Includes changes
approved at Fall 2003 meeting: Division
/ Cluster swap; Procedure for "unexpected answers and errors" (sec.
V.B.1 )
The first contest of the Intermediate Math League was held in March, 1965. This meeting was viewed as an experiment to determine the advisability of this type of academic competition for the age levels of students in grades 7 through 9. Enthusiasm and commitment to the contest idea spread quickly. Throughout the years, the League has grown in membership from ten to forty three schools. Students have the honor of representing their school in an academic competition, while interacting academically and socially with students from other communities. Advisors have the opportunity to discuss and compare their programs in mathematics. In 1986, the academic competition was redesigned to accommodate the regional change from junior high schools to middle schools. Teams then consisted of students in grades 7 and 8. Sixth grade students were allowed to participate as seventh graders.
The rationale for this document is as follows:
1. To establish and form procedures and criteria for all contests and all Geographic Clusters of the league.
2. To aid member schools with basic information for public relations tasks, such as writing articles for local newspapers.
3. To allow smooth carry-over from year to year by providing sufficient information for new officers to work and plan efficiently.
A. A maximum of seven eighth graders.
B. Any number of seventh and sixth graders to bring the total number of entrants to no more than ten. Students in any grade below sixth grade may compete as sixth graders. No student may compete for more than three years.
C. Students in grades 9 through 12 are excluded from competition
The most advantageous arrangement is seven eighth graders and three seventh graders. Fewer than ten students on a team will of course, decrease the likelihood of a high team score. Alternates may accompany the team to gain experience. The number of alternates, generally not to exceed ten, may be determined by the members of each Geographic Cluster. Once the competition begins, an alternate may not be substituted for a regular member.
Schools may field more than one team of regulars under the following conditions:
A contest consists of five ten-minute tests, run consecutively, with three questions in each test. Each question counts for two points. A sixth category, a "Team Question", consists of five parts, each worth six points, and a sixth question, also worth six points, which incorporates the answers to the other five parts. This sixth category is a 15 minute test.
Each test represents a category. Questions 1, 2, and 3 may vary in content, as outlined at the start of the year by the test writer, who publishes a list of topics which will appear at each contest. The categories are:
The test writer will not publish the list of topics for this category. Students should be able to solve problems in this category by clear, well-organized or intuitive thinking. Question 3 in this category will involve more complex reasoning. There often will be shortcuts to solving problems that more advanced students may use. In some questions, new symbols are introduced and new operations are defined.
This category covers perimeters, areas, and volumes. Students are expected to have a knowledge of basic concepts concerning parallel lines, polygons, supplementary and complementary angles, the Pythagorean Theorem, and relationships in 30-60-90 triangles, and 45-45-90 triangles.
In this category the topics may include: lowest common multiple, greatest common factor, primes, composites, divisibility, place value, bases, number of digits in a number, rounding numbers, complete factorization, sets of numbers, etc.. It has been suggested that bases be minimized, and at most one question on bases will be found on an exam.
This category is almost entirely calculation involving operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, roots, and powers. Calculators will be used only at the last two meets.
There may be any combination of questions drawn from concepts found in the algebra curriculum.
The team question was introduced in 1984. In this category the whole team of regulars work cooperatively to solve 6 problems. The first 5 questions cover topics used during that particular meet. The sixth question incorporates the answers to the other five questions. There are 36 points at stake, 6 points for each of the questions in this category. No student receives credit toward personal high scores from this category.
A team is made up of 10 students with a maximum of 7 eighth graders. There are 5 individual tests in a contest, one for each category. Each student on a team is entered in 3 categories, and each category should have exactly 6 students from a team. In the sixth category, the team question, all ten regular team members compete toward a team score.
The maximum team score is 216 points and the maximum individual score is 18 points.
It is perfectly proper to give instruction in the categories in anticipation of the contest.
For the calculator meets, programmable and graphing calculators are not allowed.
The Vice-President or designate takes a roll call of towns, welcomes the students, collects the team rosters, presents blue ribbons from previous meets, and directs students to the testing rooms for regulars and alternates.
The testing rooms should have a desk or table for students to work at as well as a supply of scrap paper and perhaps a few extra pencils.
The proctor should:
Regarding cheating - In the judgment of the proctor, if a student is seen cheating, his/her 3-category score will be excluded from the team score, i.e., the student will receive a score of "zero" for the day and no substitution of another student will be allowed.
For the team question, each team should have a separate room or area where they can work together without being disturbed or overheard. One member of each team acts as the secretary and is responsible for submitting one completed test packet with the appropriate team identification. Two or more proctors may monitor this part of the test but the procedure is similar. The proctors remind students that they have 15 minutes to complete the test. Students begin at the signal and are given a 5 minute and a 1 minute warning.
Scores for each category are posted between tests. Refreshments are served. Final results are announced, and high scoring individuals for each grade are awarded certificates. Blue ribbons for the previous meet may also be presented at this time.
