Gender and student achievement in personal finance: Evidence from keys to financial success

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine the performance of male and female students participating in a unique and successful high school programme called Keys to Financial Success. After carefully discussing the programme's characteristics, curriculum and teacher training, we examine the Financial Fitness for Life High School Test (FFFL-HS) results from 965 students enrolled in a one-semester Keys course and discover no gender gap at the overall pre-test level. We find, however, a significant gender gap favouring female students at the overall post-test level, a finding consistent with the results from the norming of the FFFL-HS Test.