is being used.
Ensure activities promote understanding—not just answers.
5. Steps to Launching Your Course
Familiarize yourself with the SAS Personal Finance Toolkit and draft standards.
Request or attend training:
CEE webinars
NGPF online modules
Local PD via Financial Scholars or your Intermediate Unit
Pilot a unit with AI-enhanced activities—for example, personal budgeting simulations or interactive credit scoring lessons.
Collect feedback from students and refine based on insights or effectiveness.
Collaborate with colleagues in math, business, or FCS departments to explore cross-credit options or team-taught modules.
6. Why It Matters
Studies show students who complete standalone personal finance courses are:
More likely to apply for and receive financial aid
Better at saving and managing credit
Less likely to use high‑interest loans or overcharge credit cards
Plus, they can benefit by an estimated $100,000 over their lifetime from improved financial decision-making—even from modest course changes Council for Economic Education+4pdesas.org+4butlereagle.com+4CBS News+1.
Pennsylvania’s new requirement beginning in 2026–2027 means high school teachers—regardless of subject area—will have a key role in delivering financial literacy. Tap into SAS tools, CEE, NGPF, and Philadelphia Financial Scholars for resources and PD. Embrace AI thoughtfully to make lessons dynamic and student-centered. You’re not just meeting a requirement—you’re setting students up for real-life financial success.
BONUS: Here’s a lesson to get you started!
Here’s a sample personal finance lesson you can adapt for Pennsylvania’s new requirement, complete with AI prompts you (or your students) can use to enhance learning.
Sample Lesson Plan: Budgeting for Life After High School
Grade Level: 11–12
Time Needed: 2–3 class periods (45–50 min each)
Standards Alignment: PA SAS Personal Finance Draft Standards (Budgeting, Income, Decision-Making)
Goal: Students will create a realistic post-high-school budget based on a chosen career path, incorporating real-life expenses and savings goals.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Identify key monthly expenses and differentiate between fixed and variable costs.
Research and determine realistic income and cost-of-living estimates for their chosen career and location.
Build a balanced budget that accounts for taxes, savings, and lifestyle choices.
Use AI tools to simulate financial decision-making and analyze the impact of spending habits.
Lesson Flow
Day 1 – Career & Income Research
Warm-up Discussion: “What’s the first big purchase you think you’ll make after high school or college?”
Activity: Students pick a career they’re interested in.
Research task:
Use Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) or O*NET to find average salaries.
Use Indeed.com or Glassdoor to get local job salary ranges.
AI Prompt for Students:
"You are a career advisor. I am a high school student considering a career as a [career]. Based on average starting salaries in Pennsylvania, help me calculate my monthly take-home pay after taxes, assuming I live in [city]. Include federal, state, and local taxes in the calculation."
Day 2 – Expense Planning
Fixed Expenses Examples: Rent, car payment, insurance, student loans.
Variable Expenses Examples: Food, gas, entertainment, clothing.
Research task:
Students find realistic costs for each category (Zillow, Rent.com, local grocery ads, Geico.com for insurance).
They also set a savings goal (emergency fund, retirement, big purchase).
AI Prompt for Students:
"Act as a financial coach. Help me create a monthly budget for someone earning $[salary] per month in [city]. Include realistic estimates for housing, transportation, utilities, food, insurance, entertainment, and savings, making sure the budget is balanced and not overspending."
Day 3 – Budget Simulation & Reflection
Simulation: Students input their budget into a Google Sheet or online budget tool (like NGPF’s Budgeting Calculator).
Scenario Cards: Each student gets a random “life event” (car repair, rent increase, bonus, medical bill). They adjust their budget accordingly.
AI Prompt for Students:
"You are a financial simulator. Here’s my monthly budget: [paste budget table]. A sudden $[amount] expense happened this month. How should I adjust my spending so I can cover the expense without going into debt?"
Assessment
Students submit:
Career and salary research
Monthly budget spreadsheet
Reflection paragraph: “What was the hardest part of balancing your budget, and what did you learn about real-life financial planning?”
Extension / Extra Credit
Use AI to compare two different cities for cost-of-living:
"Compare the cost of living for someone making $[salary] in Pittsburgh, PA, versus Philadelphia, PA. Which location offers more financial comfort, and why?"
