By David Trussell
UIL Computer Science Director
While it’s true that time flies when you’re having fun, it’s also sometimes true that time flies when you’re working hard, particularly when things are going smoothly.
It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were talking about UIL Computer Science at our fall student activities conferences. But by the time this Leaguer reaches you, district meets will be only a month away.
Before diving into district meet reminders, I have an important piece of news to pass along. Those who attended one of the SAC’s may remember that we discussed the possibility of UIL Computer Science moving from C++ to Java in 2003-2004. This change would be predicated on a similar change in the Advanced Placement curriculum for Computer Science, though at the time of the fall conferences we had only heard rumors that AP was moving to Java.
We now have confirmation: the AP curriculum will move from C++ to Java beginning with the 2003-2004 school year. An official statement as well as a detailed rationale for this decision can be found on the AP web site at www.collegeboard.org/ap/computer-science.
Consequently, UIL Computer Science will also make the move to Java in 2003-2004. Since its inception, the UIL contest has been modeled on the AP program because it is so well established in school district computer science curricula. Since most schools will likely follow AP’s lead in making the language change, the UIL will do the same.
Switching from C++ to Java should not be nearly as difficult as our last language change in 1998. For one thing, Java has much more in common with C++ than C++ had with Pascal. But we will also have a well-organized transition plan for the UIL contest, which is something that did not happen in 1998. One of the first lessons I learned as a new contest director that year was that any future language changes would be handled much differently than the switch to C++ had been.
Remember that Java is still a couple of years down the road. We will finish this year with C++, and we will have two more school years with C++. But it’s important to start thinking and planning now, so that we’re ready in the fall of 2003. Starting early will allow us plenty of time to make necessary changes to contest rules, to evaluate and select reference textbooks, and to consider how the change to Java will impact the hands-on contest. Input from our computer science coaches will be a vital part of this process.
Now a few reminders about the upcoming district meetsŠ
One of the best ways to prepare students for district competition is to attend UIL invitational meets that are offered at schools in your area. Not all hosting schools send information to the UIL office, but for those that do we publish their meet listing in the Leaguer and on the UIL web site.
There are a number of excellent third party test writers around the state, and any well-organized meet is good practice for potential district contestants. However, it’s a good idea to make a point of attending at least one meet where official UIL Invitational materials will be used. The UIL Set A and Set B Computer Science materials are written by the same experts who write the district contests, and thus provide students with an excellent guide for what they can expect at district and beyond.
The hands-on contest takes place only at the regional and state levels. Team scores at district are determined by combining the top three written exam scores from a school.
Rules pertaining to contest materials, procedures and scoring are detailed in the UIL Constitution and Contest rules. If you don’t have access to a printed copy, the complete C&CR is available on the UIL web site.
The verification period serves as your opportunity to check your students’ test papers for grading or tabulation errors, or to seek clarification for individual questions before official results are announced. And don’t rely on secondhand information to find out what those results are - plan to attend the awards presentation if at all possible.
Every student who participates in UIL competition is a winner, regardless of whether they take home a medal. Knowledge gained and memories made will mean far more than medals long after the high school years fly by.