The following items were approved:

Academics

• limit sound/music effects for one-act play to a cumulative of 10 minutes;
• change scoring system in Computer Science from one that awards 5 points for a correct answer and deducts one point for an incorrect answer to a system that awards 6 points and deducts two;
• require impromptu speaking ballots to be returned to the contest director at the end of the verfication period;
• require UIL districts to use the official Music Memory contest tapes provided by the UIL;
• establish more consistency in rules between elementary/junior high number sense contest and high school number sense contest as well as rules in the ready writing contest between the two entities;
• reduce number of words inlcuded on the elementary/junior high spelling test at each grade level by 10;
• expand Art contest to grades 6-8;
• change scoring system for hands-on programming portion of the computer science contest to allow each problem to be assigned the same point value;
• establish reasonable return times for elementary/junior high district and invitational contests;
• allow all four members of each academic team to advance from district to region to state;

Music

• increase maximum honorarium paid each judge at a UIL concert and sight reading or solo/ensemble contest;
• clarify procedures that a choral director is to follow prior to the first reading of the sight-reading music selection;

Athletics

• eliminate the exception currently given for soccer and softball to play non-participant schools;
• allow junior high soccer programs to play a matched game in the same calendar week as a tournament;
• remove restriction on schools or school coaches providing transportation to college tryouts and visits for students who have no remaining eligibility in that sport;
• eliminate baseball and softball coaching exception for non-school activities;
• permit student-athletes to accept funds that are administered by the U. S. Olympic Committee pursuant to its Operation Gold Program;
• allow pay raises for officials.

All changes must be approved by the Commissioner of Education before they go into effect.