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Coaches' Responsibilities

Judges' Handbook

Ballots

ASIJ Maps and Directions

American School in Japan

Qualification

Preparation

Judging

Awards

Ballots

Qualification

Preparation

Judging

Awards

Ballots

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I:   Qualification   

1.  Judges should not judge any category in which they were involved as coaches.

2.  Judges should not let personal feelings affect their judging in any category.

II:  Preparation  

1.  Judges are responsible for checking the emergency evacuation routes and procedures 
     for the room in which they are judging. 

2.  Judges are to report to the Judges' Room [the Faculty Lounge on the second floor] at
     least 15 minutes prior to the start of the round they are judging to share expected 
     standards and interpretations of the category criteria. 

3.  One judge will be chosen in each category to be the moderator to call up participants. 

4.  Three judges will be assigned for each category with the exception of the Multiple 
     Reading. The Multiple will be assigned six judges from six different schools. Awards 
     in the Multiple Category shall be made in the following manner:

4 or more judges' recommendations = Gold;

3 judges' recommendations   = Silver;

2 judges' recommendations   = Bronze.
 

·        If one of the schools with 4 or more recommendations has received more recommendations than any other school, then this school will be awarded the 
All Star without a vote.

III: Judging 

1.   No authors' names are to be given to any works by contestants.

2.   Judges should write sufficient comments on each student's ballot for the benefit 
      of the contestants, indicating why or why not a student was recommended.

3.   Gestures and costumes appropriate to the presentation are permitted, but no props 
      are allowed with the exception of the Original Informative category.

4.   Judges should not discuss anything with one another during the judging of the 
      category. Discussions may take place during the selection for the All Star Award 
      prior to a silent vote (see # 10 below).

5.   Judging of a category is to be completed without stopping. If there is a serious 
      question about the rules or their interpretations, judges should first attempt to find 
      consensus among themselves after the round has ended. If no consensus can be 
      found, it is to be brought to the attention of the fine arts coordinator after completion 
      of the category in the judges' room.

6.   Introductions including the title of the work are required by contestants for the 
      following categories: Humorous, Poetry Interpretation, and Storytelling.
 
7.   Though it doesn't appear on the ballot, the judges should give weight as to whether 
      material is delivered with spontaneity, as if given for the first time.

8.   Timing: If a student should exceed or go under her/his time limit by 30 seconds, 
      she/he will not be recommended for an award. If the student continues speaking 
      after exceeding the 30-second overtime, judges will ask her/him to stop and the 
      student will not be recommended for an award. The "30 second rule" applies to all 
      categories, except Humorous where laughter may hold the speaker up. At these
      times judges are asked to use their discretion.

9.   Judges may recommend more than one student in any given category for an award. 
      Judges may also recommend that no award be given to any contestant if they feel 
      the given criteria are not met. 

10. After the round of competition, judges are asked to report to the designated judges' 
      room where they will wait until the ballots are counted, all rankings are completed 
      and an All Star has been decided. The fine arts coordinator will formally inform 
      judges that an All Star has been selected. 

IV:  Awards

The Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates will be awarded as follows:

Gold Award                 Recommendations from all three judges

Silver Award                Recommendations from two judges

Bronze Award              Recommendation from one judge

If only one student should be recommended for the Gold Award, she/he will also 
receive the KPASSP All Star Patch. If no Gold Awards are earned in a category, the next highest award will be sufficient for the All Star Patch.

If there is more than one Gold Award (or no Gold Award and more than one Silver Award) a silent vote will be conducted for the KPASSP All Star Patch. The highest recommended ballots will be returned to the judges and they will asked to privately rank the contestants in order of:

First Place                   

Second Place              

Third Place

The contestant with the highest ranking will receive the KPASSP All Star Patch.

For the purpose of determining the winning school trophy, the following points will be awarded for all categories:

Gold Award                 5 Points

Silver Award                3 Points

Bronze Award              1 Point

The KPASSP Trophy will be awarded to the team with the most points.