2019-2020 UIL Academics Information & Results

Competition Dates & Locations

Invitational Meet
When: December 6-7, 2019
Location: Evans Middle School 

District Meet:
When: February 29, 2020
Location: Cockrill Middle School

UIL Academics Coaches

Art 
Coach: Lorren Nixon
 lnixon@mckinneyisd.net
Room E108
Extension: 7971
Meeting Times: Thursdays mornings

Calculator Skills
Coach: Brandi Ramirez
bramirez@mckinneyisd.net
Room E103
Extension: 7966
Meeting Times: Thursdays after school

Chess
Coach: Colin DuCharme  
cducharme@mckinneyisd.net
Room E109
​Extension: 7972
Meeting Times: Thursday mornings

Dictionary Skills
​Coach: Nikki Switalski
nswitalski@mckinneyisd.net
Room D110
Extension:  7951
Meeting Times: Tuesdays after school

Editorial Writing
Coach: Kathy Turpin
​kturpin@mckinneyisd.net
Room D116
Extension: 7954
Meeting Times: Mondays 3:45-4:30 and Wednesday 8:15-8:45am​

Impromptu Speaking
Coach: Stephanie Bell 
stbell@mckinneyisd.net
Room:  D108
Extension: 7949
Meeting Times: Thursdays 3:45 to 4:25 pm

Listening Skills
Coach: Nicole Spinnato 
​nspinnato@mckinneyisd.net
Room E123
Extension: 7984
Meeting Times: Thursdays 8:00am to 8:40am

Maps, Graphs, & Charts
Coach: Richard Branch 
rbranch@mckinneyisd.net
Room D107
Extension: 7948
Meeting Times: Thursdays 3:45pm to 4:30pm 

Mathematics
Coach: Marian Yates 
myates@mckinneyisd.net
Room D111
Extension: 7952
Meeting Times: Tuesdays after school

Modern Oratory
Coach: Alisha Jonker
ajonker@mckinneyisd.net
Room D219
Extension: 7870
Meeting Times: Tuesdays until 4:25 starting Oct 8th

Music Memory
Coach: Matt Harp
​mharp@mckinneyisd.net
Room: C122
Extension: 7934
Meeting Times: Wednesday 7:45-8:30 in C122E
​Website with information

Number Sense 
Coach: Christine Graham 
cgraham@mckinneyisd.net
Room D124
Extension: 7964
Meeting Times: Tuesdays at 3:45 pm

Oral Reading
Coach: Rosalyn Govan 
rgovan@mckinneyisd.net
Room E215
Extension: 7852
Meeting Times: Tuesdays till 4:25pm

Ready Writing
Coach: Mandy Bourland
​​mbourland@mckinneyisd.net
Room: E106
Extension: 7969
Meeting Times: Wednesday 8:15 – 8:40
Monday and Wednesday  3:50 - 4:15
​

Science 
Coach: Dot Leach 
dleach@mckinneyisd.net
Room D103
Extension: 7945
Meeting Times: Thursdays after school

Social Studies 
Coach: Scott Bell
sbell@mckinneyisd.net
Room D208
Extension: 7863
Meeting Times: Thursdays 3:45 to 4:25 pm

Spelling
Coach: Lynn Buchmiller 
​lbuchmiller@mckinneyisd.net
Room E122
Extension: 7941
Meeting Times: Tuesdays or Thursdays after school

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Description of Each Event

Art
This contest involves the study of paintings from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and paintings from selected Texas museums. As part of their study, students will demonstrate an understanding of art history and interpret ideas and moods in original artworks while making informed judgments about the artwork.

• Part A requires contestants to identify the artist’s name, as it appears on the official list, and the title of 15 paintings selected randomly from the official list of 40 paintings as published in the Art Smart Bulletin and on the UIL website.
• Part B consists of 30 questions about art elements and art history characteristic of the 40 art selections.
• Both Parts A and B of the contest shall be conducted. Approximately 30 minutes will be allotted for Part A and 30 minutes for Part B of the contest exclusive of time required for instructions.

 
Calculator Applications
This contest is designed to stimulate the development of mathematical and calculator skills. Goals are both intellectual and practical: developing mathematical reasoning and knowledge and requiring the application of problem-solving skills toward realistic problems.
 
Students will take a test containing 80 problems. The contest consists of problems that may include calculations involving   addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, roots and powers. It also includes straightforward calculation problems and simple geometric and stated problems similar to those found in recently adopted textbooks. Districts shall offer either a separate    division for each participating grade level or combined grade level divisions as specified in official contest procedures.
 
