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Department tries to improve English skills
RV MELISSA STINSON
Staff Writer
Declining national college entrance examination scores in the past 15 years show a parallel in declining English skills among college freshmen. In response, the department of English at the University of Kansas is offering a new course this fall to accommodate those students who have serious problems with English.
*a win begin in the second week and won't be remedial, but it will be a course where students will write an immense amount," James Gowan, director of the freshmen and sophomore English program, said. "Freshman skills are very poor. Whether they learn a lesson than they have been in the past is an open question."
THE COMPOSITE American College Testing score for KU freshmen five years ago shows that the mean score for 2,389 men and women sampled was 23.3. The mean score for 1977/1978 was 21.4 for 2,024 men and women.
Nationally the mean score for five years ago was 19.2, compared with last year's 18.5 mean score.
In English, the scores also fell. The mean English score at KU five years ago was 21:22, last year's score
Gowan said that the number of marginal students, the student with an ACT mean score of 15, had increased three-fold since 1971. Those scores do not show a significant failure in English, he said.
was 20.0. Nationally, the score fell from 18.1 five
to 17.9 last year. Scores range from 1 to 36
Gowan said he did not think ACT and SAT scores were very accurate.
"THEY ARE EXCLUSIVELY GAUGED to be accurate at predicting only the top 3 percent," he said. "They are, in short, Ivy League tests and why they都在their in the country no one knows."
when the scale drops down to the 15 level, that student will be 15 everywhere," he said. "He doesn't belong in college. If he comes to college, the teacher must provide to him a few years of high school work.
Gowan said that when a student scored low in one area, it was probable that the student's other skills were poor.
there has to be some justification by the high schools why they're not doing it."
Gowan said writing skills were important.
"It's necessary to talk about points of usage, about
An SAT study group recently made a report on scores between 1963 and 1977 and evaluated reasons for the decline in average scores. One of them was that during the 1960s and early 1970s, high school requirements were relaxed. Electives took the place of English composition, literature or foreign language.
A study of textbooks used during this period indicated that they had become less challenging to read. Eleventh grade textbooks in history, literature, grammar and composition were aimed at ninth and eleventh graders.
“IF STUDENTS are obliged in the course of their high school career to read significant literature and write regularly, then they have very high SAT and ACT scores,” he said. “If 's is simple as that.”
He said many students avoided courses in high school that required writing skills.
Another reason for the decline in national scores is the increase in the number of students going to college.
characteristics of punctuation and no "on." he said. "If you study it in a vacuum and don't use it, you won't
"RESEARCH DONE on foreign students shows that you can teach a person who doesn't speak English to the blanks marvelously, but it has actually been Gowan said. 'They still are totally incarcerated.'
"That means that there is a larger pool of students going to college than there used to be." Gowan said. "Where only the top 25 percent of the graduating class were used to go to college, now the top 50 percent are gone."
methods used to teach writing often consisted of underlining, circling or filling in single words. Rarely were students asked to write a paragraph, story or theme.
Gowan said the office of admissions and records had once sent letters to prospective students with low test scores to weed out those who might be incapable of passing. That practice, however, was discontinued in 1972.
Bello Elliott, a researcher at American College test station, said that was called the expanded theory
- IT SAID, in effect. We have reviewed your high school grades and ACT score, and while you are here, we ask you to help us make sure you
Today is the last day of publication of
Takayama for the summer. The back-to-
school edition will be published Aug. 23.
The fall semester will be a publication
for the fall semester Aug. 28.
Kansas we suggest that it's not highly predicted that you'll do well here," "Gowan said.
Gowan said that since the letter had been discontinued, the marginal group had increased.
Because of this, the English department has reinstated a special program similar to one in New York.
Gowan said the new remedial course would give college credit. Students will be nominated by their teachers on the basis of a writing sample from English 101, he said.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
"What can we do?" Gowan said. "Our course is not really a remedial course because there's nothing to repair. It's a preparatory course. It attempts to provide skills."
