South Dakota offers financial literacy as an elective course option for students. The state has defined 11 financial literacy standards spanning 7 topic areas that districts can incorporate into their course offerings.

Last updated: March 2026

11 Standards
7 Topic Areas
elective Mandate Status
N/A Grade Levels

Does South Dakota Require Financial Literacy Education?

Not as a requirement. South Dakota offers financial literacy as an elective option, meaning districts may choose to include it but students are not required to complete it for graduation. South Dakota does not have a statewide mandatory financial literacy requirement for K-12. Individual districts may incorporate financial literacy into social studies, mathematics, or life skills curricula at their discretion.

Mandate Details

Status
elective
Standalone Course
No
Legislation
ARSD 24:43:11:02 (Administrative Rule, Board of Education Standards) (2018-07-16)

Key Agencies

South Dakota Department of Education
State education agency that oversees K-12 policy; does not maintain adoption list but provides curriculum guidance
Associated School Boards of South Dakota
Advocacy and support organization for school boards; may provide procurement guidance to districts
School Administrators of South Dakota
Professional organization that supports superintendent and administrator procurement decisions

What Are South Dakota's Financial Literacy Standards?

South Dakota has 11 financial literacy standards organized across 7 topic areas. These topics range from Financial Planning & Goal Setting and Budgeting & Money Management to Consumer Skills & Protection, covering the full spectrum of personal finance education.

2 standards
Financial Planning & Goal Setting
2 covered
2 standards
Budgeting & Money Management
2 covered
2 standards
Credit & Debt Management
2 covered
2 standards
Saving & Investing
2 covered
1 standard
Income & Taxes
1 covered
1 standard
Insurance & Risk Management
1 covered
1 standard
Consumer Skills & Protection
1 covered

How South Dakota School Districts Adopt Financial Literacy Curriculum

South Dakota is an open territory state, meaning individual districts have the authority to select and purchase curriculum directly without state-level approval. South Dakota does not have a state adoption list. Districts have autonomy to select their own instructional materials through local procurement processes.

Purchasing Process

Individual school districts make purchasing decisions independently through their own RFP processes or direct purchases. The state provides guidance but does not mandate or maintain an approved list.

Decision Level

All K-12 instructional materials procurement decisions are made at the district level. Districts establish their own evaluation committees and selection criteria.

Cooperative Purchasing Options

Black Hills Special Services Cooperative South Dakota School Districts Cooperative Purchasing Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs)

Curriculum That Meets South Dakota's Financial Literacy Standards

Districts looking for a standards-aligned financial literacy curriculum can use iKnowFi Academy — a self-paced, online platform built on the Absorb LMS that maps directly to South Dakota's learning objectives. iKnowFi Academy covers 11 of 11 standards (100.0% coverage) across 7 courses.

South Dakota Standards Coverage

100.0%
11 of 11 standards covered 7 courses

Aligned Courses

Borrowing Money

1 module · 1 standard aligned

Financial Building Blocks

2 modules · 2 standards aligned

Financial Preparation and Recovery

2 modules · 2 standards aligned

Managing Your Debt

1 module · 1 standard aligned

Managing Your Money

2 modules · 3 standards aligned

The Importance of Saving

1 module · 1 standard aligned

Your Financial Future

1 module · 1 standard aligned

South Dakota's Financial Literacy Standards & iKnowFi Academy Alignment

All 11 standards — 11 covered by iKnowFi Academy.

Financial Planning & Goal Setting 2/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
PF 1 Explain controllable factors involved in personal finance. 9-12 Managing Your Money
PF 2 Execute a rational decision-making process considering alternatives and consequences. 9-12 Managing Your Money
Budgeting & Money Management 2/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
PF 2 Differentiate among various money management tools. 9-12 Managing Your Money
PF 2 Generate a system to organize finances and maintain records. 9-12 Financial Building Blocks
Credit & Debt Management 2/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
PF 3 Differentiate the sources, costs and benefits of using consumer credit. 9-12 Borrowing Money
PF 3 Explain the positive and negative consequences of using credit. 9-12 Managing Your Debt
Saving & Investing 2/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
PF 4 Explain how saving contributes to financial security. 9-12 The Importance of Saving
PF 4 Explain how investing builds wealth and helps meet financial goals. 9-12 Your Financial Future
Income & Taxes 1/1 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
PF 1 Analyze factors that affect take home pay. 9-12 Financial Building Blocks
Insurance & Risk Management 1/1 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
PF 5 Evaluate how risk management protects against financial loss. 9-12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
Consumer Skills & Protection 1/1 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
PF 5 Determine how consumer protection laws protect consumers. 9-12 Financial Preparation and Recovery

South Dakota Financial Literacy FAQ

South Dakota offers financial literacy as an elective, not a graduation requirement.

South Dakota does not have a statewide mandatory financial literacy requirement for K-12. Individual districts may incorporate financial literacy into social studies, mathematics, or life skills curricula at their discretion.

South Dakota's financial literacy requirement is established by ARSD 24:43:11:02 (Administrative Rule, Board of Education Standards). Effective 2018-07-16.

South Dakota requires 0.5 credits of either Personal Finance OR Economics for high school graduation, but since students may choose Economics (which contains no personal finance content), financial literacy instruction is not guaranteed; the state receives an 'F' grade from The Nation's Report Card on Financial Literacy.

South Dakota has 11 financial literacy standards spanning 7 topic areas including Financial Planning & Goal Setting, Budgeting & Money Management, Credit & Debt Management, Saving & Investing, Income & Taxes.

South Dakota's 11 standards are organized across 7 topics: Financial Planning & Goal Setting, Budgeting & Money Management, Credit & Debt Management, Saving & Investing, Income & Taxes, Insurance & Risk Management, Consumer Skills & Protection.

South Dakota is an open-territory state where individual districts purchase curriculum directly.

Individual school districts make purchasing decisions independently through their own RFP processes or direct purchases. The state provides guidance but does not mandate or maintain an approved list.

iKnowFi Academy covers 11 of South Dakota's 11 financial literacy standards (100% coverage) across 7 self-paced online courses.

Each course is aligned to South Dakota's specific learning objectives, built on the Absorb LMS, and includes built-in assessments. Teachers assign them and students work independently.

Get Your Free South Dakota Standards Alignment Report

See exactly how iKnowFi Academy maps to each of South Dakota's 11 financial literacy standards — standard by standard, module by module.

  • 11 of 11 standards covered
  • 7 self-paced courses, ready to assign
  • Built-in assessments and progress tracking
  • No schedule changes needed — students work independently

Ready to see the full alignment?

Free for South Dakota school districts

Request Alignment Report Schedule a Demo
Last updated: March 2026