States that explicitly name progressive taxation in their K-12 standards (current public versions)
| # | State | Where it appears | Exact wording (abridged) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | Florida State Academic Standards – Social Studies (2023 revision) – HS Financial Literacy/Economics benchmarks SS.912.E.2.8 & SS.912.E.2.9 | “Instruction includes how federal tax brackets illustrate a progressive tax and a sales tax is viewed as a regressive tax … differentiate between progressive, proportional, regressive.” www.fldoe.org |
| 2 | Texas | Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS) – Personal Financial Literacy & Economics course (final 2022 draft, §113.62 Eco 14 A) | “Identify types of progressive and regressive taxes at the local, state, and national levels and the economic importance of each.” tea.texas.gov |
| 3 | Tennessee | Tennessee Social-Studies Standards – High-school Economics standard E.31 | “Define progressive, proportional, and regressive taxation, and discuss how federal, state, and local governments utilize them.” www.tn.gov |
What that means in practice
- In these three states, every public-school student who takes the required economics/financial-literacy course must learn not just “taxes,” but specifically how a progressive system differs from proportional or regressive ones.
- Other states (e.g., California, New York, Ohio) mention “taxes” broadly or leave the examples to local districts; they do not mandate the progressive-/regressive-tax distinction in the state-level wording.
- Standards change on a multi-year cycle; if you’re checking a different state or the next adoption round, the quickest route is the state DOE’s social-studies/economics standards page.
Need a deeper dive on another state—or on how districts implement these mandates? Just say the word.
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