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Mentoring partnership produces dividends

Kenton County Schools and Fidelity Investments say a partnership they started last year is paying off with higher test scores.

The two created a math mentoring curriculum aimed at using real world investing examples to help seventh grade students understand math concepts and get excited about math.

Northern Kentucky University researcher Kevin Corcoran says he was surprised to learn that, nationally, one third of seventh graders see standardized tests scores drop from the beginning to end of the year.

"We compared the kids who's scores went up with the kids who's scores went down and we found that kids who's scores went up were more likely to have been more active participants, participated more frequently, in this investment program," he says.

Nearly 600 students participated in the pilot program. Kenton County plans to roll it out to more than 1300 seventh graders this year.

Senior Editor and reporter at WVXU with more than 20 years experience in public radio; formerly news and public affairs producer with WMUB. Would really like to meet your dog.