Performance in the Basic Economics Test (BET) and “Trade-offs”

Chizmar and Halinski use data obtained in norming the Basic Economics Test to examine the impact of “Trade-offs” in the teaching of economics in elementary schools. The sample used for the study included approximately 13,800 children in grades 4–6 drawn from 23 states. Analysis of the data indicates that the use of “Trade-offs” leads to an improvement of student performance (over that of students not exposed to the television/film series) and that a significant difference in scores between boys and girls, which persists in classes not using “Trade-offs,” disappears when the instruction includes the series. Additional analysis links grade-level and teacher training to performance on the Basic Economic Test.