Procedures and Guidelines

Chester County Reading Olympics
Procedures and Guidelines

Philosophy

The goal of the Reading Olympics is to increase the quality and quantity of books students read for enjoyment. Teams of students collaborate to read forty to fifty books that have been selected by a committee of librarians, reading specialists and classroom teachers. These professionals read the books and write questions, which the teams answer during the competition. The Olympics are primarily a celebration of reading rather than a contest. All participants are awarded ribbons. Since the teams generate much excitement about this reading event, the experience is rewarding for everyone involved.

Competition Rules
Responsibilities of Building Coordinators
Responsibilities of Student Participants
Responsibilities of Team Leaders
Instructions to the Moderators
Instructions to the Scorekeepers

Competition Rules

1. The maximum number of teams which a school may register for a competition is limited according to student population:

Under 500 students            3 teams
501 - 750 students            4 teams
751- 1000 students            5 teams
Over 1000 students            6 teams

2 . The Elementary Competition is for grades 5 and 6 only. Fourth grade is ONLY permitted to participate when 6th grade is not included in the school building.

3 . The Middle/Junior High Competition is for Grades 6-8 or Grades 7-9, depending on the school configuration.

4. The Senior High Competition is for Grades 9-12 or Grades 10-12, depending on the school configuration.

5 . Each team must provide two faculty members to assist the evening of the Olympics. One teacher will be assigned to work as a moderator or scorekeeper by the steering committee and will be separated from the team for the entire competition. The second teacher will supervise the team throughout the evening as the team leader.

6. Teams may be composed of between eight (8) and fifteen (15) students. However, no more than 12 students may participate during each round, with the remaining students as alternate players. The composition of the team may not change after a round has begun. All team members should participate in at least two rounds and no team member should sit out for more than one round. Teams of mixed age, gender and reading ability are encouraged.

7. Each team participates in three (3) rounds of twenty (20) questions per team. Teams receive one point for each correct answer. Teams may receive bonus points for correctly answering questions that their opponents answered incorrectly.

8. Team scores are cumulative. Ribbons are awarded to all participants according to the team’s score for all three rounds.

9. Parents are invited to attend the competition as spectators. Due to the large crowds and nature of the competition, the attendance of preschool children is discouraged. Spectators may not interfere in the questioning or scoring processes.

Responsibilities of Building Coordinators Back to Top
Each school that participates in Reading Olympics must appoint one coordinator who assists the steering committee with the management and operation of the Olympics. This person is responsible for all communication with the committee and ensures that the building’s participants understand and follow policies and procedures. This involvement and commitment at the building level is vital to the success of the Olympics.

1. The building coordinator must attend an orientation meeting prior to serving as the coordinator for the first time. Even when a school has previously participated in the Olympics, if a coordinator is new to this position, he/she must attend the meeting.

2. Building coordinators supervise the formation of teams, ensuring that all rules are followed especially in terms of the number of teams registered, grade levels participating, and the two teacher volunteers for each team.

3. Before organizing teams, building coordinators recruit at least two (2) committed teachers for each team. One teacher volunteers to be the team leader and supervises the team throughout the competition. The second teacher volunteers to serve as a moderator or scorekeeper and is assigned to a contest room by the steering committee. He/she will be separated from all teams from his/her school throughout the competition. Coordinators are advised to also recruit extra teachers to substitute in case of a last minute emergency, especially when several teams from one building are participating.

4. The building coordinator completes all registration forms and follows district or building procedures to ensure that the forms and registration fee are received by the steering committee by the stated deadlines.

5. The steering committee schedules all teams, moderators and scorekeepers for all levels of the competition shortly after registration materials are due. Once the schedule is complete, changes affect all teams and the questioning and scoring processes. Once a team is registered, it is critically important that the team and all adult volunteers associated with the team attend the competition. Teams who are not prepared or committed to the Olympics should not be registered.

6. Training of the volunteer moderators and scorekeepers, including last minute substitute volunteers, is the responsibility of the building coordinator. To facilitate this process, a video of previous competitions with a demonstration of the questioning and scoring processes is available from the Intermediate Unit. This booklet should be duplicated, distributed, and read by all participants.

7. The building coordinator is responsible for informing the team members and team leaders of the Reading Olympics’ rules and guidelines. Special emphasis should be placed on the requirement for the team to remain quietly seated in the contest room at the conclusion of the questioning process rather than congesting the hallways.

8. The building coordinator is responsible for communicating with parents concerning the location of the Olympics, directions to the competition, traffic concerns, and rules, including the one regarding no food or drinks. Only bottled water is allowed for both parents and participants. Due to the nature of the event, preschool children are not encouraged.

9. The building coordinator is responsible for the dispersal of students at the conclusion of the competition. He/she should ensure that transportation plans are clearly understood by both participants and parents. All students should board the bus or be released to a parent, or an adult designated by the parent, before the coordinator departs.

