KENTUCKY ACADEMIC ASSOCIATION

(KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION FOR ACADEMIC COMPETITION)

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION

The Kentucky Academic Association was developed for one very simple reason--there was a need for it.  From the very outset of its work, the Kentucky Task Force on Academic Competition heard a common theme:  academic competition is here to stay, and it needs to be managed properly.

The Kentucky Association of School Administrators formed the Kentucky Task Force on Academic Competition in 1984 to:

a.    conduct a study to determine the merits of academic competition;

b.    identify the status of academic competition in Kentucky; and

c.    develop guidelines and/or a statewide system for conducting academic competition, provided the results of the study show such competition as having high educational value.

The work of the Task Force was organized into two phases.  Phase one, completed in December 1984, included the study and status check of academic competition in Kentucky; phase two, completed in March 1985, consisted of the development of the guidelines and/or system.

The Task Force conducted a literature search focusing on the educational welfare of the students related to academic competition; a survey of all the states ascertaining student involvement in academic competition was also undertaken.  The educational welfare of students was the center of all deliberations by the Task Force.

The results of the literature search contributed only nominally to the outcome of the study.  First, little has been written on the subject, and second, research addressing academic competition in a direct way is practically nonexistent.  From the literature that does exist, positions of writers range from total support to proposing the elimination of all academic competition.  Disbursed in between the two extremes are the pragmatists who report both the pros and cons of such programs and who encourage the development and application of guidelines to ensure educational soundness.

Proponents of academic competition view well organized and managed competition as a contributor to the importance of academic excellence, to improving student pride, and to increasing the public's appreciation of schools.  Opponents warn that the change from an industrial to an informational society increases the need to replace aggressive competition with cooperation.  They emphasize the importance of games that foster cooperative efforts and teamwork as a means of preparing students for tomorrow's world and downplay competition that could result in excessive stress, anxiety, and failure.

Some contributors to the literature, such as the National Association of Secondary School Principals, believe there is potential value in academic competition provided standards and guidelines are established and adhered to. The literature shows that academic competition is not new in concept or practice in the American schools.  Team competition on television requiring quick recall of information and controlled by a timer, buzzer, and moderator, has been in existence for years.  Programs providing students an opportunity to compete in math, science, foreign language, and debate have been in existence even longer.

Forty states responded to the national survey, revealing the following:

a.    Thirteen states have little academic competition occurring; at the most, it is local and very fragmented.  There was no evidence that these states compared to Kentucky in growth of academic competition.

b.    Nine states have little academic competition occurring locally but are very active in national programs such as the Academic Decathlon.  State regulations and/or guidelines designed to govern academic competition were nonexistent in these states.

c.    Seventeen states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) reported that academic competition programs were in existence, with activities ranging from local spelling bees to a statewide computer contest.  Academic competitions occurring in the states of Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Washington, D.C. are highly structured, directed by written guidelines, and governed by state regulations.

Few states had in place a statewide system of academic competition, while practically all states had some competition occurring at the local level.  There were only five states and D.C. that had well designed competition governed by state regulations and guidelines.  Like Kentucky, most states are beginning to feel the need to assist local school districts and to develop a statewide system of academic competition that is educationally and psychologically sound.  The Task Force selected the programs in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Washington D.C. to study.

Academic competition in Kentucky in 1984 demonstrated a rapid increase from previous years.  The Task Force on Academic Competition sought testimony from participants and administrators of the various programs.  Many issues were addressed.  A brief summary focused on several key areas:

o     Academic competition at all levels in Kentucky was not directed by any state law or regulation.

o     There were no state guidelines for local school districts to follow in developing, managing, and evaluating academic programs.

o     With few exceptions, academic competition programs in Kentucky were designed for the more mature students in grades 9 ‑ 12.

o     There was little evidence that academic competition programs in Kentucky, especially of the academic league type, were supported by a written educational philosophy, an evaluation system, or expected educational outcomes.

o     Academic league type competition and most of the statewide programs in Kentucky required quick recall of information, with little opportunity for students to demonstrate their creative and problem solving skills.

o     School districts participating in academic leagues employed academic coaches and compensated them for the time and responsibilities beyond their regular assignment.  Salary supplements for academic coaches ranged from zero to an amount equal to support received by head coaches of athletic teams.

o     Managers of academic competition at all levels in the state expressed a need for coordination of all academic competition programs in Kentucky at the state level, including program guides and a calendar of events.

