News / Calendar

Dates of Import

Registration Incentive Deadline OCTOBER 1, 2010 (10% off first order of curriculum and study materials for members only)
Regular Registration Deadline NOVEMBER 1, 2010 (Last postmark day to receive membership forms without a $25 additional fee thereafter)
Final Registration  Deadline DECEMBER 15, 2010 (DEADLINE for all memberships for the 2010-2011 school year)
District & Area Meets Between Friday, February 18 and Saturday, April 2, 2011
Consult the Districts & Areas pages for specific dates
"A" State Meet 7 May, 2011 at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth
"AA" State Meet 30 April, 2011 at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth
One-Act Play State Meet 13-14 May, 2011 at Ed Landreth Auditorium, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth
Last updated August 26, 2010

Recent Announcements

Comments and questions may be addressed to the Executive Director.

Memberships for 2010-2011 school year are now being accepted.  Be sure to complete both pages of the Membership / Participation Form.  Schools may add participation requests up to 30 days prior to their District Meet.  Student entry names are submitted to the District Director, not to the state office, at least 30 days prior to the District Meet.

State Advisory Board Minutes

Saturday, June 5, 2010

The PSIA State Advisory Board met in regular session on Saturday, June 5, 2010, at the PSIA state office and home of Bruce and Patricia Walters, 508 Alamo Trail, Grapevine, Texas.  Our gratitude to the 15 representatives from the 24 PSIA districts throughout the state who were present for this important decision-making meeting: District 1A & 2A:  Jill Borowski – Immaculate Conception Catholic School, Denton; District 2AA: Misty Baptiste – Liberty Christian School, Argyle; District 3A:  Kelly Winings – Holy Family of Nazareth, Irving; District 3AA:  Tammy Tran– The Highlands School, Irving; District 4A: Sandi Scott – Haslet; District 6AA:  Cathy Miles & Lisa Jahnke – Redeemer Lutheran School, Austin; District 8A: Carolyn Koslan – Immanuel Lutheran School, Giddings; District 12A:  Rebecca Phillips – St. Anthony, Beaumont; District 13AA:  Ellen Allen – Oratory Academy, Pharr and Jo Thomason – Our Lady of Sorrows, McAllen;  District PSIA Writer / Technology Consultant: Doug Ray – Texas State University, San Marcos; Technical Advisor: James Scott – Haslet; and Bruce and Pat Walters-State PSIA Directors, Grapevine.

Following the luncheon, Bruce Walters provided statistics regarding the shortfall of PSIA income for the 2009-2010 school year, voiced projections for moderate growth for next year, and proposed incremental increases in membership and entry fees, along with similar increases in program material prices. After 13 years of no increase in member fees, entry fees, and study materials prices, the time has come that these increases are necessary for the ongoing of the PSIA program.

Discussion items and decisions resulting from this advisory board meeting follow in abbreviated format.

 1.   DECREASE MEMBERSHIP ENROLLMENT LIMITS: Decrease
        enrollment for “A” from 26 to 23 average or fewer per grade level,
        or a total of no more than 184 students in grades 1-8 (Exceptions
        made for limited hosting schools with just a few more enrolled)
        “AA” classification will consist of schools with an average of 24 or
        more per grade level, or a total of 185 or more students in graders
        1-8.

 2.   INCREASE CAMPUS MEMBERSHIP FEES for "A" schools from
       $175/year to $225/yr. and for "AA" schools from $175/yr. to $275/yr. 
       School enrollment fees will be based only on campus enrollment in
       grades 1-8, regardless of whether the school participates in “A” or “AA.” 
       Campus enrollment figures will be verified through accreditation agencies.

 3.    INCREASE PARTICIPATION FEES from $25.00/event, $395.00
       maximum to $35.00/event and $545.00 maximum

 4.   INCREASE INIDIVIDUAL AND HOME SCHOOL
       MEMBERSHIP FEE from $35.00/yr. to $45/yr.

 5.   INCREASE INDIVIDUAL AND HOME SCHOOL
       PARTICIPATION FEES from $15/ event to $20/event

 6.   INCREASE ALL TEST PACKET STUDY MATERIALS
       PACKET PRICES from $ 10.00 to $12.50 each
       Includes yearly state & district, & specific subject packets

 7.   INCREASE ALL CD PRODUCTS from $ 7.50 to $ 10.00/each

 8.   INCREASE Academic Handbook from $15.00/each to $25.00/each

 9.   INCREASE ALL HANDBOOKS from $5.00 & 6.00 to $10.00

10.  INCREASE MUSIC MEMORY CURRICULUM PACKAGE
        from $60.00, $5.00, & $7.50 to $75.00, $10.00 & $10.00   

11.  INCREASE ALL AWARDS RIBBONS from $.60, $.50, & $.40 to
       $.65/each and rosettes remain the same at $3.00/each

12.   INCREASE STATE ENTRY FEE from $6 to $8

13.   INCREASE DISTRICT ENTRY FEE from up to $5 to up to $6

14.   INCREASE WORKSHOP FEE from $29/19 to $39 for one person
        from a school and $29 for all others from a school
        INCREASE LATE REGISTRATION FEE to $45

15.   KEEP PROMOTIONAL SALES, except ribbons, the same price

Note:    Some Promotional items will require increases because the
costs now exceed the current sales price.  Please refer to Promotional
Items Order Form when it is released in late June.

