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General
Q: Who sponsors this program?
A: Invest Ed™ is made possible by the Oklahoma Securities Commission and is produced by the University of Oklahoma Outreach.
Q: What does STARS stand for?
A: Students Tracking and Researching the Stock Market
Q: How long has the Invest Ed™ STARS program been in existence?
A: since July 2005
Q: What is the purpose of the program?
A: Investment Education—The program offers teachers a free, unbiased tool (online portfolio) with the capability of improving students’ financial futures. Invest Ed™ STARS strives to educate and raise awareness about financial independence and securities fraud awareness and prevention.
Q: Why is investment education an important topic for high school students?
A: Time! Traditional pensions are history. Will Social Security be available when today’s students are ready to retire? Who knows? If it is available, will it be sufficient? Will inflation exist? Fraud? Most likely students are going to be responsible for their financial futures. What are our students to do? Who is going to teach them? Most people desire financial independence. Many people lack the knowledge or skills or discipline to make it happen. Education is essential. Time is a critical factor.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Zero! There is absolutely no cost to the district, school, teacher, or students—free! Teacher training is also free.
Q: How does this program differ from other online stock programs?
A: Student winners are selected solely on the quality of their required reports. Winners are not selected based on the value of their portfolios. Invest Ed™ feels that rewarding students based on portfolio values promotes day trading. Invest Ed™ does not promote day trading; it discourages day trading. This program’s focus is on investing for the long term.
Q: What makes this program credible to educators in Oklahoma?
A: It aligns with PASS Standards (documentation on Web site). The State Department of Education recognizes Invest Ed™ STARS as a resource for HB 1476.
Q: I don’t know anything about the stock market. How can I be expected to implement this program?
A: TEACHERS ARE FACILITATORS. Teachers are not expected to be subject-matter experts. Invest Ed™ STARS provides guidelines and training to enable teachers to facilitate effectively. And, the STARS support staff is readily accessible and eager to help.
Q: Can I implement STARS even if I haven’t been trained?
A: Secondary teachers grades 9-12 are required to attend a 6-hour training session to learn how to implement the program. Teachers have two training options—Saturday workshop or summer Teacher Institute. Teachers trained in the spring and summer are eligible to participate in the fall. Teachers trained in the fall are eligible to participate in the spring. Once trained, teachers may implement again and again. Optional summer Refresher Workshops are provided for participating teachers.
Q: When and where are Saturday workshops?
A: By contract, we have 8 Saturday workshops annually—6 in the fall at each of our six regions (NE, NW, SE, SW, Tulsa County, and Oklahoma County) and two in the spring (Tulsa County and Oklahoma County).
Q: Do I have to live in the specific region to attend a Saturday Workshop?
A: No, teachers may attend any workshop date/location of their choice.
Q: Can I implement STARS with my 7th and 8th graders?
A: By contract with the Oklahoma Securities Commission, the STARS program is for students in grades 9-12. If you teach a ‘combined’ course, let the 7-8 graders participate unofficially. They are not eligible to be a report winner. Do not report them as participating students on the form you submit (our official count); and do not submit their reports.
Q: I teach in a Technology Center, so I have both high school and adult students. Can my adult students participate?
A: Officially no which means they are not eligible to be a report winner. Absolutely let them participate unofficially. Do not report them as participating students on the form you submit (our official count); and do not submit their reports.
Q: Are all students in my class (or classes) required to participate?
A: Teachers may require students to participate, or they may make it optional. Teachers may implement the program in their courses or in organizations they sponsor, or both.
Q: I teach (fill in the blank) course/s or (fill in the blank) academic level. Can my students participate?
A: We have students at all academic levels and in a diverse range of courses. Our goal is to offer this life-changing opportunity to as many students as possible. ALL students can benefit from this information, and ALL students deserve to be made aware of this information.
Q: How do teachers receive an end-of-semester stipend?
A: Participating teachers who have a minimum of three students complete the program in its entirety receive an end-of-semester stipend. Participating teachers receive a form via email to submit.
Q: Do students have to have a social security number to win the scholarship?
A: HB 1804: “Effective 11/1/2007 any person fourteen (14) years of age or older who receives public benefits under the provisions of Title 56 O.S. Supp Section 71 must execute an affidavit under penalty of law stating that they are a U.S. citizen or qualified alien.” Student report winners must sign a waiver requiring US citizens to provide SSNs; qualified aliens are required to provide I-94 and Alien numbers.
Q: Does Invest Ed™ provide investment advice or counseling.
A: NO. The STARS program is a learning process intended for classroom use and then only to make students and teachers aware of the benefits and risks of saving and investing. We do not recommend any particular investment strategy or plan or value any type of product or securities professional over another. No part of the STARS program is to be taken as investment advice.
Program
Q: How do you introduce this program to the class?
