Playing the Market Pays for At-Risk Students

At-risk middle school students in Maryland who took a course on investing and the stock market showed stronger math and language skills, had better overall grades than their peers, and had better attendance. The "Stocks in the Future" program was developed in part by The Johns Hopkins University.

Students have reacted positively to the course because it is relevant and delivers a lot of useful knowledge. "Every student understands the importance of money," says Johns Hopkins researcher Douglas MacIver. "They may never figure out why they need to know about the Magna Carta or the second law of thermodynamics or how to diagram sentences, but they immediately grasp that stock market literacy might help them make wise investments, and thus, make life-long dreams more attainable."

In the class, students earn money to buy stocks through good attendance and good grades ($3 for every A, $2 for every B, and so on). The students can cash out their stock funds when they graduate from high school.

Source: Eurekalert