July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
SA students writing online (11/10/04)
Program helps improve writing skills
BERNE — South Adams High School students are improving their writing skills online.
Language arts teacher Sheryl Cook introduced South Adams School Board members to the Educational Testing Services program Criterion. This program allows students to write and turn in essays to the online writing evaluation service for grading. If the teacher chooses, students can fix the errors on their essays indicated by the evaluation service and turn the essay in a second time for the possibility of a better grade.
“The goal was to show (students) that the first (essay) they turn in was not their best effort,” Cook said. “I think their writing has improved over the years.”
The program gives students tips on how they can improve their paper by indicating grammar, usage and organizational mistakes.
“Students like the immediate feedback (on their essays),” Cook said about the program she began using in 2002. “Which I can’t do with 60 students.”
She added she can also give students feedback on their essays or post new assignments for her classes.
Also, she reported that SAHS juniors were recently involved in a study conducted by Criterion that allowed the students 45 minutes to write an essay online and submit it to the service. A college level essay topic was chosen by the company and graded according to college level criteria. Cook added that 42 percent of the junior class students received a B or higher on their essays.
Also Tuesday, board members approved a change to the corporation’s facility usage policy for gymnasiums at South Adams high, middle and elementary schools.
The new policy will charge all non-school sponsored events $20 per hour for a custodian to be at a school for a group’s event on Saturdays.
South Adams Schools athletic director Steve Rhoades told the board the department’s scheduling procedure was recently updated, and he met with representatives from the non-school sponsored volleyball, soccer and AAU basketball teams about the proposed change.
The policy will be revised to include this change and presented the board for approval at its December meeting, South Adams Schools superintendent Connie Bailey said Tuesday.
In other business, Bailey reported that board members were scheduled to vote on final approval of the sale of pension bonds, but the South Adams Classroom Teachers Association and the school board have not reached an agreed buyout.
The deadline for this agreement is Nov. 15.
Bailey said Tuesday that in addition to the buyout, the corporation proposed a 1 percent salary increase per year for four years and asked teachers to share 20 percent of the costs of health insurance increases.
The teachers association requested a 6 percent salary increase during recent mediation and to return to a health insurance plan at an undetermined cost to the school, Bailey said Tuesday.
“(The teachers association) has not withdrawn nor has it modified any of those demands,” Bailey said Tuesday.
The school board received permission to sell bonds from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance in Indianapolis and has until Dec. 31 to have the bonds issued by the state.
The $855,000 approved bond amount would be paid back in eight years with an estimated $230,894 in interest.
The school has about $3 million in unfunded liability for retirement and severance payments. The bond money will be used for the buyout and set aside funds for future unfunded obligations.
Also Tuesday, board members voted to allow the school corporation to advertise for bids to borrow funds against the 2005 tax anticipation warrants.
The bids for the loan are scheduled to be opened on Monday, Dec. 6, Bailey said.
She added the corporation can borrow up to 80 percent of the amount of tax money the corporation is expected to receive from property taxes collected from residents in the school district. The money must be repaid by Dec. 30, 2005.
These borrowed funds will be used for general expenses in the corporation, Bailey said.
Also, board members:
•Approved the hiring of Vicky Myers as a tutor for middle school students and Judy Miller as the head custodian at SAHS.
•Approved the appointment of Kelly Moser as SAHS junior varsity girls basketball coach; Tiffany Moser as SAMS seventh grade girls basketball coach; Phillip Provest as SAMS volunteer seventh grade girls basketball coach; Dave Bocker as SAMS eighth grade girls basketball coach; Steve Hoeppner as SAMS seventh boys basketball coach; and Steve Rhoades as SAMS eighth grade boys basketball coach.[[In-content Ad]]
Language arts teacher Sheryl Cook introduced South Adams School Board members to the Educational Testing Services program Criterion. This program allows students to write and turn in essays to the online writing evaluation service for grading. If the teacher chooses, students can fix the errors on their essays indicated by the evaluation service and turn the essay in a second time for the possibility of a better grade.
“The goal was to show (students) that the first (essay) they turn in was not their best effort,” Cook said. “I think their writing has improved over the years.”
The program gives students tips on how they can improve their paper by indicating grammar, usage and organizational mistakes.
“Students like the immediate feedback (on their essays),” Cook said about the program she began using in 2002. “Which I can’t do with 60 students.”
She added she can also give students feedback on their essays or post new assignments for her classes.
Also, she reported that SAHS juniors were recently involved in a study conducted by Criterion that allowed the students 45 minutes to write an essay online and submit it to the service. A college level essay topic was chosen by the company and graded according to college level criteria. Cook added that 42 percent of the junior class students received a B or higher on their essays.
Also Tuesday, board members approved a change to the corporation’s facility usage policy for gymnasiums at South Adams high, middle and elementary schools.
The new policy will charge all non-school sponsored events $20 per hour for a custodian to be at a school for a group’s event on Saturdays.
South Adams Schools athletic director Steve Rhoades told the board the department’s scheduling procedure was recently updated, and he met with representatives from the non-school sponsored volleyball, soccer and AAU basketball teams about the proposed change.
The policy will be revised to include this change and presented the board for approval at its December meeting, South Adams Schools superintendent Connie Bailey said Tuesday.
In other business, Bailey reported that board members were scheduled to vote on final approval of the sale of pension bonds, but the South Adams Classroom Teachers Association and the school board have not reached an agreed buyout.
The deadline for this agreement is Nov. 15.
Bailey said Tuesday that in addition to the buyout, the corporation proposed a 1 percent salary increase per year for four years and asked teachers to share 20 percent of the costs of health insurance increases.
The teachers association requested a 6 percent salary increase during recent mediation and to return to a health insurance plan at an undetermined cost to the school, Bailey said Tuesday.
“(The teachers association) has not withdrawn nor has it modified any of those demands,” Bailey said Tuesday.
The school board received permission to sell bonds from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance in Indianapolis and has until Dec. 31 to have the bonds issued by the state.
The $855,000 approved bond amount would be paid back in eight years with an estimated $230,894 in interest.
The school has about $3 million in unfunded liability for retirement and severance payments. The bond money will be used for the buyout and set aside funds for future unfunded obligations.
Also Tuesday, board members voted to allow the school corporation to advertise for bids to borrow funds against the 2005 tax anticipation warrants.
The bids for the loan are scheduled to be opened on Monday, Dec. 6, Bailey said.
She added the corporation can borrow up to 80 percent of the amount of tax money the corporation is expected to receive from property taxes collected from residents in the school district. The money must be repaid by Dec. 30, 2005.
These borrowed funds will be used for general expenses in the corporation, Bailey said.
Also, board members:
•Approved the hiring of Vicky Myers as a tutor for middle school students and Judy Miller as the head custodian at SAHS.
•Approved the appointment of Kelly Moser as SAHS junior varsity girls basketball coach; Tiffany Moser as SAMS seventh grade girls basketball coach; Phillip Provest as SAMS volunteer seventh grade girls basketball coach; Dave Bocker as SAMS eighth grade girls basketball coach; Steve Hoeppner as SAMS seventh boys basketball coach; and Steve Rhoades as SAMS eighth grade boys basketball coach.[[In-content Ad]]
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD