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Abstract
Though most often seen in theory or in higher education, the use of critical theory in analyzing US public education becomes a viable approach towards fostering critical pedagogy in the classroom. The application of critical theory in secondary economic classrooms becomes important due to economic educations unique content and methods, a neoclassical, capitalistic model that forwards claims of truth and validation. This model proves problematic because it leaves virtually no room for alternate views. As standards-based educational reform permeates all aspects of US public schooling, it becomes necessary to understand the meanings and intentions behind the prescribed curriculum. Economic educations inclusion in state standards provides a succinct document that allows further analysis of the curriculum taught in economic classrooms. By bringing together economic education, standards-based educational reform, and critical theory, this research, through a critical textual analysis, works to reveal the hidden curriculum of the Georgia Performance Standards for Economics.