Texas Math and Science Coaches Association
Encyclopedia
The Texas Math and Science Coaches Association or TMSCA is an organization for coaches of academic University Interscholastic League
teams in Texas
middle school
s and high school
s, specifically those that compete in mathematics
- and science
-related tests.
TMSCA also holds two state-wide competitions for member schools each year, one at the middle school level and one at the high school level, as well as a qualification competition at the middle school level prior to the state competition. These state-wide competitions are held at the University of Texas at San Antonio
campus each spring. These competitions can often serve as practice for state-wide UIL tournaments, which occur shortly after, and for middle school students is their only opportunity to compete at the state level (UIL competitions at the middle school level do not go beyond district).
On the Number Sense test, 5*(the last question answered) points are awarded (so a student answering 32 questions would be awarded 160 points) and 9 points are deducted for incorrect answers and problems skipped up to the last attempted question (so if the student above missed 1 and skipped 3 questions he would end with 124 points). Number sense tests are also checked for possible scratch work, which if found could result in questions being counted incorrect or tests being disqualified.
The Calculator Applications test awards 5 points for each answered question and deducts 9 points for incorrect or skipped questions, similar to Number Sense, but scratch work is allowed.
University Interscholastic League
The University Interscholastic League is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, music, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the American state of Texas....
teams in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s, specifically those that compete in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
- and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
-related tests.
Competitions
Individual schools that are members of TMSCA can host invitational competitions using TMSCA-released tests. Many schools use this as a fundraising opportunity for their competitive math program.TMSCA also holds two state-wide competitions for member schools each year, one at the middle school level and one at the high school level, as well as a qualification competition at the middle school level prior to the state competition. These state-wide competitions are held at the University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio, commonly referred to as UTSA, is a state university in San Antonio, Texas. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, it is the third-largest of nine universities and six health institutions in the University of Texas System and the eighth-largest in...
campus each spring. These competitions can often serve as practice for state-wide UIL tournaments, which occur shortly after, and for middle school students is their only opportunity to compete at the state level (UIL competitions at the middle school level do not go beyond district).
Grading
For the Math and Science contests in middle school, 5 points are awarded for each correct answer and 2 points are deducted for each incorrect answer. In high school, 6 points are awarded for each correct answer and 2 points are deducted for each incorrect answer. Unanswered questions do not affect the score. Thus, competitors are penalized for guessing incorrectly.On the Number Sense test, 5*(the last question answered) points are awarded (so a student answering 32 questions would be awarded 160 points) and 9 points are deducted for incorrect answers and problems skipped up to the last attempted question (so if the student above missed 1 and skipped 3 questions he would end with 124 points). Number sense tests are also checked for possible scratch work, which if found could result in questions being counted incorrect or tests being disqualified.
The Calculator Applications test awards 5 points for each answered question and deducts 9 points for incorrect or skipped questions, similar to Number Sense, but scratch work is allowed.
Results
At virtually all TMSCA competitions, students are ranked against each other in their specific grade level. This ensures parity of competition, since students in higher grades generally tend to score higher than students in the lower grades. Particularly at the high school level, there is a stark contrast between freshmen with little real math and science experience and seniors, who presumably have taken or are taking advanced placement science courses and calculus.External links
- Texas Competitive Mathematics - information on TMSCA and UIL competitions and tests