After carefully examining the information, the Kentucky Task Force on Academic Competition reached the following conclusions:

1.    There is no apparent evidence that organized competition on the basis of academic skills is harmful to the educational and psychological welfare of students

2.    Organized competition on the basis of academic skills has educational value for students who participate. There is evidence that competition:

        a.    Is an inherent aspect of growth and development of children and adolescents.

        b.   Can be useful in stimulating teaching and learning when students have opportunities to participate in a variety of individual and team activities.

        c.    Provides students academically talented students an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to perform (these students may not otherwise have such an opportunity).

        d.   Promotes academic achievement, which is important to future success.

        e.    Requires active participation and preparation from students, which enhances their learning.

        f.    Can serve to promote cooperation and support among students, and between students and adults.

        g.    Causes students to become more productive as learners and more socially responsible because they must assume responsibility for their own performance.

        h.    Is an incentive for students to stay abreast of current events via such media as newspapers and magazines.

3.    The value of academic achievement can be increased in a school, school district, and community through highly visible academic competition.

4.    The national survey conducted by KASA found little evidence that there is a clearly defined philosophy or set of educational outcomes supporting academic competition in other states.

5.    Academic competition has become a high priority for many of Kentucky's public schools.

6.    There is strong justification for Kentucky's public schools to make opportunities available for students to participate in academic competition.

7.    Currently, in Kentucky, there are various structures for academic competition, each operating under separate rules and regulations.

8.    Most academic competition in Kentucky, made available to students through a team structure, focuses on quick recall of information, with limited emphasis on creativity and/or problem solving skills.

9.    There are no state guidelines ‑ including educational philosophies, expected educational outcomes, or governance procedures ‑ for establishing, managing, and evaluating academic competition, except for the guidelines set by the respective programs in Kentucky.

10.    Some students respond with success to academic problem solving requiring only quick recall of information; others, with similar cognitive abilities, respond more favorably to problem solving and/or demonstration of creativity.  Academic competition that provides for some combination of quick recall, creativity, and problem solving provides a greater opportunity for more students to demonstrate their academic abilities.

In the belief that soundly planned and executed competition on the basis of academic skills has educational value for students, the Kentucky Task Force on Academic Competition recommended that schools in Kentucky be encouraged to provide students with opportunities to participate in a variety of competitive programs.

The Task Force acknowledged that, while educational intent, sound structure, and operational procedures are important to an academic competition program, it is people, skilled and committed to educational excellence, who cause the experiences to be beneficial to students.  A well intended program could be weakened by the actions of an over zealous coach; ill prepared judges; excessive pressure to win from parents, school leaders, or the board of education; students being overtaxed with practice and competitive events; and use of strategies that reflect an attitude of "win‑at‑all‑costs."

The Task Force further realized that academic competition programs cannot be isolated from some potential detractors such as excessive pressure from parents.  It is believed however, that most detractors can be overcome by sound planning, selecting capable and qualified staff personnel, and continuously assessing the effectiveness of the program.

The following recommendations emphasize the combined importance of procedures, attitudes and methodology.  In the interest of the educational welfare of students, the Kentucky Task Force on Academic Competition recommended that:

 1.    An educational philosophy be developed to serve as a foundation for academic competition in Kentucky and, from the philosophy, a set of criteria be developed against which every academic competition program in Kentucky can be measured for educational value.

 RATIONALE: Any extracurricular program sponsored by the school, and especially academic competition, should be supported by a set of principles and beliefs about educational values, responsibilities of the school, students and parents, operational procedures, and how students will benefit from the experiences.

