2023 KSPA State Contest
W1: Copyediting
Want to practice?
How to submit an entry
STEP #1:
Find your regional code
Your school’s regional code is required on your writing entry
Do not use your school name anywhere on your entry.
Please see the next slide for each school’s regional code.
Your school’s regional code is required on your writing entry
Do not use your school name anywhere on your entry.
Please see the previous slide for each school’s regional code.
STEP #2:
Complete the multiple choice questions
RULES OF YOUR CONTEST
THE TASK:
Choose the best sentence
Please consider the sentences on the quiz. Choose the best sentence for its use of grammar, Associated Press style, proper news writing, attribution, spelling and redundancy.
The sentences are not intended to be part of a cohesive story. Assume that the sentences will be published in a high school newspaper in the state of Kansas.
AN EXAMPLE: 1 of 5
(correct answers provided at end of section)
AN EXAMPLE: 2 of 5
(correct answers provided at end of section)
AN EXAMPLE: 3 of 5
(correct answers provided at end of section)
AN EXAMPLE: 4 of 5
(correct answers provided at end of section)
AN EXAMPLE: 5 of 5
(correct answers provided at end of section)
Correct answers to previous five example questions
Example 1: choice 1
Example 2: choice 2
Example 3: choice 3
Example 4: choice 4
Example 5: choice 4
STEP #3:
Provide revision feedback
RULES OF YOUR CONTEST
THE TASK:
Coach a writer with revision feedback
Please consider the news story provided to you. As the copyeditor, you are being asked to give initial feedback on this first draft of the story. After carefully reading the passage, please write a note to the writer in the box below the article about the qualities and shortcomings of the writing.
Please consider especially, the structure, tone, research and readability of the story below.
REVISION FEEDBACK: example story to consider
Ah yes, the familiar feeling of waiting at the bus stop for the long-delayed bus to arrive . . .
20 minutes after the bus was supposed to pick her up, junior Louise Thompson said she gave up and had her mom drive her to school.
“I got out to the bus stop a few minutes early. After 10 minutes, I was concerned and after 20 minutes, I went back home because I realized it was going to be too late or it wasn’t coming at all,” Louise Thomson said.
The North Clinton Bus Company, which makes up for roughly 75 percent of the schools busses, did not send out its busses March 1, according to Sunflower High School assistant principal Jessica Richards.
“Park-Adams had today as a no school day on their calendar instead of Friday,” Richards said. “We’re working with Park-Adams to figure out (the miscommunication), but they did not run this morning.”
However, a spokesperson for the bus company said that the mistake was a result of a communication error by Sunflower School District.
After sophomore Henry Lincoln realized his bus hadn’t shown up, he needed to take another means of transport in order to get to school.
“I realized the busses were late when school started,” Lincoln said. “I got a ride from a friend, but it took 30 minutes.”
The Sunflower School District utilizes two other bus companies, North Star and MTI, which both ran their busses on March 1.
According to Richards, Sunflower High School's new hybrid schedule has resulted in confusion with scheduling.
“There’s a lot (of) days with a lot of calendar changes and we’re just trying to get everything straight,” Richards said.
The school district sent out busses to pick up the students who were stranded, and their absences will be excused, according to Richards.
“(Students) have all gotten robo-calls letting them know the busses are on their way to pick them up, so they will be picked up and we will address their attendance, or they can sign on online,” Richards said.
According to Lincoln, other students on his bus route needed to pay for a car service in order to make it to school.
“Two of them couldn’t get back into their houses, so they ordered a Lyft to get to school.”
One of those students has started an online petition at www.SunflowerStranded.com to document his experiences with waiting for the bus. The blog will also collect stories from other students about their experiences. There is even a plan for a petition that will hopefully create some improvement in the bus service.
(continued on next slide)
REVISION FEEDBACK: example story to consider
(continued from previous slide)
Based on the amount of SHS students who rode the bus last week, Richards said about 30 kids were impacted by this.
“We don’t have a large bus ridership right now because of COVID,” Richards said. “A lot of kids have opted out of bussing, even those who haven’t opted out are finding other ways to get to school.”
Richards noted that she expects this type of error to happen 2-3 more times each month for the remainder of the school year. The spokesman at the North Clinton bus company expects it to be more frequent if "careless errors are not resolved."
Suggested Revision Feedback
The story provided here was used in the 2021 State Contest for the copyediting category. For each contest, we provide an answer key of sorts to the judges of the contest. To see the suggested revision feedback for this story, please visit this link.
(Please note that contestants do not need to highlight portions of the story when providing feedback. That context is provided here so that students can see what inspired each comment.)
STEP #7:
“Submit” your entry
TO COMPLETE & SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY . . .
2023 KSPA State Contest
W1: Copyediting