A: There are several good ways to introduce this program. One way is to show the fraud video provided by Invest Ed™ to participating teachers. Another option is to use the financial calculator (teachers learn this at workshop or teacher institute) to compute time value of money—focus on goals. Teaching opportunity cost (problems provided) is a great way to start. Teachers may use tutorials from various sites provided. Invest Ed™ provides many resources to teachers with ideas and lesson plan options to help implement the program into any curriculum.
Q: How much class time should be spent on the program?
A: The amount of class time utilized by this program is flexible. It varies from teacher to teacher. Each teacher is provided a timeframe including due dates. At the beginning teachers may spend a few class periods explaining the program, viewing the fraud video, showing students how to research, discussing risk and completing a risk assessment, and setting goals. Once the students create a portfolio, the program pretty much runs itself; students may track portfolios in class or out of class, or both. Teachers are facilitators.
Q: Where is the best place to research – to get started?
A: Resources provided by Invest Ed™ include lists of Web sites as well as books and other resources. At the workshop and teacher institute, teachers learn research tips.
Q: Where can I get a copy of (any) form?
A: Semester and Trimester forms are available online at
www.investedok.org / STARS link / Handouts and Resources page. Also, they are on the CD you receive at the workshop or teacher institute. If you need a customized schedule, contact the STARS staff.
Q: Can you lose money and still compete for the scholarship?
A: Yes. The report competition is not decided by the portfolio’s gain or loss but by the amount of knowledge gained through the experience, as expressed in the written report.
Q: Do we have to buy or sell throughout the program?
A: No. Students may choose to stick with their initial choices and see how the investments perform, which is acceptable and encouraged. Students may buy or sell.
Q: $500,000 is unrealistic; why do students have so much money to invest?
A: After the first semester of the STARS program, teachers were polled regarding the $500,000. Before the semester started, teachers thought the amount was too high. At the end of the semester, almost all teachers requested the amount remain unchanged because… If the amount were smaller, students would experience ups and downs, but they would be just minor/mild repercussions. With $500,000 invested, students experience a real jolt—an impact. The amount remains unchanged based on teacher feedback.
Q: Do students have to spend all of the $500,000?
A: No. It is recommended they spend at least 80% initially. This allows them extra $$ to purchase additional stock as the program progresses.
Q: May students buy foreign stocks?
A: Yes – No contract rules against this practice exist.
Q: Can we buy/sell before Printout 1?
A: The first printout is immediately after creating the portfolio; dates are on the timeframe handout. Additional purchases or sells are made after the tracking process begins. However, if a mistake was made in the initial purchases, it can be edited prior to printing.
Q: Can students access their portfolios outside of school?
A: Yes. Students created a profile on Yahoo.com, SmartMoney.com, or MarketWatch.com, so they will be able to access their portfolios from any computer with Internet access.
Q: Tracking Log: The directions say “Initial the date you check your Portfolio. If the Value and Gain columns are UP, initial in the plus column. If the columns are DOWN, initial in the minus column.” Please explain.
A: Teachers have two choices: (1) use the total portfolio’s gain or loss, or (1) use one tracking log per stock. The purpose of this log is to verify students are checking their portfolios. It is turned in to the teacher only. Trust us, students are going to check their portfolios often.
Q: What printouts do I send you?
A: Teachers, do not send any forms to program staff during the program. Only send the two required printouts per student report submitted at program’s end. See Report Requirements handout. Dates are on the Project Timeframe.
Q: How many reports do I send?
A: Teachers send the top two reports per class.
Q: Are sample reports available?
A: Yes, previous winning reports are available for viewing at
www.investedok.org, STARS link, Awards page (bottom of page).
Q: Does report material have to be in a specific order?
A: Yes. The report order is outlined in the Report Requirements handout.
Q: What if I need help?
A: Contact Jo Ann Murray or Amy Sanders with any questions.
Financial Calculator
Q: Where can I find practice problems on the financial calculator?
A: Invest Ed™ provides several practice problems as well as a working list of Web-based resources with additional instructional practices and lesson plans at workshops and teacher institutes.
Q: Where can I get a financial calculator and emulator?
A: Go to the following Web address for a downloadable application for one free
TI BA II Plus Professional calculator plus emulator or overhead.
Teachers receive an instruction sheet at the workshop or teacher institute.
Invest Ed™ has no affiliation with any site mentioned as a resource.
Q: Is there a TI BA II Plus calculator troubleshooting source?
A: 1-800-TI CARES. Or, refer to manual you receive with free calculator from TI.
Resources
Q: What is the password for Investment Minute Educators’ Edition on the Handouts and Resources page at the STARS link on the Web site?
A: stars
Q: Where can I access the current semester or trimester project forms?
A: www.investedok.org / STARS link / Handouts and Resources page
Q: How do I get a copy of the fraud video?
A: Teachers attending a workshop or summer institute who sign up to implement the program receive a free fraud video.
Q: How do I get copies of resource handouts for the program?
A: Teachers attending a workshop or summer institute receive all resource handouts in hard copy and digital formats.
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