A How-To For
Coaches
Kentucky Association for Academic Competition
113 Consumer Lane
Frankfort, KY 40601
502.223.0088
Fax: 502.223.0430
Email:
© KAAC, Inc., all rights reserved
Contents
Kentucky Association for Academic Competition 2
Governor's Cup Overview 3
Governor’s Cup Glossary 4
1. How to Get Faculty and Administrators On Board 6
2. How To Pay For and Manage Your Program 7
3. How To Manage Your Time 8
4. How To Secure Help 10
6. How to Select Your Team 12
7. How to Set Rules and Behavior Standards 14
8. How to Use the KAAC Content Guidelines 15
9. How To Secure and Develop Practice Materials 16
10. How to Practice for Quick Recall 18
11. How to Practice for Written Assessment 21
12. How to Practice for Future Problem Solving 22
13. How to Practice for Composition 24
14. How to Use Practice Statistics 24
15. How to Reach Higher 26
Appendix: Forms 28
Kentucky Association for
Academic Competition
KAAC is an independent, non-profit educational service agency established to provide academic events for Kentucky students. Over 30,000 students representing over 1200 public and private schools take part in KAAC events. KAAC activities are open to all public and nonpublic schools in Kentucky.
KAAC administers the following academic events:
o Governor's Cup
o Future Problem Solving Component Events: Community Problem Solving, Scenario Writing, Individual FPS, Junior Division FPS—these are offered in addition to “Team” FPS, which is part of Governor’s Cup
o Summer Camps at the Middle and High School levels
o JV Challenge - for 9th and 10th graders
o Kentucky Colonels' Sixth Grade Academic Showcase
KAAC partners with the following organizations in providing a high-quality academic experience to Kentucky students:
o Kentucky Department of Education
o International Future Problem Solving Program
o Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust
o Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels
o The University of the Cumberlands
KAAC
113 Consumer Lane
Frankfort, KY 40601
502.223.0088
Fax: 502.223.0430
Email:
Executive Director: John Bennett
Program Director: Brenda Darnell
Administrative Specialist: Cindy Clark
Administrative Assistant: Charlotte McFarland
Governor's Cup Overview
was founded in 1986 as a way to promote, reward and recognize outstanding academic achievement. Since then, over a quarter of a million students have taken part in the event.
Governor's Cup has become the state's premier academic event, involving over 20,000 students, nearly 1200 schools, and thousands of coaches, administrators, parents and community leaders who see the rewards gained from encouraging academic performance through properly structured and professionally administered academic competition.
Governor's Cup consists of eight events:
Six individual events:
· Five Written Assessment Examinations--in Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts and Arts/Humanities
· Composition--On-Demand Writing
Two team events:
· Quick Recall--also known as "quiz bowl"
· Future Problem Solving--an award-winning creative thinking competition
In the Elementary (Grade 5 and below) division, students take part in a District and Regional competition. The Middle Grades (6-8) and High School (9-12) divisions include a District, Regional and State competition. Membership fees are $195 in the Elementary division, and $295 in the Middle Grades and High School divisions.
If you would like more information about Governor's Cup, e-mail us at or call us at 502.223.0088.
Governor’s Cup Glossary
ASAP: KAAC’s online system for registering students and scoring Governor’s Cup events.
Chief Official: The final authority on content-related matters during competition. Elected by the coaches at the Competition Planning Meeting.
Combined FPS Districts: Several nearby Districts hold FPS competition together; allowing evaluators to trade Districts. Recommended as a way to eliminate the possibility of evaluator bias. Can only be accomplished if there are the same number of FPS teams in each District.
Competition Planning Meeting: Prior to each competition, all coaches meet to review competition details, including the qualifications of officials. The Quick Recall draw is held at this meeting. The date is set by KAAC and the time is set by the Contest Manager, working with the coaches involved.
Composition: On-demand writing event with student booklets scored by readers trained in evaluating student writing. One of Governor’s Cup’s individual events.