The English department also offers a tutoring program for students with problems in English skills. The course is open to all students.
Kansan resumes publication Aug.28
Partly cloudy High upper 70s
"THE COMMENT I enjoyed most was the teacher who looked into traditional grammar, structural grammar, transformational grammar and a couple of the other ones and decided on the basis of that he'd compromise and teach none of them." Gowan said.
KANSAN
Vol. 88,No.177
The University of Kansas
Flood in Texas kills at least 8
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (UPI) - Torrential rains from a dying tropical storm flooded vast areas of the Central Texas hill country yesterday, sweeping away homes and cars and forcing hundreds of residents to high ground for safety.
At least eight persons died in the flash floods, which began late Tuesday. Six persons were missing. But authorities feared the number of deaths would increase once the swollen creeks and rivers began to recede.
"We've got lots of inquiries about people missing and right now we don't know if they've been found," a Bandaera County sheriff's dispatcher said. "They're picking people out of trees. Our main concern right at the moment is just救."
ASTHE DELUGE continued, some areas reported rainfall of as much as 20 inches. Cattleton began moving their stock away from creek beds and the National Weather Service issued the expected flash flood warnings.
The two dead bodies were taken to a funeral home in the virtually submerged city of Bandea. Authorities said they had not been identified.
"HELICOPTERS are evacuating people from surrounding areas," one volunteer said.
He said one dwelling had two residents on its roof frantically waving for help.
Farmers and ranchers had at first welcomed the precipitation as help for rain-stained crops and pastureland. The cattle left many creek beds bard as concrete.
"I couldn't believe it," he said. "I saw those people sitting on top of the roof and there was nothing I could do. I watched them waving their hands as they sat there waving their hands."
At noon, Frank Valasquez, a Sabin,
Texas, cable television employee, said he
stood by the Medina River outside Bandera—about 40 miles northwest of San Antonio—watching homes and house
trailers float past him.
Evacuations were conducted in six other hill country towns during the day. The police said communities south of the deluged area also were on the alert for rising waters.
MORE RAINS were expected later in the day. It was feared that they would again attack the team.
Thursday Aug. 3,1978
None of the other nearby camps had to be evacuated.
The rainstorms were the aftermath of tropical storm Amelia, which weakly pummed the Gulf Coast Sunday and Monday before dying Tuesday over the mesquite and cedar thickets west of San Antonio.
He said that was the last he saw of them. Among those rescued at Bandera was the 1977 Miss USA, Kim Tomes, 22, Honton, who spent four hours in a tree with her mother, two sisters, brother-in-law and nephew. She said the flooding started on Wednesday while she and her family were on vacation at a dike rack near the town.
Children in one youth camp near Kerrville, Texas, had to be evacuated because of high water. A police spokesman said local policeromed the children from Camp Cristales along the Gudalaupe River about 5 miles along them to climb the hillsides.
"The people are safe," the spokesman said, "just straddled."
Heated situation
Staff Photo
The evening sun shines through calm skies while Casey Graddy, Kansas City senior, and help Barber Wall Parel a local balloon
for takeoff, Graddy is heading a drive to bring the world's largest hot air balloon to Kansas for $1.88.
World's largest balloon for sale
By SHIRLEY SHOUP
Staff Writer
The world's largest hot air balloon is up for sale for one British pound, about $1.88, and a group of Kansans is trying to buv it.
Casey Graddy, a KLWN disc jockey,
has organized a drive to spark interest in
acquiring the balloon for the state of
Kansas. Whithead Brewery, which owns
the balloon, will sell it to the organization
that promotes the best use for it.
THE BALLOON will be sold at the end of August and although Whitbread had received many inquiries, Graddy said, Kansas stood a good chance of getting it.
"Anyone who wants to use it as a promotion would be able to," he said. "National promoters have contacted us and said they were interested in using
Graddy plans to set up a nonprofit organization that would hire the balloon out to corporations for national promotions.
