"Investing in Students, Making Math Count" kicked off this morning at Turkey Foot Middle School. The innovative program implements the new Common Core Standards for mathematics that features high-tech, involvement-based learning tools in which seventh-graders engage in a real world relevant mathematical curriculum by learning about the world of investment led by Fidelity Investment employees.

One of the many Fidelity volunteers explains the real world game to students.

The program has been expanded to include all four Kenton County School District middle schools and Holmes Middle School.

The program features the following four components:
* Program Kick off: PortfoliosTM Investment Simulation Game, facilitated by Fidelity Investment employees at the five participating middle schools.  The Game is a long-term investment simulation that includes stocks, bonds, and money market funds.
* Students participate in weekly, on-line simulations throughout the academic year.  In these sessions, students answer questions about the math curriculum, again tied to the context of finance and investing.  Each week, a new 10-15 minute lesson will be posted and students earn virtual money for their responses.  Students will get to make decisions about how to invest the money they earn and analyze the market returns.  Each week will simulate one year in the market so students get a true sense of the power of compounding. 

A Fidelity volunteer engages students in the real world of investing.

* Fidelity volunteers lead in-classroom curriculum activities in all seventh-grade math classes two times during the academic year.  During these visits, the volunteers will use investment and finance as a context to address concepts in the seventh-grade math curriculum
* Wrap Up: High-profile, high-energy PortfoliosTM Tournament hosted by Fidelity Investments at the Covington campus for the 128 students who achieve the highest portfolio values based on simulation dollars earned through the online challenge.

* PortfoliosTM Investment Simulation Game, facilitated by Fidelity Investment employees, is the hook to generate excitement and relevance about mathematics among students. 
* Fidelity employees are heavily involved in the program and are a resource to enhance instruction.
* The program compliments and reinforces the new standards in mathematics rather than distracting from instruction.
* The program is adaptable and flexible to the school district's needs.
* The program generates hard data that is immediately accessible.  Educators use data to differentiate the instruction among students who are at grade level, or performing above or below grade level.
* School district employees collaborated with project partners to ensure that 'teaching to mastery' and formative assessments were built-in tools of the program.
* The program is continually assessed, monitored, and measured creating sustainability and growth. 

 
 
View more pictures capturing this exciting day by clicking on this link.