Computer Science (UIL)

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Computer Science is one of several academic events sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League.

Computer Science is designed to test students' programming abilities. It is not the same as the Computer Applications contest, which tests students' abilities to use word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications software, including integration of applications.

Computer Science began during the 1990-91 scholastic year as strictly a team event. It was not scored as an individual event until the 1996-97 school year.

Contents

[edit] Eligibility

Students in Grade 9 through Grade 12 are eligible to enter this event.

Each school may send up to four students. However, in districts with eight or more schools the number of students per school may be limited to three. In order for the school to compete in the team competition the school must send three students.

[edit] Rules and Scoring

The contest consists of two parts, a written test and a programming exercise. However, at the district level only the written test is given; the programming exercise is held at the regional and state levels only. (The UIL is undertaking a pilot project to determine the feasibility of expanding the programming exercise to the district level; the main concern is lack of physical space for all the computers, but the programming exercise is considered a highly popular part of the competition.)

On the written test, 45 minutes are allotted. No time warnings are given, but at the end of the 45 minutes the student may finish completing an answer. Six points are given for each correct answer; two points are deducted for each incorrect answer. Skipped or unanswered questions are not scored.

On the programming test, two hours are allotted. The solution is graded as correct or incorrect with points assigned for each problem. However, incorrect solutions may be reworked by the team. Any commercially available computer may be used in the competition. The programming language to be used is limited to Java and the compiler used for the contest will be the Sun Microsystems Java Development Kit; specific acceptable versions are determined by the UIL prior to each school year.

[edit] Determining the Winner

The top three individuals and the top team will advance to the next round. In addition, within each region, the highest-scoring second place team from all district competitions advances as the "wild card" to regional competition, and within the state, the highest-scoring second place team from all regional competitions advances as the wild card to the state competition. Members of advancing teams who did not place individually remain eligible to compete for individual awards at higher levels.

For individual competition (overall and for each subsection), the tiebreaker is percent accuracy (number of problems answered correctly divided by number of problems attempted, defined as any question with a mark or erasure in the answer blank). In the event a tie remains, all remaining individuals will advance.

For team competition, at the district level the total team score of all four members is used as the tiebreaker. If a team has only three members no additional score is added. If a tie still exists it will not be broken and all remaining tied teams will advance. At the regional and state level, the first tiebreaker is the programming score, then the written exam score (using the total score tiebreaker system used at the district level). If a tie still exists, all remaining tied teams will advance or place.

For district meet academic championship and district meet sweepstakes awards, points are awarded to the school as follows:

  • Individual places: 1st--15, 2nd--12, 3rd--10, 4th--8, 5th--6, and 6th--4.
  • Team places (district): 1st--10 and 2nd--5.
  • Team places (regional and state): 1st--20, 2nd--16, and 3rd--12.
  • The maximum number of points a school may earn in Computer Science is 37 at the district level and 42 at the regional and state levels.

[edit] List of prior winners

[edit] Individual

NOTE: For privacy reasons, only the winning school is shown. Computer Science was strictly a team event until the 1996-97 school year. [1]

School Year Class A Class AA Class AAA Class AAAA Class AAAAA
1996-97 Jayton Navarro Clyde Sulphur Springs (tie) Cypress Falls/Katy Taylor
1997-98 Rule (tie) Hamilton/Hawkins/Stockdale Jefferson Bridge City Fort Worth Dunbar
1998-99 Muenster De Leon Taylor Fort Worth Dunbar Garland
1999-2000 (tie) Muenster/Henrietta Midway Seymour Sour Lake Hardin-Jefferson Lake Travis Marcus
2000-01 Muenster Ozona Monahans Lake Travis Science and Engineering Magnet
2001-02 Muenster Seymour Sour Lake Hardin-Jefferson Pine Tree Flower Mound
2002-03 Nueces Canyon Seymour Sour Lake Hardin-Jefferson (tie) Denton Ryan/Fort Worth Dunbar Plano East
2003-04 Nueces Canyon Navarro Lindale Lake Travis Talented and Gifted Magnet (TAG)
2004-05 Nueces Canyon Salado Needville (tie) Waller/Lake Travis Tomball
2005-06 Savoy Refugio Center Friendswood Round Rock Westwood
2006-07 Garden City Ozona Gonzales Midlothian Katy Taylor
2007-08 Martin's Mill Wall Gonzales Katy Seven Lakes Arlington Martin

[edit] Team

NOTE: The 1990-91 contest was limited to Class AAAA and Class AAAAA only; other classifications were not added until the 1991-92 year. [2]

School Year Class A Class AA Class AAA Class AAAA Class AAAAA
1990-91 (none) (none) (none) Sweetwater Houston Bellaire
1991-92 Brookeland Lockney La Vernia Austin Westlake Langham Creek
1992-93 Lazbuddie Lockney Lake Travis Fort Stockton Langham Creek
1993-94 Lazbuddie Blanco Queen City Bridge City Fort Worth Dunbar
1994-95 Lazbuddie Blanco Lake Travis Austin LBJ Fort Worth Dunbar
1995-96 Rule Stinnett West Texas Teague Stephenville Fort Worth Dunbar
1996-97 Lazbuddie Navarro Clyde Whitehouse Cypress Falls
1997-98 Rule Stinnett West Texas Coldspring Jones Sulphur Springs Round Rock
1998-99 Muenster Stockdale Devine Fort Worth Dunbar Langham Creek
1999-2000 Muenster Seymour Stafford Cedar Hill Dallas School of Science and Engineering
2000-01 Muenster Ozona Monahans Southlake Carroll Dallas School of Science and Engineering
2001-02 Muenster Seymour Center Southlake Carroll Katy Taylor
2002-03 Perrin-Whitt Ozona Lindale Austin LBJ Southlake Carroll
2003-04 Ivanhoe Sam Rayburn Ozona Lindale Waller Katy Taylor
2004-05 Plains Mount Pleasant Chapel Hill Gonzales Waller Katy Taylor
2005-06 Savoy Ozona Center Friendswood Cypress Falls
2006-07 Garden City Ozona Gonzales Midlothian Katy Taylor
2007-08 Garden City Wall Gonzales Katy Seven Lakes Sugar Land Clements

[edit] References

  1. ^ UIL: Academics - Archives
  2. ^ UIL: Academics - Archives