Sandy Creek High School economics

teacher Mark Decourcy was among 12 U.S. educators selected to participate

in a 12-day study tour to Russia conducted by the National Council on

Economic Education (NCEE), headquartered in New York City.

As part of the tour, which

took place December 4-16, participants traveled to Nizhniy Novgorod and

Moscow, visiting schools, observing teacher training activities and meeting

with Ministry of Education officials, educational administrators and business

leaders.

The study tour is part of the

Cooperative Education Exchange Program (CEEP), a federally funded program

administered by the U.S. Department of Education in cooperation with the

U.S. Department of State. The aim of the CEEP is to advance educational

reform in both economic and civic education in the new democracies of

the former Soviet Union and central and Eastern Europe, as well as to

help U.S. students and teachers better understand the global economy.

"This trip was an incredibly

significant and rewarding cultural experience for me. In describing to

my colleagues my experiences with the NCEE and their sponsoring of the

study tour to Nizhniy Novgorod and Moscow, I find myself sincerely throwing

around terms like 'great experience,' 'fantastic,'

and 'epic,'" says Decourcy.

During his stay in Russia,

Decourcy visited five schools and had personal contact with approximately

75 teachers and 120 students. While there were some notable differences

between the educational systems of Russia and the United States, Decourcy

notes that there are similarities in the way teachers present materials

to their students. He says most classes he visited demonstrated some form

of active learning where teachers used activities ranging from skits to

market simulations to get students interested in the subject matter.

"I use this technique

myself on occasion in hope of encouraging interest and I find it enlightening

to know that Russian teachers share a similar problem in trying to get

their students to read the required text," he adds. "However,

unlike schools in the United States, teaching economics and market concepts

is a still controversial subject in Russia." Since there are no federal

mandates citing that economics be a component of required education, it

often comes down to which principal wants to include it in his or her

school. "I would suspect in some cases that incorporating economics

into the curriculum puts the principal's job at considerable risk,"

says Decourcy.

In Russia, economics is an

elective but a very popular one. Many students told Decourcy it was their

favorite subject and that they wanted to continue their study of economics

at the university level. Although there are some obstacles to teaching

economics, Decourcy says the schools, administrators, teachers and students

appeared sincere in their commitment and desire to learn the subject.

"This is quite admirable given that currently the average teacher's

salary is the equivalent of $100 a month for those who teach in the cities

and less for those teaching in the countryside," he says.

Decourcy learned about the

study tour through the Georgia Council on Economic Education. In order

to be selected as a participant, he had to complete a formal application

process that required letters of consent and recommendation. He says he

will incorporate his experience from the tour into his teaching of economics

at Sandy Creek.