16.   ADVANCE ONE STUDENT TO STATE FROM EACH GRADE
        LEVEL OF THESE CONTESTS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY
        COMBINED GRADE LEVELS:
        • Music Memory
        • Number Sense
        Districts decide how many students may participate per grade level
        (up to 3) in accordance to space and other resources available. 
        ADVANCING TO STATE GUIDELINES will be updated in the
        “Rules for ALL Participants” section of the Academic Handbook, and
        the “Instructions for the Contestant” under “ENTRIES” for each
        contest will clearly state how many students may be entered and how
        many advance to state.
       
17.   CONFLICT PATTERN REVISIONS:
        a.  Move Mathematics from 10:00 to 1:30
        b.  Move Prose 6-8 Finals from 1:30 to 12:00 noon
        c.  Move Prose 4-5 Finals from 3:30 to 3:00
        d.  Move Science from 1:30 to 2:30
        e.  Move Storytelling Finals from 2:30 to 1:30
        f.  Adjust Verification Period Times (see Conflict Pattern, to be posted
             on the PSIA website next week)

18.   ADDITIONS TO THE PSIA HANDBOOK GUIDELINES:
        a.  “Fee Assessment Guidelines” updated
        b.  “Selecting Students for Contest” short section added to the
             “Preparing Students for Academic Competition” section
        c.   Add “Copyright Infringement” guidelines and warnings.  Include
              specific prohibition wording regarding photocopying play scripts.
        d.   Update “Participation Requirements” section to state that a ratio of
              1/2.25 adults or high school workers to student entries is required,
              instead of 1/2.5, to administer the District or State Meet.
        e.   Add under “Photography & Videotaping” specific wording
              prohibiting picture-taking during the verification period, but
              welcoming it during the awards presentation
        f.   Add guideline passage regarding limitations of our 501(c)(3)
              pertaining to religious assembly
        g.  Re-emphasize the requirement for students in ALL speech contests
             to be provided with an audience to fulfill speaking essential elements

19.   ADDITIONS TO CONTEST EVENT PAGES:
        a.  CALCULATOR:  Specify that only one calculator may be used in contest
        b.  ALL SPEECH CONTEST CONTESTANT EVALUATION SHEETS:  Remove the numbers
              assigned to the ratings of Superior, Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, and Needs
              Extra Work, and place these quantifiers by each qualifying element in a
              check-rubric format
        c.   SPEECH RANKING SHEET SIMPLIFIED to two pages with easier-to-read instructions
        d.   CAPITAL LETTER PRINTED ANSWERS REQUIRED for answers on all A, B, C, D, E, T, F type tests
        e.   HONORABLE MENTION ON-SITE DRAWING AWARDS limited to a maximum of 4 per grade level
   
20.   SUMMER / FALL WORKSHOPS REGISTRATION FORM ON WEB:
        a.   August 14:    Trinity Lutheran School, San Angelo (Panhandle Area)
        b.   August 21:    The Atonement Academy, San Antonio (Central Area)
        c.   August 28:    Our Lady of Sorrows, McAllen (Valley Area)
        d.   Sept. 11:    Our Lady of Victory, Victoria (South Coast Area)
        e.   Sept. 18:    Lutheran South, Houston (Houston/ South East Area)
        f.    Sept. 25:    Green Acres Baptist Church, Tyler (East Texas Area)
        g.   Oct. 2:    Holy Family of Nazareth, Irving (DFW Area)
        h.   Possible Austin Area Workshop to be added at a later date,
              but please select from the above dates and places, otherwise.
   
21.   ADOPTION OF ACADEMIC RESOURSES FROM OTHER COMPANIES:
        a.   Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (there will not be a 12th edition
              for at least two more years) This resource is the official source for Dictionary Skills,
              Spelling and Vocabulary contests.
        b.   Nystrom Desk Atlas (2008 or NEWER edition) for Maps, Graphs & Charts
        c.   Arts Education IDEAS Music Memory Bulletin, Student Handbook and CDs
        d.   The Elements of Number Sense by Doug Ray

22.   OTHER REVISIONS:
        a.   ONE-ACT PLAY HANDBOOK to be further revised for conciseness
        b.   CONTEST RESULTS FORM revised to have point values printed in the Point spaces. 
              Should there be a tie in an event, these numbers would then be crossed out and
              replaced by the divided value of the number of places in which the tie exists
        c.   ACADEMIC PROGRAM BRIEF to be revised with specifics of fee changes and
              specification of how many students advance to state
        d.   Other revisions throughout handbook for conciseness and accuracy

23.   TECHNOLOGY UPDATE:
         Doug Ray provided a report regarding the successful use of his pilot program to
         register district meet data and produce various forms to make running the meets easier. 
         Please contact Doug at doug@academicmeet.com to join the pilot group testing of
         this new program.

Meeting adjourned at approximately 4:11 p.m. 

THANKS EVERYONE!

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LIST OF APPROVED PLAYS for ONE-ACT PLAY COMPETITION

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