The "National Survey of Economic Education 1981" presented an overly optimistic view of the status of economic education which is not substantiated by a careful review of national and state data or the many recent national surveys on precollegiate education. This review of both national and state survey data indicates problems in both teacher preparation and curriculum. Teacher weaknesses include lack of preparation in the content area, lack of use of appropriate teaching strategies, and reluctance to take additional coursework. Curriculum problems include the limits of time in teaching economics at the elementary level and absence of economics as a separate course offering at the secondary level. Teachers at all grade levels expressed the desire for easier access to economics curriculum materials. In attempting to upgrade economics instruction, the next step for researchers should be an extensive national effort to obtain more reliable input and output data about economic education in the schools. (LP)