U.S. economics assessment on the way. (Social Studies).

What do high school graduates need to know about the economy? That's the question being asked in the development of a framework for the first nationwide economics assessment, a project of the National Assessment of Educational Progress that will hit schools in 2005.

NAEP's Assessment Governing Board awarded a $971,000 contract for the initial stages of the project to Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research. Participating subcontractors are the National Council for Economic Education and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Just 13 states currently require students to take economics courses, and an additional three states mandate a course offering, says Claire Melican, NCEE's vice president for program administration. "Our greatest goal would be [for schools] to see that economics is important, and we'd like to see more states mandate economics," Melican says, citing a survey that found parents want economics covered in schools. Standards for teaching economics have been adopted by 48 states.

The project committees--curriculum experts, university economists, high school economics teachers, parents and others--have met to create a framework that will be finalized this month. Focus groups are being planned, Melican says, and later this spring the framework will be posted on NCEE's Web site for administrator and teacher review.

www.ncee.net