what is the million?
The Million program encourages students to be excited about their own education and work hard in class.
It connects the things they like outside of school with things they learn in school.
And it all begins with something every kid wants: a free, limited edition, personal mobile device.
Some phones will automatically have minutes added to them, while others will need students to earn the minutes.
what comes with it?
When students enter the program, they get their very own free Million cell phone and information on how to use it.
Even better, they never have to pay for anything.
There are absolutely no phone bills and the Million arrives preloaded with free minutes.
how does it work?
The Million program understands that school can be tough, but also knows the importance students place on socializing and connecting with friends. So it rewards hard work inside school with free cell phones and minutes outside of school.
The phones will be released at random to two student groups.
One group will automatically receive minutes on a regular basis. The other group will be rewarded with more minutes when they read outside of school.
The students in the second group can choose books from an approved list and take quizzes about them on a school computer.
For every 20 points they earn by passing a quiz, they receive 200 minutes. These minutes are added to their phones every two weeks while school is in session.
questions?
- Will unused minutes roll over after each two-week period?
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Yes, unused minutes will roll over and will not expire.
- Will students still earn minutes during vacation?
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Minutes will not be distributed during school vacations. However, students who are reading to earn minutes can continue to read books over vacation periods, and then take quizzes when they return to school.
- Can students or parents purchase additional minutes?
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Students and parents will not be able to purchase additional minutes during the school year. This feature may be available after the program ends, and additional information will be provided at a later date.
- When a student runs out of Million minutes, what can s/he do with the device?
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The device can be used to call 911 and to access some built-in applications. Contact your school’s Media Specialist for more information.
- What happens if a student’s phone is lost, stolen or damaged?
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Students should treat the Million phone with the same responsibility and care as a regular cell phone or any other valuable item. The school and OKCPS are not responsible if a phone is lost, stolen or damaged. Due to the limited number of phones available to the program, no replacement phones will be available. Your child should notify his/her school’s Media Specialist immediately if the phone is lost or stolen to prevent unauthorized use.
- Can an existing phone number be put on a Million phone?
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During the program, families should not put existing phone numbers onto the Million phone. The Million phone will come activated with a phone number. If the phone number is changed, students will not receive minutes.
- Can a parent request that specific functions, like text messaging, be turned off for their child's phone?
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OKCPS is sensitive to parents' desire to ensure that the Million is a safe device and is aiming to include safety features. However, TracFone Wireless will not be able to limit the use of certain functions for an individual child's phone. Parents are encouraged to have conversations with their children about the appropriate use of a cell phone.
- What if parents are concerned about their child’s participation in the Million Program?
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In order for their child to participate, parents must sign a consent form. Students without a signed consent form can not participate in the program. Parents may withdraw their student from the program at any time. Students will not be penalized in any way by choosing not to participate. To speak to someone regarding specific concerns before making the decision to register a child, parents may contact their school's Media Specialist.
- Can a parent decide to allow their child to participate after the program begins?
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Unfortunately, students will not be able to join the program once it begins.
- How can parents get involved?
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The school, parents and community's involvement in encouraging students to make the connection between education and success is critical to the Million program. Parents can help support the program by reminding students of the link between effort and success.
participating schools
The following schools are currently participating in the fall 2010 Million program:
- Adams Elementary
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Oklahoma City OK
- Capitol Hill Elementary
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Oklahoma City OK
- Columbus Elementary
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Oklahoma City OK
- Edgemere Elementary
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Oklahoma City OK
- Edwards Elementary
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Oklahoma City OK
- Hayes Elementary
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Oklahoma City OK
- Martin Luther King Elementary
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Oklahoma City OK
- Moon Academy
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Oklahoma City OK
- Thelma R. Parks Elementary
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Oklahoma City OK
- Wheeler Elementary
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Oklahoma City OK
- Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School
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Oklahoma City OK
- Oklahoma Centennial High School
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Oklahoma City OK
- Classen School of Advanced Studies Mid-High
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Oklahoma City OK
- Douglass Mid-High School
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Oklahoma City OK
- Jackson Middle School
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Oklahoma City OK
- Jefferson Middle School
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Oklahoma City OK
- John Marshall Mid-High School
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Oklahoma City OK
- Northeast Academy Mid-High
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Oklahoma City OK
- Rogers Middle School
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Oklahoma City OK
- Roosevelt Middle School
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Oklahoma City OK
- Taft Middle School
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Oklahoma City OK
- Webster Middle School
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Oklahoma City OK
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reach the million
- get involved
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If you or your organization would like to support the Million, please contact us.
- press
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more press
- 05.06.10 - 1,000 6th graders will receive cell phones, then minutes or messages as rewards for grades
- 04.08.10 - Should kids be bribed to do well in school?
- 12.06.09 - The Harlem Children's Zone
- 11.01.09 - Are High Quality Schools Enough to Close the Achievement Gap? Evidence from a Social Experiment in Harlem
- 06.10.09 - Reading, writing and raking it in
- 04.30.09 - The 2009 TIME 100
- 05.07.09 - The Harlem Miracle
- 12.08.08 - Maclean's Interview: Roland Fryer
- 12.01.08 - Colbert Report: Roland Fryer
- 11.28.08 - Giving students cash for grades
- 10.20.08 - Daley defends payments for grades
- 10.17.08 - More than 1,650 CPS students paid for good grades
- 10.17.08 - She pulls down straight A's - and rakes in a cool $125
- 10.15.08 - Pay to learn is working in New York
- 09.30.08 - Capital gains program promises cash for DC students
- 09.30.08 - Students' incentive bank opens
- 09.30.08 - 'Innovation' laboratory at Harvard to study incentives for students
- 09.25.08 - Broad Foundation and Harvard launch new education research center
- 09.24.08 - New effort aims to test theories of education
- 09.19.08 - Make learning a job: That'll teach 'em
- 09.12.08 - Harvard prof: Cash would have kept me off the streets
- 09.11.08 - Good grades pay off
- 08.29.08 - 14 schools named to D.C. program to motivate students with cash
- 08.22.08 - D.C. tries cash as a motivator in schools
- 08.21.08 - When schools offer money as a motivator
- 08.01.08 - Good grades pay off literally
- 07.23.08 - CNN's 'Black in America' is an expressive portrait
- 07.16.07 - No hesitations
- 06.13.08 - Schools experiment with paying kids
- 05.18.08 - Cash incentive programmes boost black pupils