 Without a philosophy and criteria, it would be impossible to monitor the direction of the program and could result in activities with little educational value.  A status check of academic competition in Kentucky showed that some programs operated with no apparent philosophical foundation or performance criteria.

 Competition should focus on educational value for students and the "win‑at‑all‑costs" attitude should be prevented.

 2.    A set of statewide guidelines be developed for local school districts to use in developing, implementing, and evaluating academic competition programs.

 RATIONALE: A set of state guidelines for academic competition is nonexistent in Kentucky.  School leaders at all levels in the state have expressed the need for directions on how to place a program in operation and on how to monitor its effectiveness.

 3.    A statewide academic competition program be designed that:

a.    Is similar in concept to the league type competition currently in operation in Kentucky.

b.   Provides for district, regional, and state competition.

c.    Incorporates creative, problem solving, and critical thinking skills, with quick recall of information.

d.   Provides students at various levels of maturation and abilities an opportunity to compete.

e.    Standardizes the governance, management, and evaluation of academic competition involving academic teams.

f.    Crowns, annually, a Kentucky state champion academic team.  (A champion for each division, if there are multi‑divisions, based on maturational levels of students.)

 RATIONALE: Competition of the league type in Kentucky is limited primarily to quick recall of information and is organized and managed by a variety of approaches.  Quick recall measures only a portion of the academic abilities of students.  Combining quick recall with other systems for measuring abilities (written test, problem solving) will result in a more comprehensive test of the abilities of students, provide more students an opportunity to participate and succeed (some high ability students respond poorly to a quick recall system), and emphasize the importance of creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking as well as information, facts, etc. which quick recall encourages.

The importance of academic achievement can be enhanced by academic competition programs at all levels, especially through a system that provides students, schools, and coaches statewide recognition for excellence.

Organization, governance, and management must be clear, concise, manageable, and standardized statewide for such a program to be successful.

Academic competition has value for all students, regardless of their level of maturity or ability.

 4.   A state commission (or board of controllers) be formed with the responsibilities for regulating, monitoring, coordinating, and evaluating academic competition in Kentucky.

 RATIONALE: Presently, each league and program at the state level operates by a set of regulations and procedures that are, in many cases, vastly different.  Standardization of governance and management is essential.  In order for a program of such importance, complexity, and magnitude to succeed, there must be an entity at the state level that has the authority to:

a.  Promulgate regulations and procedures.

b.  Monitor program implementation.

c.  Resolve conflicts.

d.  Interpret regulations and procedures.

e.  Evaluate activities for educational value, etc.

f.  Coordinate major activities.

g.  Certify and assign officials.

h.  Manage a question bank and other informational materials needed for academic competition.

Additionally, communication between the state and local school leaders and other parties is needed presently and will be even more so in the future, which can best be accomplished by a state commission (or board of controllers.) It should be noted that governance and management of academic competition from the state level should be at a minimum. Local school districts, schools, and organizations should retain as much autonomy in organizing and managing academic competition as possible, without compromising the integrity and soundness of the statewide program.

 5.   A question‑problem bank be established at the state level, with a computerized storage and retrieval system, and managed by the commission.  Further, that the bank include questions and problems in all content areas for which there is academic competition in Kentucky, that the questions and problems be made available for competition at all levels, and that the questions and problems be validated under the authority of the commission.

 RATIONALE: Maintaining a pool of questions and problems is a major constraint, especially for academic leagues.  Presently, questions and/or problems are developed by coaches and submitted to judges prior to the competition.  School leaders, coaches, and league managers have testified that poorly designed questions and/or problems have adversely affected the quality of the competition; there is a constant struggle for both quantity and quality.

 By maintaining a pool at the state level, the need for quantity and quality can be met and it is more financially feasible than to purchase questions and problems from commercial firms.

 Also, it will be easier to mobilize expertise available within Kentucky.

 6.   Officials such as coaches, judges, and moderators receive specialized training and be certified for the respective position.

 RATIONALE:  Officials in any type of competition have an impact on the operations, attitudes of the participants, fairness, and most importantly, outcomes.

Student learning, self‑esteem, and cooperation and promotion of the importance of academic achievement are the most important objectives for academic competition.

To help assure the accomplishments of these objectives, officials should be knowledgeable about the philosophy, objectives, regulations, and procedures of the program and about strategies for maximizing educational benefits.

7.   Academic competition be established statewide as an extracurricular activity with practice and contest activities scheduled outside of the six hour instructional day.

RATIONALE: Teachers and students need to be involved in the regular instructional program by scheduling academic competition as extracurricular activities.  There will be no need to compromise the instructional day.

Approval

These recommendations were presented to Governor Martha Layne Collins.  In March 1985, the Governor expanded the membership of the Kentucky Task Force on Academic Competition charging them to develop a statewide system for promoting, regulating, monitoring, and conducting academic competition. Gov. Collins further instructed the Task Force that the educational and psychological welfare of students be the primary focus and that the system be developed in time to be implemented during the 1985‑86 school year. Since there was no model, the Task Force was on its own in developing a system which would meet the needs of Kentucky's schools.  Drawing on the information gathered from states with strong governance and exercising caution, as recommended by those who addressed the Task Force, the Kentucky Academic Association was created.

The Kentucky Academic Association is unique among the fifty states.  It serves two purposes:

1.   To develop, implement, and sponsor a uniform statewide system of academic competition.

2.   To monitor, evaluate and promote existing and new competition not sponsored by the Association, so long as it meets standards of educational soundness established by the Association.

In addition, the Association publishes a directory of competition occurring across Kentucky which is found to be educationally sound.  Schools in Kentucky can look to one definitive source to find out what competition is occurring and whether it is of such quality as to warrant their interest. (ed. note: this practice was discontinued in 1991)

The Association is governed by a Board of Directors composed of a cross section of persons representing schools, school boards, teachers, coaches, state government, and parents.  The Board is charged with implementing both competition sponsored by the Association and the monitoring function relating to other competition, to assure that the Association's activities supplement and enhance existing competition, rather than detract from it.

The Task Force offered Governor Collins an expanded set of recommendations, including some of the ideas presented in the first phase of study.

1.   An organization entitled the Kentucky Academic Association be formed to develop, promote, regulate, and evaluate interscholastic academic competition in Kentucky schools in a  manner which is consistent with the welfare of students and which encourages academic achievement.

2.   The Association be incorporated as a nonprofit, 501 (c) (3), corporation with a Board of Directors and an executive director.

3.   The Board of Directors be representative of academic coaches, administrators, school boards, teachers, parents, and the State Board of Education.

4.    The guidelines for governing the Association be incorporated into a written Constitution and Bylaws.

5.   A written set of state standards for measuring the educational soundness of academic competition programs be developed.

6.   The Association be responsible for reviewing all academic competition for educational soundness, using the state standards.

7.   A directory be published annually listing all academic competition programs in Kentucky which have met the state standards, including such information as type of competition, objectives, sponsor, eligibility criteria, rates, locations, and awards.

8.   A three‑tiered (district, regional, and state) academic competition program be developed which provides for individual and team competition in two divisions (grades 6‑8 and grades 9‑12) and which incorporates quick recall, written assessment, English composition, and creative expression.  Further, that a school champion be determined at each tier by a point system, that the state champion be awarded the Governor's Cup, and that the program be entitled the Governor's Cup Competition.

9.   The Association, in conjunction with the Governor, be the sponsor of the Governor's Cup Competition and other competition which meets the philosophy and goals of the Association and the standards for academic competition.

10. The Governor's Cup Competition begin during 1985‑86 school year for both divisions.

11. The geographical boundaries set by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association for its three‑tiered basketball tournament be adapted for the Governor's Cup Competition.

12. A committee be appointed under the auspices of the Association to develop an academic competition program for students in grades K‑5 which emphasizes the appropriate activities for each maturational level.  Further, that some competition be conducted during the 1985‑86 school year, with a program further implemented during the 1986‑87 school year.

13. The rules and procedures for each program sponsored by the Association be published in a guidebook and disseminated to all eligible schools in Kentucky.

14. A special committee of highly competent educators, with no direct ties to the Association, be appointed to periodically validate the educational standards set for academic competition in Kentucky and to make recommendations to the Association.

15. All officials used in contests sponsored by the Association be required to meet minimum standards for certification purposes, and that training be provided by the Association.

16. Memberships in the Association include: active memberships, available only to school units, and associate memberships, available to any individual or entity interested in academic competition but not eligible for an active membership.

17. The Association be financed from government and private sources, membership fees, and admissions to the state contest.

18. The first state Governor's Cup Competition be held in Frankfort, Kentucky.  (Editor's note, Frankfort hotels could not accommodate the competition, therefore the large metropolitan area of Louisville was selected.)

19. The Governor appoint an interim Board of Directors to the positions named in the Constitution and Bylaws to serve through June 30, 1986, during which time elections and appointments to the Board of Directors will be completed in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association.

20. The Governor appoint a committee comprised of representatives of the Kentucky Task Force on Academic Competition to form the Association and that the tasks of the committee include:

a.   Recommending to the Governor a list of candidates for the interim Board of Directors, from which the Governor will make appointments.

b.   Developing a financial plan for the Association for recommendation to the Board of Directors.

c.   Selecting an executive director for recommendation to the Board of Directors.

d.  Orienting the interim Board of Directors to academic competition in Kentucky, the origination and functions of the Association, and the Governor's Cup Competition.

e.  Communicating with all parties interested in academic competition and the product of the Task Force.

f.    Performing other management tasks needed to form the Association.

It is further recommended that the committee serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors through June 30, 1986.

Governor Collins accepted the recommendations of the Task Force on Academic Competition.  In October a committee was appointed to establish a job description and conduct a search for the first executive director of the Kentucky Academic Association.  The position was to be filled by December 1, 1985. The Governor appointed the first KAAC Board of Directors' in January 1986.  The Kentucky Academic Association and the Governor's Cup Competition were off and running! The Association registered over 300 schools, in both the middle grades and high school divisions, for the first Governor's Cup Competition.  Nearly 7,000 students participated in the district level competition held at 59 sites across the state in April 1986.  Regional Competition featured nearly 3,500 students and the State Governor's Cup Competition featured over 600 students.

Eight hundred fifty people, contestants, coaches, and parents attended the awards banquet, another 150 viewed the presentation of awards.  Governor Collins presented nearly 90 trophies to individual and team winners as well as the first Governor's Cup to the winner and runner‑up schools in each division.  It was truly a spectacular celebration of academic achievement.

In 1987 the elementary division for students in grades 4‑5 was incorporated as a part of the Governor's Cup Competition; and in 1992 a regional tier was added to the elementary division.

Membership in the Kentucky Academic Association in 1999 reflects participation by 256 high schools, 342 middle grades schools, and over 400 elementary schools.  It is estimated that nearly 30,000 students will participate at 260 district sites during the 1999 Governor's Cup Competition.

PHILOSOPHY

We believe that the educational welfare of students should be the focus of all academic competition programs in Kentucky.  Those who plan and conduct competition should be ever mindful of the importance of the:

 o  psychological,

 o  social, and

 o  moral

well being of students who compete and of their need to advance in educational attainment.

Further, we believe that a program which recognizes, encourages, and rewards educational excellence will result in:

 o  a greater appreciation for academic achievement, and

 o  an increase in the effort of students to learn.

Therefore, the primary objective for academic competition in Kentucky will be to promote educational excellence.

Learning will become more meaningful and a greater challenge when students are provided an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and creativity in front of their peers, teachers, parents, and the general public.  Since students learn through various modalities and need alternative means to demonstrate what they know and can do, a variety of styles of competition should be provided (i.e., quick recall, written assessment, and problem solving).

The Kentucky Academic Association believes all students in grades K‑12 can benefit from academic competition, provided the maturity levels of the students are considered and acceptable practices are followed.  The objectives will remain the same.  The programs will differ in the level of difficulty and the method of delivery.

In addition to the above philosophy, the Kentucky Academic Association believes that:

1.    Competition should encompass subjects included in the curriculum and should be considered an extension of the curriculum.

2.    Participation should be available to any student regardless of academic standing.

3.    Academic competition has value for the regular instructional program as a means of motivating students.

4.    Academic competition is a primary means of teaching cooperation, teamwork, fair play, and worth of the individual.

5.    Competition is an inherent aspect of the growth and development of children and youth and should be included in the design of the curriculum and the teaching process.

6.    Academic competition provides students who may not otherwise have such an opportunity, the opportunity to participate in school sponsored activities.

7.    Participation and cooperation should be emphasized above winning so that students are not subjected to undue stress or anxiety, or to a sense of failure.

8.    Competition will pay higher educational dividends when the rewards are more intrinsic than extrinsic.

9.    Competition can transform learning from a repetitive activity to one that is interesting and challenging, thus serving as a motivator.

10.    Reinforcement of group performance is more productive socially and academically for members of the group than reinforcement of the performance of individual members.

 11.     Participation in academic competition increases self‑esteem of students.

 12.     Students will gain more educationally when they are active participants.

 13.     Academic competition provides opportunities for students at all maturity levels to develop higher order problem solving skills and to become more creative.

 14.     Academic competition is primarily the responsibility of the individual school, which should have the opportunity to choose from among the various types of competition at each level.

 15.     Schools and school districts can make decisions about competitions that are more educationally sound if they are knowledgeable about the academic competition programs in Kentucky and the nation.

 16.     The educational integrity of programs can be maintained by establishing a statewide accountability system for all academic competition.

The Kentucky Academic Association acknowledges that there are numerous academic competition programs in Kentucky that meet these basic beliefs and that have, over the years, served students and schools extremely well.  This philosophy was developed by the Task Force and adopted by the Kentucky Academic Association Board of Directors as a guide for validating programs already in operation and for developing new ones.

STANDARDS FOR ACADEMIC COMPETITION

 The following educational standards were established by the Kentucky Academic Association; the Kentucky State Board of Education approved these standards in July of 1986.

STANDARD ONE:  Content for the competition is related directly to the subjects taught in Kentucky's elementary and secondary schools.

STANDARD TWO:  Competition is an extension of both the curriculum and the instructional program and does not supplant any portion of the curriculum.

STANDARD THREE:  Competition is supported by a written statement of purpose.

STANDARD FOUR:  Educational objectives of the competition are described in writing and in a form enabling evaluation of the program.

STANDARD FIVE:  Special effort is made to enlist the participation of students of all races, sexes, and handicaps.

STANDARD SIX:  Operational procedures are specific and in a form easily understood by student participants.

STANDARD SEVEN:  Participant eligibility criteria are justified on the basis of educational and psychological soundness.

STANDARD EIGHT:  Competition is consistent with the maturity level of the student it is designed to serve.

STANDARD NINE:  Competition encourages cooperation, teamwork, trust, and support.

STANDARD TEN:  Competition encourages higher academic achievement and more independent learning.

STANDARD ELEVEN:  The various ways in which students demonstrate their knowledge and skills were considered in designing the competition.

STANDARD TWELVE:  Awards are appropriate in number, type and value.

STANDARD THIRTEEN:  Rewards are more intrinsic than extrinsic, and winning is not overemphasized.

STANDARD FOURTEEN:  Funds generated by the competition are used to support the program.

STANDARD FIFTEEN:  All fees (participant, membership, and admission) are reasonable, and no student is prohibited from participating in any competition because of the inability to pay.

STANDARD SIXTEEN:  Time required to participate in the competition is reasonable for students, school personnel, and community.

STANDARD SEVENTEEN:  Competition adheres to the principles of cooperation; good sportsmanship of participants, sponsors, and spectators; and the overall enhancement of self‑esteem of persons involved in the activities.

STANDARD EIGHTEEN:  Officials used in competition meet minimum standards for certification and that such standards are described in writing.