Contest Manager: The local person in charge of administering the competition with guidance from KAAC. The final authority on officials’ assignments, room assignments, etc.
District Competition: The first level of Governor’s Cup, usually 3-5 schools.
District Entry Form: The form that KAAC sends to all member schools prior to District competition. The form asks you to list coaches certification numbers, your students, and officials. Sent to District host and Regional host. The student list is printed off the Internet through ASAP.
Evaluator: Person trained and certified to score FPS booklets.
FPS Coordinator: Someone who runs the FPS portion of the District or Regional competition. If FPS Districts are combined, someone who organizes several FPS District competitions at once.
Future Problem Solving (FPS): Team event of four students taking part in a nationally recognized creative problem-solving competition.
Future Scene: scenario that describes the situation teams must solve in FPS.
Grader: Person who scores Written Assessment either by hand or electronically.
Head Scorer: Appointed by Contest Manager, the head scorer helps ensure the security of FPS and Composition booklet codes; reviews FPS, Composition score sheets and Written Assessment response forms; and assigns school points after each event is over.
Host School: The school taking its turn in the rotation and holding a District or Regional competition.
Inquiry: In Quick Recall and Written Assessment, a challenge to a question, answer or procedure.
Governor’s Cup Glossary (cont.)
Inquiry Panel: Representatives from the content areas of mathematics, science, language arts, social studies and humanities who receive inquiries and advise the Chief Official on content-related matters. Chosen by coaches attending the Competition Planning Meeting.
Judge: Primary Quick Recall match official.
Moderator: Quick Recall official who reads the questions for both teams. A school participating in Quick Recall must provide either a KAAC certified judge or moderator for District and Regional competition.
Participation Requirements: Manpower requirements each school must meet in order to take part in a particular event.
Participation Limits: Guidelines each school must follow when filling out its District Entry Form. Each student may take part in a maximum of three events; each school may enter one Quick Recall team, one FPS team, and a maximum of three students in each individual event.
Proctors: Persons who administer Composition, FPS and Written Assessment examinations.
Prompt: Introductory passage given to Composition students that focuses the writing assignment.
Quick Recall: Known as Quiz Bowl, Scholars Bowl in other areas. One of the eight Governor’s Cup events, and the only one open to the public.
Readers: Persons who read/judge Composition.
Regional Competition: The second level of Governor’s Cup. Teams and individuals advance to the Regional competition based upon their District competition performance.
Regional Confirmation Form: Sent to the Regional host school, it asks you to list the coaches certification numbers, students advancing from District to Regional, and available officials. Done through the online scoring system, ASAP.
Scorer: Quick Recall official who keeps track of the match score and timeouts.
Scoring Team: Persons responsible for entering scores into ASAP, KAAC’s online scoring system.
Severe Weather Plan: Contingency plan decided by coaches at the Competition Planning Meeting.
State Confirmation Form: Sent to KAAC, it asks you to list the students and/or teams from your school advancing from Regional to State Governor’s Cup. This form is used to produce the State program, which includes the names of all of the participants. Done through the online scoring system, ASAP.
State Finals: (MG/HS only) The final tier in Governor’s Cup. State champions are identified in each event.
1. How to Get Faculty and Administrators On Board
The support of your school administration, faculty, and staff is essential to the success of an academic program. Do your best to make everyone in your school a shareholder in the academic team’s success. How can this be done?
Administrative Support
Your principal will enjoy success achieved in academic competition. Consult with the principal about use of the building for practices and competitions. If you are not familiar in arranging transportation, enlist the principal’s help in getting buses or other transportation. Be sure to give the principal, secretary, and other personnel a copy of the team schedule when it is completed. Invite the principal, faculty, and other staff to attend competitions. As soon as possible, make the principal aware of the budget needs for the academic team. Be prepared to attend school council and school board meetings to both ask for funds and to report on the team’s success.
Many coaches who complain of a lack of administrative support have simply never asked for it. Prepare “your case” and take it to your school board or school council. Highlight the positive recognition the academic team can bring to the school. One argument that often resonates with decision-makers is this: shouldn’t we support academic programs at the same level we support athletic programs? Ask your decision makers what sort of message it sends to kids if they fail to support the academic team.
