Rule Reminders for A+ District Meets

By David Trussell, A+ Director | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 12:38 PM

For A+ districts hosting fall/winter meets in December and January, the meet planning process should be well underway. That process includes a number of important decisions; as those decisions are made it’s crucial to keep in mind which options are available — and which are not. The A+ program affords districts a great deal of flexibility, but not everything is negotiable.

• The A+ Art contest includes the identification section known as Part A, as well as the art history and elements section known as Part B. Section 1410(b)(2) of the C&CR states, “Both Parts A and B of the contest shall be conducted.” This means that a district Art contest must include both parts; by rule, omitting Part B is not an option.

• A+ Ready Writing has a two-hour time limit for contestants to write their essays. However, section 1462(c)(2) of the C&CR states, “Two hours are allowed for writing the composition. The district executive committee may shorten the length of the contest period to conform to the needs of the grade level.” So districts do have the option of shortening the time limit, something that can be particularly helpful for the younger grades that participate in the Ready Writing event.

• A+ Spelling rules define a specific number of words for each grade level of the competition in Section 1470(b)(2). There is no provision in the contest rules for changing those numbers. Where the Ready Writing rules do include the option of shortening the time limit, the Spelling rules do NOT include the option of reducing the number of words.

• Other than the Spelling contest, the two other events where spelling is an important factor are Art and Music Memory. In both events, there are one-point penalty deductions for answers in which the identification is correct but the name or title is misspelled. Capitalization and punctuation errors are considered spelling errors. However, it’s very important not to take deductions that aren’t necessary. For example, some Music Memory contestants may put quotation marks around selection titles, while others do not. Either format is acceptable; no deduction should be taken based on the presence or absence of quotation marks. In Art, contestants are responsible only for the last name of the artist in writing their answers for Part A; however, the answer is not incorrect if they also include the first name. Grading guidelines are included with the contest materials for both events. Graders must be familiar with the contest rules and grading guidelines, and it’s important they work together to ensure that all papers are graded accurately and consistently.

• A+ speaking events must be sectioned if there are more than eight contestants in a division. This rule applies for Oral Reading, Modern Oratory, Impromptu Speaking and Storytelling. The importance of sectioning is to ensure a positive contest experience for all contestants. Throwing a large number of contestants into a single section makes it very difficult for a single judge or panel of judges to provide good constructive comments and fairly rank each contestant. Sections of more than eight contestants are not good for participants or judges, and they are prohibited by the rules for A+ speaking events.

• Following contest rules is vital to maintaining the integrity of UIL competition, regardless of grade level. The rules are intended to ensure fair and equitable competition, as well as to maximize the educational value for each student who participates. It’s okay to disagree with a particular rule, but it’s not okay to disregard that rule.

• Check the A+ section of the UIL website regularly for additional contest information, news and updates throughout the school year.