The UIL academic department has had no better friend than the Texas Math/Science Coaches Association.
For years, Faye, Brad, Linda, Dan and other TMSCA representatives have suffered through drawn-out, sometimes boring UIL hearings and gatherings, particularly the annual Legislative Council meeting. More often than not, they are the only persons on the agenda with a proposal or presentation that involves academic competition, and when they address the Council, they always say the nicest things about me and the academic staff.
For that, we are eternally grateful.
Not surprisingly, we listen to them and carefully consider any and all recommendations they bring on behalf of the TMSCA. Until October, they’ve batted 1,000. They championed the concept of academic teams, advancing 4-member teams, the highly popular wildcard qualifi er rule and other improvements of the academic program. TMSCA has spearheaded any of the expansions and refi nements of the UIL program over the past 15 years.
But this past October, the Academic Committee of the Legislative Council, on my counsel, turned down a TMSCA recommendation to require district meet contest directors to retain tests until the end of the second district meet week. The argument for the proposal is simple: students who take tests the second week have an advantage over students who take the test the fi rst week.
I don’t necessarily disagree with this argument. At the same time, I do not believe holding tests will accomplish much good. Here’s why:
• The League prepares separate contests for each week. What’s on week 1 test won’t necessarily be on week 2. Sure, some of the principles may be the same, especially in Mathematics or Calculator Applications. But we must take into consideration Accounting, CI&E, Social Studies, Science and all the other academic contests. It would be an unnecessary burden to keep editorials or Literary Criticism papers for a week or more after the district meet.
• There’s no guarantee that people won’t talk. With e-mail and no-holds-barred cell phones, it’s unlikely that a student or coach won’t blab to at least one friend and/or colleague. Then, it spreads like juicy gossip.
• Forcing districts to keep tests for a week is likely to be more unfair to students who compete in District 1 than those who compete in District 2. Why? Students who compete in District 2 can take their papers home at the end of the day. Students who compete in District 1 will not get their papers until they’re mailed to them. In all likelihood, they’d receive them sometime after State. Plus, keeping the tests for a week would require the host to store and mail them. It’s another complication to an already diffi cult task.
• Finally, the proposal is based on a perception. We have no hard evidence that releasing papers after District 1 has any impact on who qualifi es to Region. This may be the next major UIL research effort, but until data is presented to show a positive correlation between who advances and when they took the test, I don’t see the council moving on this item.
Again, the League academic staff values — treasures — its relationship with TMSCA. We share the same vision and goal: rigorous, equitable academic competition. As I said, it was unsettling to deny a request made by the math and science coaches.
Frankly, we’ve never done it, at least not in my memory. We don’t expect to make a habit of it. Rest assured, we’ll monitor the situation. If and when it’s time to revise the rules, we’ll do so.