ZAP: Where did it come from?

My response to a blog posting, Zeroes Aren't Permitted(ZAP program) , in the Karl Frank, Jr Communicator, of the Mehlville School district in ST. Louis, MO. This posting was a condensed version of a journal article written by Dr. Christa Warner of Wohlwend Elementary, and published in the professional journal ASQ - American Society for Quality.

Glad to see such a fine description of ZAP, also known as Zeroes Aren't Permitted. It is a very effective tool for helping children learn what quality is and how their choices can affect and improve that quality in their lives.

I found this blog in an online search with the tag "Zeroes Aren't Permitted". This is a self-directed professional development webquest that began with an article I read online at Teacher Magazine, Okla. School Zeros In on Missed Assignments. The article is the inspirational story of a school in Glenpool, OK and their successful use of ZAP to improve the quality of student homework efforts.

In my opinion, the reporter following the story wrote about ZAP in such a way that one would think it sprang forth from the school district, like Athena from the head of Zeus. While ZAP is exciting, I knew it hadn't begun in Glenpool, OK. Why? I knew it hadn't started in Glenpool, because I have used ZAP for years. I learned about it from other teachers who used ZAP before me.

I personally began using this ZAP system over 6 years ago. Many of the elementary and middle schools, in the Wichita, KS public schools, began using ZAP before I did. That knowledge of the earlier existence of ZAP was the impetus for this webquest.

My quest is to answer the question, "Can we find the source of ZAP?". That question led me to find a large number of websites and blogs about the Zeroes Aren't Permitted program called ZAP.

Congratulations on your choice of ZAP as a way to help students model quality by teaching them to evaluate their homework assignment completion skills.

BTW, cool blog!