The Vice-President of the Geographic Cluster serves as an assistant to the test writer. Before each meet the Vice-President proofreads each exam question, and checks each answer given. If there is a discrepancy or concern regarding language, the Vice-President contacts the test writer. The Vice-President duplicates the exams for the competition and provides answer keys and exams for each cluster advisor at the meet. The V.P. also sees that the tests and answer keys are safeguarded and delivered to the host school.
The Vice-President of the Geographic Cluster is in overall charge of running the contest. Many of his tasks are delegated to the teacher of the host school who is in charge of arranging facilities for the contest. The V.P. is briefed on location of the testing rooms, assembly room, and correcting room.
It is important that the division of tasks be clearly understood. The V.P. checks to see that other personnel (correctors, runner, proctors, tabulator) are familiar with their tasks and the facilities. In order that the V.P. be available during the contest to solve problems that might arise, it is wise for the V.P. to delegate the tasks of directing movement of students to and from the testing rooms to student ushers provided by the host school.
In addition, each Cluster V.P. sends out contest roster forms, and a map to the host school to each advisor in the Geographic Cluster at an appropriate time before each meet. The information may also include the list of duties for each advisor for that meet.
At the end of each meet, the V.P. collects the tabulator's sheet showing team scores and also the team scoring sheets (roster forms). Immediately after the contest these are forwarded to the League Tabulator. The V.P. also holds the exams from the regular student participants in case there is any question. These exams will be returned to the school advisors at the next meet. Records will be turned over to the League President at the end of the year to be kept on file and passed on from year to year.
Correctors, tabulators and proctors are designated in advance of the contest by mail, usually one from each of several towns. These duties should be alternated from contest to contest if possible.
1. Correctors grade incoming tests at random, assist tabulators, especially toward the end of the contest, and arbitrate unexpected answers and errors informally with the V.P. and others present. Each V.P. shall carry a list of cell phone numbers of other V.P.'s and the Test Writer. The V.P. should consult with the Test Writer, or, if the Test Writer is not available, with other V.P.'s on resolving errors. The V.P. makes the final decision of the day for each contest location.
Wherever possible, problems should be resolved during the contest. Post-contest appeals concerning correcting and tabulating errors and answer interpretation should be sent by e-mail or other means, within 7 days of the contest, simultaneously to the cluster's V.P., the Test Writer, the Tabulator, and the President. The Test Writer makes the final decision on appeals relating to contest questions and answer interpretation. Any student question concerning scores is to be directed through the advisor.
2. Tabulator organizes corrected tests by teams, records grades on to a master form, and transfers results from the master form to the chalkboard or chart in the assembly room as soon as the results are complete for any given category.
3. Proctors lay out tests face down and distribute scratch paper before students enter the testing room. They instruct students to write name, date, and school on the back (plain side) of the test. Proctors indicate beginning and ending of tests, announce "one minute" when there is one minute left, have students place tests face down immediately upon ending signal, dismiss students, collect and send tests to the correctors.
1. Students ushers provided by the host school are a help in directing incoming students and advisors to various locations.
2. Runners deliver completed tests from proctors to correctors and deliver extra copies of tests to the assembly room. It is, of course, vital that the runners not distribute a given category test in the assembly room until the testing period for that category has officially begun.
The success of the five yearly contests depends upon careful planning and clear assignments of labor and responsibilities.
An organization and planning meeting, called by the league president, is held on or before the first Thursday in October. An official representative from each member team and the officers of the respective Geographic Clusters are requested to attend. More than one person from a school may attend, but voting is restricted to one designated representative per member team. Changes to the League By-Laws may be made by a vote of the majority of those present at a regular scheduled spring or fall organizational meeting.
Items of business to be settled at this meeting include:
1. Treasurer's report.
2. Schedule of contest dates.
3. Clusters which have been determined geographically.
After these and other items of business suitable for a general meeting are accomplished, the members should break into clusters to accomplish the following items of business:
1. Election of a Vice-President for each Cluster.
2. Host schools for each Cluster determined for the dates scheduled in the general meeting.
A second organizational and planning meeting, called by the League President is held in the spring.
Items of business to be settled at this meeting include:
1. Treasurer's report and recommendations.
2. Election of league officers, president, treasurer, test writer, and tabulator.
3. Setting of Divisions. Divisions are recommended by the League President based on the average of the scores of the previous three years. New teams will be placed into a division determined by their total points after meets 1 and 2 at the discretion of the President.
4. Deciding schedule of topics for contests.
An assembly room is necessary to hold opening and closing sessions, allow students to work on tests in which they are not competing, and to serve refreshments which are provided by the host school. A large portable chalkboard or chart is needed in the assembly room for posting team scores. A PA system is suggested for announcements.
Testing rooms may be of any reasonable size, preferably clustered in one area not far from the assembly room. Seating space is needed for students competing as regulars in a test as well as those students taking the test as alternates.
A correcting room should have three large tables, one for the correctors and two for laying out corrected tests in team piles. Placards with team identifications are helpful here.
The league officers shall include:
(See Article V, A for duty description)
The following awards are presented at the spring meeting:
Each award recipient will receive one plaque stating all accomplishments.
The following awards are presented at each of the meets: