National History Day in Kentucky Contest Advancement Policy
School Level Contest
- School level contests can be used as a non-eliminating practice competition or to allow teachers to determine which projects will attend a regional contest.
- We do ask that if your school has more than 150 students completing projects that you consider holding a school level contest so that no more than 50% of your total number of students attend the regional level contest.
- We can provide advice for managing a school contest.
Regional Level Contest
- Any 3rd-12th grade student must compete at a regional contest in order to be eligible for state level competition.
- All contest locations will follow the same judging and advancement policy.
- Our policy is to advance the top one-third of projects in each category and division, with no fewer than 3 projects per category and division advancing to the state contest. (For example: If there are 35 junior individual exhibits we will advance 12 projects or if there are 3 projects per category all 3 could advance).
- However, the decision as to which projects advance and which do not is still at the discretion of the judges and they may determine that not all possible projects advance or that more 1/3 should advance.
- Each student that advances will receive a qualifier medal.
- Note about contest attendance: We realize that conflicts can arise that would prevent a student from attending their designated regional contest. For group projects, a group can still compete even if all of their members are unable to be present. If you find that you do need to attend an alternate contest your teacher must submit a written request to the NHDKy Coordinator prior to the registration deadline of the regional contest the student wishes to attend. Final decisions are left to the discretion of the NHDKy Coordinator.In situations where a student competing outside their region advances to the state level, then the next highest ranking project in that category competing in their assigned region will also advance.
State Level Contest
- 1st and 2nd place projects in the junior and senior divisions will advance to nationals (For example: The top two junior division individual exhibits or the top two senior division group documentaries.).
- An honorable mention will be awarded to the 3rd place project in each category/division and that project will serve as an alternate in the event a 1st or 2nd place project cannot attend the national contest.
- 1st and 2nd place, plus an honorable mention will also be awarded to elementary division students, but they are not eligible to advance to nationals.
National Level Contest
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category in the junior and senior divisions are awarded.
- They also award a number of special prizes. These typically have a monetary value.
NHDKy Procedure for Finals Rounds
- Regional Level
- Regional competitions do not have finals rounds. See above for the advancement policy at regionals.
- State Level
- If there are more than 11 projects for any category that category will have a finals round. Not all categories will have a finals round.
- If a category has finals, the top two projects from each first round judging group will advance to the finals round.
- Website, paper, exhibit and documentary finalists will not be announced. In the event of performance finals those advancing to finals will have to show their performance again, but will not be re-interviewed.
- All documentary participants should bring a copy of their project to leave with judges in the event they advance to finals.
- A new panel of judges will evaluate projects advancing to finals in any category.
- National Level
- There are between 10-12 judging groups per category/division at the national level. One project from each judging group will advance to finals.
- Documentary and performance finalists must return for finals rounds to show their projects, but will not be re-interviewed.
- Exhibit, website and paper finalists are not announced to the public during the national contest.