Chess
The study of chess teaches analytical thinking, pattern recognition
and creativity, which in turn improve student performance in reading, writing,
 
Students will take an objective test containing approximately 20 chess puzzles, plus a separate tie-breaker section. Answer formats may include fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice and/or true/false. Thirty minutes will be allotted for the testing period and an additional five minutes will be allotted for the tiebreaker, exclusive of time required for instructions.

Dictionary Skills
Thorough knowledge of the dictionary is a way to increase a student’s ability to find the information that is needed for class work as well as everyday living. The subject matter of all tests is taken from Merriam Webster’s Intermediate Dictionary. Contestants may use other dictionaries in the contest. In preparation for this contest, students will develop skills to communicate effectively.
 
Each test consists of 40 objective questions. Contestants use dictionaries in the competition. Twenty minutes will be allotted for  the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions.
 
Editorial Writing
Editorial writing teaches critical and analytical thinking, as well as the ability to write persuasively and concisely. Students learn to examine both sides of an issue, select and develop a stance and support that stance with logical, clear writing.
Contestants will be provided a fact sheet from which they will develop and write an editorial. Forty-five minutes will be allotted  for the writing period exclusive of time required for instructions.
 
Impromptu Speaking
This contest gives students experience in formulating and organizing clear thoughts and effectively delivering those thoughts to an audience. The contest provides opportunities for students to explore the use of the voice and body in speaking situations; to examine different purposes for speaking; to organize ideas and deliver speeches on a variety of topics; to evaluate speeches given by others; and to develop self-confidence.
Contestants will draw three topics, select one, and have three minutes to prepare a speech, which shall be presented without any notes. Contestants may not use costumes or props in the contest. The maximum time limit for each speech is five minutes.

There is no minimum time limit. Students who exceed the allotted five minutes shall be penalized one rank. For example, if the judges rank a student second who has gone overtime, that student shall be assigned third place and the student who was ranked third will be give second place. No speaker may be coached or prompted in any manner during the presentation.

Listening
This contest is designed to help  students  recognize  the  importance  of effective  listening  skills and to identify problems they may have in listening effectively. It  also provides a challenging format to test the improvement of their listening abilities. Through preparation for the contest, participants will listen to a variety of material and learn to evaluate and critically  analyze  a speaker’s message. The objective tests will measure skills such as identifying the main idea and supporting ideas, listening for details, drawing conclusions and distinguishing fact from opinion.
 
Contestants will listen to a script ranging from approximately seven to 10 minutes in length, take notes as needed, and use their notes to answer 25 objective questions. Ten minutes will be allotted for the testing period.
 
Maps, Graphs, & Charts
This contest is designed to help students learn to get information from a variety of maps, graphs and charts including world maps, pie charts, bar charts and local area maps. The objective test will measure skills such as using an atlas as a reference book to locate information, making comparisons, estimating and approximating, using scale and interpreting grid systems, legends and keys.
Some subject matter will be taken from the designated official sources(s). Students will be given an objective test containing approximately 75 objective questions.Contestants may use an atlas during the contest; an atlas will be needed to answer some test questions. Forty-five minutes will be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions.
 
Mathematics
Learning to complete math problems quickly is a valuable skill in all facets of life. This contest includes problems covering, but not limited to: numeration systems, arithmetic operations involving whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, exponents, order of operations, probability, statistics, number theory, simple interest, measurements and conversions. Geometry and algebra problems may be included as appropriate for the grade level.
The contest consists of 50 multiple-choice problems. Thirty minutes will be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions.

Modern Oratory
In  this contest, the contestant will  select one of the topics, determine the critical issues in  the  topic, and acknowledge both pro and con points citing support discovered in their research.
Students will choose a side they will defend and support that side with additional evidence. Along with the skills of analysis, research, note-taking, documentation, evaluation and decision-making come those of memorization and delivery.
The UIL will provide a selection of topics each academic year from which the student will pick one. Contestants will deliver a     three to six minute speech on their topic without the use of notes. Contestants shall not use costumes or props in the contest. Students going over the maximum or under the minimum time limit shall be penalized one rank. For example, if the judges rank      a student second who has gone over the time limit, that student shall be assigned third place and the student who was ranked  third will be given second place. No speaker may be coached or prompted in any manner during the presentation.
 
Music Memory
The focus of this contest is an in-depth study of fine pieces of music taken from a wide spectrum of genres to expose students to great composers, their lives and their music. The League will publish each year the Official UIL Music Memory List and provide sources for obtaining recordings of the music and information on the pieces and composers.

