What if high school prepared students not just for exams, but for real life? In this episode of The What and Who of EDU, host Marisa Bluestone talks with David Anderson, economics instructor and AP Business with Personal Finance author, about a new kind of course designed to help students build the skills they'll need after graduation.

From making decisions without clear answers to managing money, working with others, and learning how to fail productively, this conversation explores what "college readiness" and "career readiness" actually look like today. Designed for busy educators, this episode offers practical, classroom-ready insights on how to help students think critically, act confidently, and navigate the real world before they step into it.

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Business with Personal Finance for the AP® Course (High School)

What you'll learn:

• How to teach decision-making when there's no single right answer
• Practical ways to introduce personal finance before real consequences hit
• How case studies and projects build real-world thinking
• Strategies to keep learning authentic in the age of AI
• Why failure can be one of the most powerful teaching tools
  

Episode Breakdown + Timestamps

[00:00] What Students Actually Need After High School: Why readiness isn't one path, and why the same core skills matter for all students.

[01:36] Meet David Anderson + Why This New Course Exists: Accessibility, career relevance, and why this course is designed for all students.

[4:58] From Theory to Real Life: What Students Actually Do: Business canvas projects, financial advising simulations, and real-world application.

[11:45] Making Personal Finance Actually Engaging. How storytelling, case studies, and real-life dilemmas turn "boring" topics into something students actually want to learn.

[14:45] Teaching a New Course Without Starting From Scratch. How built-in resources, teacher communities, and AP support help instructors focus on teaching—not building everything from the ground up.

[18:00] Teaching in the Age of AI. Why shifting work into the classroom helps ensure students are doing the thinking, not the tools.

[21:30] Using AI Without Losing the Thinking. How AI can support learning—from generating practice questions to analyzing case studies,without replacing student reasoning.

[26:40] Failure, Iteration, and Learning Early. Why failing at a smaller scale is one of the most valuable lessons students can learn.

[29:15] What We Learned Today

About David Anderson:

David A. Anderson, Ph.D., is the Paul G. Blazer Professor of Business and Economics at Centre College and a longtime leader in AP® programs, including serving as a chief reader for AP® Economics. An award-winning instructor, he teaches business principles and entrepreneurship and has authored numerous books and articles on economics, business, and personal finance. He is the author of Business with Personal Finance for the AP® Course (High School)

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