Faculty Support
Let your faculty know how important classroom instruction is to academic team success. Material taught in the classroom will be heard in Quick Recall matches and seen in Written Assessment competitions. Teachers have many valuable resources that may ensure the academic team’s success. Ask them for study materials from their content areas. Inform teachers when students correctly answer questions that have been covered in their classes. Encourage teachers to attend training sessions and officiate practice matches with the team. Should your school host district, region, or an invitational tournament, various classrooms will be needed for the competition. Remember that a heartfelt thank you from you and your team members will be greatly appreciated by your co-workers.
School Staff
Do not forget to include the school staff in any list of academic shareholders. The instructional aides, bus drivers, clerical staff, custodians, and food service staff may all play a role in the team’s success. These members of the school staff will often see the long hours that are spent in making any extra-curricular activity successful. Some may become your biggest supporters. Any staff member may volunteer to assist you in coaching or chaperoning students. Remember that the staff may have to change their work routines to accommodate practice and match times. Again, show your appreciation for staff support.
Share Your Success
Create, or have one of your students create, a team web page. Use the academic success as a recruiting tool, not just for securing adult help, but in securing quality players for the future. You or your students should write announcements of team and individual academic successes that could be broadcast to the school. Bulletin boards are great ways to show what the academic team is doing.
2. How To Pay For and Manage Your Program
Sample Academic Team Budget
(This example is for establishing a team without prior resources.)
KAAC dues $325 ($225 Elementary)
Practice supplies $300
Buzzer system $600
Competition materials – questions for 5 home matches $175
Competition materials – 1 Written Assessment set $100
Future Problem Solving materials $150
KAAC Conference costs $300
Uniforms: 15 players @ $20 $300
Travel – 5 away games, district, & regional tournament $600
Total Proposed Budget $2880
If you are the new coach of an established team, your budget could be considerably less. You should already have a buzzer system and some practice materials. Some teams participate in academic leagues that may reduce the cost of competition materials. If your parents can afford it, ask them to pay for their own shirts or uniforms.
The more competitive your team becomes, the more it will cost. The top academic programs in Kentucky will play many more games than “average” programs. Quite simply the more a team plays the greater its financial needs. More play requires more travel, perhaps overnight lodging, food, and tournament entry fees. As a coach, you will see a greater need to supply your students with the resources they need for success. Resources such as additional materials and manpower will simply cost more money.
Coach Stipend
You deserve a stipend for coaching the academic team. If your school has an established academic team budget, you need to know if your stipend or increment is included in the annual budget. A suggested amount for your coaching increment should be similar to that of athletic coaches in your school, assuming you work similar hours.
Funding Sources
Start securing money by informing your principal of the team’s needs. Present your principal with a proposed budget. Ask about available funds within the school. Ask the principal for help in securing funds from your central office. Try to get a budget allocation for the team as part of the regular school or district budget. Enlist the help of your parents in talking with the school administration. Parents often have great gifts of persuasion when talking to principals and school superintendents. Team parents or alumni may organize a booster club. Start work on next year’s budget now.
Until you have an established budget to work with, fundraising will be the best hope for securing the teams needs.
Fundraising
Enlist the help of parents in fundraising. Parents may have connections in your area that would be valuable in raising funds. Parents may also suggest what items could be sold most easily. Local retailers and restaurants may offer fundraising projects for school and youth groups. When fundraising, establish individual sale goals, group sale goals, sale cut off dates, and state the purpose for the fundraising as specifically as possible.
Donations
Before seeking donations, develop an organization plan. Compile a list of possible benefactors. Divide the list to ensure that each possible donor will only be asked for one donation. Provide students with a form notifying possible donors of why the donation is needed, who is asking for it, and what amount is being requested. Remember to thank and recognize all the contributors. Many businesses, especially in rural areas, are asked frequently for donations and may not be able to meet all requests.