Graddy quoted the brewery spokesman, Jamie Bryant, as saying he thought it was "a bloody good idea."
He said a board of directors would be responsible for the balloon. Graddy, Al Miler, owner of the Fire Fly Balloon Port, and Frank Chaffin, KLKN general sales manager, would comprise the board
If his efforts are successful, Graddy is thinking about having a contest to rename the balloon. It is currently called the Gerard A. Heineken.
The directors would decide which charities would profit from the balloon's use.
Graddy said, "We're the only state that's trying to get it. The others who are trying are corporations."
"The organizations we think are a sham won't get it," Graddy said.
Graddy said Gov. Robert F. Bennett supported the project. The KU Balloon Club and the state balloon club also sunsort it, he said.
HE ADMITTED that the Kansas wind might be a factor in flying the big balloon, but he said he still thought that Kansas would be the balloon's best
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (UPI)—Garbage collectors locked out and fired in a 10-day wildfire strike yesterday scheduled a city hall rally for today, at which time the city manager was expected to announce whether any of the 157 dismissed workers would be
The balloon is 140 feet tall and 100 feet
A crew of 12 is required to operate the balloon but Graddy he already had plenty of volunteers. Learning, he said, is vital but he is waiting to see whether the brewery will sell it to Kansas before worrying that and other difficulties, such as
Graddy and Miller have been circulating petitions to gain support for the project. Two weeks ago they planned a rally at KU and were going to tether one team up before the winds were too strong and after about three days they cried the rally.
in diameter. It has a two-story basket and has carried as many as 30 persons.
Fired garbage strikers plan rally
Leaders of the San Antonio Refuse Collection Association have vowed that the strikers—about half of the 313 garbage collectors—would not return to work unless all of those who walked out were re-employed.
The Whitbread Brewery had the balloon built four years ago and, rather than seeing it lie idle, decided to sell it.
City Manager Tom Huebner was to receive recommendations from a five-member review board that he appointed to screen workers seeking their jobs back.
Huebner consistently has said he would not rehire anyone who voluntarily joined the walkout. Thus far he has allowed back only six persons, who said they did not picket but stayed away from their jobs out of fear.
STATE DISTRICT JUDGE Fred Shannon issued a temporary restraint order against the collectors association to prohibit any acts of violence against strikebreakers hired by the city. Law forbids work stoppages by public employees.
One group of strikers spent the night in a van parked outside city hall Tuesday during a driving rain and vowed they would keep up the vigil until all 157 strikers were rehired.
Huebner hired more than 100 new workers to replace the locked-out strikers and garbage service was back to almost normal by yesterday.
City Councilman Rudy Ortiz, who has insisted that the all strikers be rehired, he telesphoned the Justice Department's community Relations Service and asked for federal intervention to end the labor controversy the potential for further violence.
At least eight persons have been arrested in the strike, including five men who fought with police when the policemen dismantled the strike. Tuesday for a camp-in-protesting the fringes.
KUAC member files complaint with HEW
By SANDY HERD
Staff Writer
A member of the Kansas University Athletic Corporation Board has filed a complaint with the regional office of the Department of Health, Education and Sciences of alleged inequities between women and men's athletic programs at KU.
Lizabeth Banks, a KUAC member and a former member of the Advisory Board for Women's Athletics, filed a four-part complaint Tuesday with HEW's Office of Civil
She criticized the University's commitment to provide equal opportunities for women and men athletes and cited what she said as a hallmark of scholarshuns and administrative staffing.
In her complaint, Banks criticized the separation of revenue-producing sports from nonrevenue-producing sports in the University's attempts to assess equality of pay.
"THE UNIVERSITY'S position in separating revenue-producing sports means that women's sports need to be equitable only when they are compared with men's nonrevenue sports," Banks said. "The standard that equity is measured against has to be established clearly and equivocally, and then you can program from there."