Students will have 10 minutes to complete a 20-question multiple-choice section. Students will then listen to approximately 20 seconds each of 20 musical selections, with sufficient time allotted to write down the name of the major work, if it is required, selection title and the name of the composer. Districts may choose to include scores on the multiple-choice section in overall scoring, or to use the multiple-choice scores only as a tiebreaker. If the multiple-choice section is included in overall scoring, there is no other tiebreaker.
 
Number Sense
Individuals are called upon every day to  use  their  ability  to  make  quick  mental  calculations  to make decisions. The development of such abilities should be  an  integral  part  of  the  math curriculum. Concepts covered include, but are not limited to: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, proportions, and use of mathematical notation.
Students will be given a fill-in-the-blank test which they shall complete without doing calculations on paper or on a calculator. Erasures, mark-overs and mark-outs are not permitted. Requirements for numeric forms shall be as specified in official contest procedures. Exactly 10 minutes shall be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions

Oral  Reading
Reading a text out loud  serves four purposes: to analyze the text as a literary critic; to grow      and to develop as a performer; to communicate a message to an audience; and to perform an artistic creation. All of these apply to the Oral Reading competition, which should be an extension of the classroom literary and language arts activities in  poetry, short stories and children’s  fiction.
Requirements for acceptable selections shall be as specified in official contest procedures. The maximum time for each  presentation is six minutes. There is no minimum time limit. Students who exceed the allotted six minutes shall be penalized        one rank. For example, if the judges rank a student second who has gone overtime, that student shall be assigned third place and the student who was ranked third will be given second place. Contestants may not use costumes or props in the contest. No  speaker may be coached or prompted in any manner during the presentation.
 
Ready-Writing
Texas has put a great emphasis on writing skills at all levels of school and all levels of statewide testing. Ready Writing builds upon those skills and helps students refine their writing abilities. In particular, this contest  helps  them  learn  to  write  clearly  and  correctly  a  paper  that  is interesting and original.
Contestants are given a choice between two prompts, each of which defines the audience and provides the purpose for writing. Students should be encouraged to analyze the prompts for purpose, format, audience and point of view. The format may be, for example, a letter, an article for the newspaper or an essay for the principal. Various writing strategies may be stated or implied in the prompt. Some of these include:

1. description to inform – describe the happening or person/object from imagination or memory;
2. narration – write a story;
3. persuasion – describe and argue just one side of an issue; describe both sides of an issue then argue only one side; write an editorial; write a letter to persuade, etc. There is no minimum or maximum number of words the contestants may write. 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.

 
Science
Emphasis for the Science contest will be placed on knowledge of scientific fact, understanding of scientific principles and the ability to think through scientific problems. The contests are designed to test not only memory but the ability to think critically about science and scientific processes and concepts. Such concepts include, but are not limited to: matter and energy, equilibrium, force and motion, physical and chemical properties, the relationship between organisms and the environment, the components of our solar system, the composition of    matter and genetics. The contests will build upon the vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical and conceptual models.
Each test will consist of approximately 35 objective questions that will be taken primarily from current state-adopted science textbooks and the curriculum. Forty-five minutes will be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time requires for instructions.

Social Studies
This contest is designed to encourage students to expand their knowledge of social studies, particularly in the areas of history, government systems, economics, citizenship and culture. Subject matter used for the test will be taken from currently adopted social  studies textbooks and identified primary sources.
Students will be given an objective test containing approximately 40 questions. Thirty minutes will be allotted for the testing period exclusive of time required for instructions.
 
Spelling
​This contest is designed to give students exposure to a wide variety of vocabulary words. It is not a contest of memorization. For the most educational value, preparation for this contest should include instruction in the rules of the English language, meanings and definitions, and root words. In addition to learning to spell proficiently, contestants will learn to write clearly and to capitalize words properly. Words will come from the appropriate UIL spelling list, state adopted textbooks and Words of Common Usage. Approximately 20 percent of the test words will  come from sources other than the UIL spelling lists. The source designated in official contest procedures will serve as the authority for all words in the contest.
Students will write down words given by the pronouncer on their paper at a rate of approximately five words per minute.

1. Grades 3 and 4: 50 words; tie breaker, 15 words.
2. Grades 5 and 6: 80 words; tie breaker, 20 words. (C)Grades 7 and 8: 110 words; tie breaker, 30 words.

The tiebreaker is given to all contestants immediately following the initial test. Contestants who do not take the tiebreaker shall be disqualified.