Subchapter D: 2nd-8th Grades (1430)
Section 1430: LISTENING
- (a) THE CONTEST.
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(1) Summary. This contest is designed to help students recognize the importance of effective listening skills and to identify problems they may have in listening effectively. It also provides a challenging format to test the improvement of their listening abilities. Through preparation for the contest, participants will listen to a variety of material and learn to evaluate and critically analyze a speaker’s message. The objective tests will measure skills such as identifying the main idea and supporting ideas, listening for details, drawing conclusions and distinguishing fact from opinion.
(2) Contest Format. Contestants will listen to a script ranging from approximately seven to 10 minutes in length, take notes as needed, and use their notes to answer 25 objective questions. Ten minutes will be allotted for the testing period.
- (b) REPRESENTATION.
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(1) Contestants. Students in officially prescribed grade levels below 9th grade who are eligible under Sections 1400 and 1405 may enter this contest.
(2) Divisions. Districts shall offer either a separate division for each participating grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures.
(3) Individual Competition. For each division, each participant school may enter as many as three contestants in the district meet.
(4) Team Competition. If the district has elected to include team competition, the combined scores of the three contestants in each division from a school shall constitute the school’s team score. A team shall have three contestants compete to participate in the team competition.
- (c) CONTEST ADMINISTRATION.
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(1) Personnel. All personnel in this contest may be coaches of participating students except the script reader. The reader may not be a coach of any contestant entered in the contest.
(2) Ties and Points. No ties are to be broken in either the individual or the team component of this contest. If there is a tie for first place, there is no second place. If there is a tie for second place, there is no third place, etc. Points are awarded as specified in Section 1408 (i).
(3) Verification Period. A verification period shall be provided. Unofficial results should be posted. Contestants and coaches should be given no more than 15 minutes to examine their test papers with official keys. Questions should be directed to the contest director, whose decision shall be final.
(4) Official Results. After verification period has ended and all test papers have been collected, the contest director shall announce the official results. Official results, once announced, are final.
(5) Returning Materials. No materials from district contests may be returned to contestants prior to official release dates.