In2Books Survey

Today I received a survey to rate the 2003-2004 pen pal experience. Wouldn't it have made more sense to do it immediately following the last letter instead of as the next year is starting?! It was multiple choice, but I didn't really like some of the choices as answers.

1. What have you found most meaningful in your student correspondence this year?
Uh, nothing? If you force me to choose, "Student relating book content to his/her life."

2. Which of the following do you feel would most increase your engagement in the In2Books program?
Getting the books on time? "Viewing scientific assessment of In2Books impact on student progress," if there is progress.

3. Which of the following In2Books program activities are you most interested in learning more about?
"Classroom implementation (including photos and narrative)"—have the teachers gone to university?

4. Did you feel the frequency of In2Books-initiated communication with you was:
"About the right amount" (6 letters in the school year)

5. Please rate your overall pen pal experience:
"Not rewarding"

6. Are you planning to participate as an In2Books pen pal this coming school year? If not, why not?
No--Not receiving materials at all or receiving them too late to easily meet deadlines. It's hard to write a letter about a book that I haven't read. If you can't allow time for international shipping or properly address the package, then you shouldn't accept pen pals outside of the U.S.

7. Will you recommend volunteering as an In2Books pen pal to others?
No--The students didn't seem to show any improvement over the course of the year. They seldom answered questions I asked them or added a personal touch to their letters. In most cases the letters sounded like a dry book report. In one cycle their beginning paragraphs were virtually identical and with the same difficult word misspelled, leading me to believe that their teacher told them what to write and the teacher doesn't know how to spell.

8. Please offer any other comments you have about the In2Books program, your personal experiences with it, and/or your recommendations on how we can improve the program:
It's a great idea but it needs to be more organized with better teacher training.