A directive from Joseph Califano Jr., secretary of health, education and welfare, requires that revenue-producing sports, such as football and men's basketball, be included when assessing equality in women's and men's athletic programs.
Banks' complaint also cited a lack of commitment on the University's part to provide equality in women's and men's scholarships.
A five-year scholarship plan, which uses money from the Williams Educational Fund, is projected to provide by 1980-41 the same amount of athletic scholarship money for women as for men in nonrevenue-producing sports.
"NOT ONLY are revenue sports excluded, but the money will be provided only as long as the games are available over and above the total men's athletic budget." Banks said. "If the contributions go down, the funds aren't there, they have an out."
The third part of Bank's complaint, dealing with inadequate funding for women's athletes, said the women's health department 7-7-19 had been cut from $420,000 to $285,000.
The $420,000 was the amount originally proposed by the women's athletics department in 1967.
Board of Regents, Gov. Robert B'芬廷 and the Legislature reduced the tuition to 2829.00.
Mike Davis, University general counsel,
said he had not seen the complaint and could
not speculate on what specific actions the
University might take.
"The advisory board refused to approve the budget in protest of the cut," Banks said. "And $10,000 of the $285,000 the women's athletics department has to raise."
Because the budget was cut, the position of academic coordinator was dropped. Banks said. The absence of an academic administrator from the program was the fourth reason for her complaint.
"But while we're waiting to hear from HEW, the University will be considering possible actions, as they have all been advised," said a woman for opportunities for women athletes. "Devis said."
"The academic coordinator keeps track of eligibility and tries to make sure that the people who get into academic trouble get the help they need." she said. "The men's department has a full-time academic coordinator."
Banks, an assistant professor of classics,
said she thought a complaint filed by a faculty member would demonstrate the need for KU for equal opportunities for athletes.
"The have been complaints filed by a trainer and a student—both directly involved with athletics," she said. "The women have done a lot of things, but it was time that someone make a public statement and take a public position."
BANKS FORWARDED COPYS of her complaint to Chancellor Archie R. Dykes, Del Shankel, executive vice chancellor, and director of the office of affirmation action.
William Hogan, associate executive vice chancellor, said that he knew that a complaint had been filed but that the adoration had not yet decided how to deal with it.
1 "suspect that until we hear further from
him no direct action in response to the complaint"
"We are going to look into it," Hogan said. "The University general counsel is going to be getting together with the necessary people to decide how to address the issue.
The backlog of complaints at HEW's regional office of civil rights will prevent an immediate response, according to that office.
J. L. Thomas, chief of the higher education branch of HEW's regional office of civil rights, said the complaint would not be reviewed for at least six months.
6 New York firefighters die when roof collapses
NEW YORK (AP) — The roof of a burning Brooklyn supermarket collapsed yesterday, plunging 12 firefighters into an inferno and killing six of them. Grim-faced firefighters, who were trapped inside the building, resumed their duties.
At least 27 firefighters and one policeman were hurt in what authorities said was the worst single-fire disaster to strike the New York City fire department in more than a decade. About 28 customers and store employees escaped injury.
Twenty-three of the injured were hospitalized, at least one with serious burns.
"WHEN THE FIREMEN were on the roof—I'll never forget it as long as I live," said Joan Guanen, a resident of the neighborhood in Sheephead Park, which separates the town from its neighboring woodlands.
I the injured firefighters either were on the roof or were fighting flames elsewhere in the blazed two-story Waidtbaum's supermarket. About 150 firefighters responded to the four-
"It's hard to accept," Mayor Edward Koch said. "It indicates how much we owe our firemen. It's just overwhelming. It's very difficult to talk about."
Later, Koch went to Coney Island hospital to offer his sympathy to the injured. The mayor stopped at the side of the most grievously burned firefighters.
The worst fire in the department's history claimed the lives of 12 firefighters in 1966 in the Madison Square area of Manhattan. Ten of those victims died beneath a collapsed
The Waldbaum fire apparently broke out on the second floor in an area in which an extension was being built onto the main building.