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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF
THE UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE

Last-Minute Review Prior to Spring Contests

By Dr. David Stevens, Academic Director | Monday, February 24, 2014 4:23 PM

District meets are just around the corner, and many schools are already entering students online. Remember that your entry is due in the online system at least 10 day prior to your contest, unless your District Executive Committee has set an earlier date.

Academic coordinators entering their school’s contestants need a UT EID but do not need to be authorized by our office. Be careful to type students’ names correctly. Use upper and lower case, and enter last name first, followed by first name. Proof for correct spelling. Don’t use initials unless a student actually prefers initials to a name. Whenever possible, enter substitutes in each event. They will appear on the contest roster as eligible to compete if a replacement is needed.

Coordinators, remember to do another eligibility check before competition! If substitutions must be made, anyone not listed on the original entry, as either a contestant or alternate, must present certification, signed by an administrator, that they are eligible to compete. A substitute form is posted on the UIL academic web page, but a letter signed by an administrator is also acceptable.

There are several small adjustments for the following contests.

Starting this season on the Science Contest, the number of answer options will not be restricted to just 5. The number of answer options will depend upon the type of question. This will allow questions where the answer options are greater than, equal to, or less than a particular quantity. Also the answers will not need to be separated by +/-5%. This will allow for additional wrong answers that follow from common mistakes to be included as answer choices.

More details can be found on the UIL website under “Information” on the right hand side of the Science page. Also notice the Note from the Biology Director (updated 1/23/14) in the same location. http://www.uiltexas.org/academics/science.

Please consult the contest rules of each competition for the particular information on the Use of Calculators.  We do not have a list of approved or non-approved calculators.  The rules and guidelines from the past have not changed, even though the choices of calculators have.

Contest directors will no longer need to make copies of the answer document for Spelling and Vocabulary.  We are providing those in the contest packet this year. Also, scratch paper for Part I will not need to be handed out.  The backside of the cover sheet for Part I is intentionally left blank for that purpose and is labeled as such.

Additionally, the verifiers will meet with the pronouncer to verify and clarify any words in question that may need to be repronounced.  Contestants will no longer request three words as in the past.

An external keyboard, keypad and an external mouse are permitted in the Computer Applications Contest.

Students who tie for third place in Mathematics will now all get a third place award, rather than the tie-breaking procedure determining the third place medal.

Participants in Ready Writing are reminded that entries typed on computers typed entry shall be single-sided and double-spaced. Contestants choosing to handwrite their entry shall write or print the composition in ink and on only one side of the paper.

Contestants are strongly encouraged to title their essays. The title should be centered at the top of the first page of writing. However, a missing title does not disqualify the essay. 

To arrange for special accommodations in accordance with Section 504/ADA, adequate prior notice is required. Please see the Special Needs Modification of the UIL Academics website.  http://www.uiltexas.org/academics/meets/special-needs/.

The date for meet directors to return materials to schools is the end of the day Saturday of the week of the meet. We have had discussions about holding District Week 1 materials until after District Week 2 has concluded.  The expense of mailing materials, and the time, has outweighed the perceived advantage that may be gained by students procuring a copy of the previous week’s test.  Therefore, we are asking each coordinator and coach to not share any District Week 1 materials until the conclusion of the second week of district competitions.

This is a reminder that Regional competitions have been changed for this year to May 1-3. This presents possible conflicts with State Golf and Tennis contests. 
State Golf and Tennis competitions that were originally scheduled for Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2 in Austin for the 1A and 2A state championships are now scheduled for Wednesday, April 30 and Thursday, May 1.  The sites, 1A at Lions Golf Course and 2A at Roy Kizer Golf Course, remain unchanged.

Please check the UIL website for dates and schedules of your Regional competitions. Some schedules have changed from previous years. And check this site often for any changes that may have to be made.  http://www.uiltexas.org/academics/regional-information.

We continue to work with our regional meet directors to improve all aspects of competitions.  Please see the additional information concerning Regional Academic Advisory Committees for each contest.  It is our hope that coaches and coordinators assisting these region sites will help expedite the contest day.

Your feedback is always welcome.  As we go through the year, let us hear from you things that are working and things that need to be improved.  We are only as strong as our weakest link. 

Check the UIL academic web page regularly.  This is the fastest and easiest way to get important updates from our office.  We also plan to use our academic coordinator email list this year, but it is always difficult to make sure we have everybody on the list.  The website continues to be your best resource. 

Do not hesitate to contact any of the academic staff or me with any questions or concerns you may have.