Atlee High School (AHS) and Mechanicsville High School (MHS) have been named two of the best schools in the country for financial literacy education.
Working in Support of Education (W!se), a nonprofit organization based in New York City, announced recently that AHS and MHS have earned the distinction of being named a Blue Star School for their students’ outstanding performance on the 2023-24 W!se Financial Literacy Certification Test. The two Hanover County schools are among approximately 100 schools across the U.S. to be named a Blue Star School.
Students take the test after a course or unit on personal finance, with those who pass the test becoming Certified Financially Literate™ and earning a W!se CFL™. The Blue Star School award is given to schools where a significant portion of students demonstrate proficiency in personal finance by achieving high passing rates on the certification test.
“As we know, there are many metrics that are used to measure student success in the classroom. For Atlee to be one of approximately 100 schools to receive this award means that our staff members continue to implement innovative, relevant, and rigorous lesson plans into their classrooms to ensure that our students are grasping the importance of becoming financially literate before they graduate,” said Dr. John Wheeler, Atlee High School Principal. “When our students leave Atlee, it is extremely important for us to know that we have given them the tools for their toolbox to make sound financial decisions as adults.”
He added: “While there are many factors that go into how students perform on any given assessment, content knowledge, instructional delivery, and the ability to provide quality and timely feedback to our students are critical to their success. Our teachers are extremely knowledgeable with their content and have a passion to ensure that our students are equipped with the skills they need to be successful. If we continue to be successful in how we deliver quality instruction to our students as it relates to student financial literacy, we are equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to manage money effectively.”
Atlee High School also received this recognition for results during the 2019-20 school year.
“Congratulations to Mechanicsville High School for earning the prestigious Blue Star Recognition from W!SE for the 2023-2024 school year! This achievement highlights our students' exceptional performance on the W!SE Personal Finance Certification Test, showcasing the amazing instruction of our Economics and Personal Finance teachers, and our students' commitment to financial literacy and future success,” said Dr. Michael Jarvis, an assistant principal at Mechanicsville High School.
In addition to recognizing schools, W!SE also recognizes teachers whose students excel on the Financial Literacy Test. To earn Gold Star status, teachers must have a 93% pass rate in at least one of their classes during the year. For the 2023-24 school year, W!SE recognized the following Hanover County teachers as Gold Star Teachers:
- Will Ford (Atlee High School)
- Meridee Gibson (Mechanicsville High School)
- Julie Heineman (Atlee High School)
- Jason Reynolds (Hanover High School)
- Kristina Stoudt (Atlee High School)
- Ashley Tevis (Atlee High School)
Schools enrolled in the W!se financial literacy program teach a course or unit on personal finance using instructional resources from W!se, including a curriculum outline aligned to national and state standards, and then administer the test. The program is offered in 49 states.