CHICAGO CITYWIDE MATHEMATICS LEAGUE

 

DATES and POLICIES 2009-2010

 

The purpose of the CCML is to provide the Chicago Public High School students with mathematics competitions to help them pace, stimulate, and challenge their studies of mathematics, while recognizing outstanding mathematical achievement.

 

Changes in this document from the previous year are indicated with square brackets and bold type.

 

A. Locations, Dates

               

1. Contest sites: click here to see more details about contest sites.                                   

    a) University of Chicago
    b) DeVry Institute of Technology / Lane Tech
    c) University of Illinois at Chicago / Whitney Young

Finals: Lane Tech

 

2. Contest Dates:                                  October 3^rd, November 21^st, January 30^th, March 6^th, with finals on April 17th

 

B. Competition

1. Tests are available in:                      Algebra I                                               Geometry

                                                                Advanced Algebra II                          Pre-Calculus

 

2. Students compete in the subject in which they are presently enrolled or the subject appropriate for their grade level.  (A junior currently enrolled in Geometry may compete in Geometry, Alg/Trig, or Pre-Calculus.)

 

Students who have already passed the course for their grade level, but are competing in the contest for their grade level must compete in the ACCELERATED LEVEL.

 

SCHOOLS USING IMP WILL COMPETE AS FOLLOWS:

IMP 1 = Algebra 1 in Progress           IMP 2 = Geometry in Progress

IMP 3 = Algebra II in Progress          IMP 4 = Precalculus in Progress

For example, a freshman in IMP 2 can compete in Geometry in Progress, or Algebra 1 Accelerated.

 

3. Student selection is at the discretion of the home school.

 

4. A team consists of 24 students, six in each subject area.

 

5. A school does not need a full team to compete.

 

6. Coaches must designate alternates BEFORE the start of the exams.  Alternates’ scores will not be used in team scores but alternates are eligible to win individual awards.   Schools with large numbers of alternates are asked to bring sufficient staff to aid in the grading. A minimum of two adults should accompany all teams.

               

7. Team participants may vary from contest to contest.

 

8. Students are expected to behave with integrity and true team spirit. Coaches are expected to hold the highest standards of professional ethics.

 

9. The site coordinator may determine when individual behavior falls below expected standards.  Such behavior may result in withholding of any awards and possible exclusion from any future competitions.  This refers to behavior beyond the bounds of courtesy and good sportsmanship.  Any such action may be appealed in writing within five days to the directors.

C. Contest Questions and Scoring

 

1. The contests should begin at 9:00 a.m. and should end about 11:30 a.m. with the actual test lasting 50 minutes and consisting of 20 questions. Immediately following individual tests, there will be a candy bar competition, which will consist of 15 questions in 20 minutes for the entire school to work on together.

 

2. Scoring will take place after the tests but student answer sheets will only be returned to the school coach.

 

3. All information requested on the answer sheets must be completed by the student; incomplete identifying information may result in disqualification of the individual student.

 

4. Topics covered on each regional test are based in part on the Chicago Board of Education and the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics guidelines.

 

5. The topics covered on each test are listed for each contest.  The questions may include all previous topics and knowledge of all topics in previous courses. (Algebra II may include Geometry, etc.)

 

6. With the diversity of schools and students within the system, the best guides for contest preparation are the resources within the individual school and community.

 

7. Team scores are determined by the four (4) highest scores in each area.

 

8. ALL APPEALS MUST BE MADE IN WRITING TO THE DIRECTOR WITHIN 5 DAYS OF A CONTEST! [Appeals must be mail via email]: Melanie Pierce, MSOh@cps.edu

 

D. Awards

 

1. Regional Competition

Ribbons are awarded for the top three students in each category. Ties are not broken. For example, if the highest scoring students in a competition had scores 15,15,14,13,13,13,12,10, etc., two first place ribbons, one second place ribbon and three third place ribbons would be awarded.

 

Ribbons are also awarded for the top 6 person teams in each area of competition: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus. Ribbons are given to the top two teams in Division A, and the top three teams in Division B or C at each of the three contest sites.

 

A best in school ribbon is given for each category of competition a school competes in.

 

[Please note the following change to meet #3: Meet #3 will be a NO CALCULATOR contest. There WILL be separate in progress and accelerated competitions (this is a change from the last several years, where this was the “ICTM Practice Contest,” with no separation of in progress and accelerated contestants, and an 8 person team competition).]

 

2. City Finals Individual Awards

Unlike regional competition, ties are broken when possible. Two or more students who have the same score will have the tie broken by the five tie-breakers indicated by the contest writer. If the tie cannot after the five tie-breakers have been examined then the students remain tied.

 

The top seven students in each area of competition earn a ribbon based on their score at the final meet.

 

The McCarthy-Murzyn award is also given to one student in each of the eight categories of competition. The award is given to the student who has the highest cumulative score over the four regional competitions AND the city finals. All scores must be from the same subject area for this award. [For this season, plaques will be awarded to the top three students in each of the eight categories based on cumulative scores for the five meets. Ties will be broken, if possible, based on students’ scores at the final meet.]

 

 

3. City Final Team Awards

Teams are divided into divisions A, B, and C. The top three scoring teams in each division win a plaque. Team totals are the cumulative team scores of each team over the course of all five meets.

 

Divisions are based on the previous year’s final standings: The top 5 schools will be placed in Division A, the next 9 schools will compete in Division B, and all other competing schools will compete in Division C. A new division will be added if 14 or more schools register in Division C prior to the 1^st meet. Note also that schools in division C can “opt up” if they would like to compete in Division B.

 

Plaques will also be awarded to the top three schools in each area of competition: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus, by division.

 

A Most Improved team plaque is also awarded to the team in each division that increases its point total the most over the previous season.

 

Each school can bring up to 6 students in each category to the finals. Alternates can qualify for the final meet in one of two ways: (1) place in the top 30 students in their category over the course of the first four meets or [(2) attending each of the first four meets.] Note that as in other contests only the six designated starters can have scores that count towards the team total.