10. If inclement weather or another emergency causes the host district to close on the day of the competition, the Olympics will be postponed. Snow numbers for host districts are included in the final information packet. Building coordinators should listen to radio announcements for school closings and notify the participants. In the event of inclement weather after the start of the school day, the building coordinator is responsible for calling the Chester County Intermediate Unit at 484-237-5000 to hear a recorded message as to the status of the competition. The competition will then be held on the predetermined emergency date.

Responsibilities of Student Participants Back to Top
Students are reminded that they represent their respective schools in this countywide event. Considerate and courteous behavior is expected from all participants. Host schools graciously open their doors to hundreds of visitors during the competition. As buildings must be ready for classes the following morning, the cooperation of everyone is necessary.

1. No paper, pencils, books, food, gum, or soft drinks are permitted at the competition. Water, in resealable plastic containers, is the only refreshment allowed.

2. Upon arrival at the Reading Olympics, team members report directly to the assigned classroom. Please do not congregate in the registration area.

3. Because the moderator is responsible for the condition of the classroom at the conclusion of the competition, furniture, desks, chairs, etc. should not be rearranged until he/she is present to supervise. Classroom displays, contents of desks, computers, etc. should never be touched.

4. Each team selects a team captain who is responsible for either reciting the answer or designating a specific team member, by name, to answer the question. The team captain collaborates with other team members before giving an answer.

5. Students are not permitted to confer with opposing teams, the audience, or the team leader once a round has begun.

6. Moderators and scorekeepers are volunteers who possibly have not read all of the books. They make every effort to be fair in judging answers. Students may not argue a moderator’s decision. The moderator’s decision is final.

7. After each team has had the opportunity to answer 20 questions, the question portion of the round is finished; however, students must remain in the contest room until the announcer signals that it is time to move to the next round. Students should remain seated and must visit quietly to ensure that announcements may be heard. Noise in the hallways is unfair to the other teams and prolongs the competition.

8. Before reporting to the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the third round, students assist the moderator, team leader, and parents in returning the contest room to its original condition.

Responsibilities of Team Leaders Back to Top
A faculty member who is responsible for student behavior and discipline must accompany each team. This person may be the teacher who has acted as coach for the team.

1. Team leaders arrive at the Olympics with the team and supervise the participants before the competition begins.

2. Because the moderator is responsible for the condition of the classroom at the conclusion of the competition, furniture, desks, chairs, etc. should not be rearranged until he/she is present to supervise. Classroom displays, contents of desks, computers, etc. should never be touched.

3. When teams are made up of more than twelve (12) members, team leaders supervise the composition of the team, rotating alternates in and out of each round. All team members should participate in at least two rounds. No team member should sit out more than one round. No more than 12 students may participate during each round, and the composition of the team may not change after each round has begun.

4. Team leaders keep participants in the contest room until the announcement to move to the next round is made. After each team has had the opportunity to answer 20 questions, the question portion of the round is finished; however, students must remain in the contest room until the announcer signals that it is time to move to the next round. Students should remain seated and must visit quietly to ensure that announcements may be heard. Noise in the hallways is unfair to the other teams and prolongs the competition.

5. At the conclusion of each round, team leaders receive the team score card from the scorekeeper and deliver it to the scorekeeper in the subsequent round.

6. Team leaders travel with the team from contest room to contest room, ensuring that the team follows the competition rules and assisting in maintaining order in both the classrooms and hallways between rounds.

7. At the conclusion of the third round, team leaders assist team members and spectators in returning the contest room to its original condition.

8. Team leaders remain with the team during the awards ceremony, assisting with crowd and noise control. At the conclusion of the awards ceremony the team leader releases students to parents or a designated adult, or accompanies the students to the bus.

Instructions to the Moderators Back to Top
Each team must provide one faculty member who will serve as a moderator or scorekeeper during the competition. The moderator is assigned to one contest room, which he/she supervises for the entire competition, reading the questions and judging the answers.

1. Upon arrival at the Olympics, moderators must register at the moderators’ table and collect the question packet for the first round.

2. The moderator is in charge of the contest room, the adjacent hallway and the questions. He/she should be familiar with all contest rules and feel responsible for assisting with the orderly operation of the Olympics. He/she may confer with the scorekeeper in judging answers or enforcing contest rules. Parents are invited to attend the competition as spectators. They may not interfere in the questioning or scoring processes. Decisions of the moderator are final.

3. The moderator should direct the teams and spectators in arranging the contest room for the competition. Classroom displays, contents of desks, computers, etc. should not be disturbed.

4. Before beginning each round, the moderator:

• verifies that the correct teams are present and that the scorekeeper is ready to begin,

• counts the number of students on each team,

• positions the teams in a manner that facilitates conferring among team members without providing an advantage to the opponents,

• identifies the team captain and team leader and explains the questioning procedure,

• may identify a spectator to serve as a timekeeper if the scorekeeper does not have an appropriate watch, and

• may flip a coin to determine which team will answer first

5. The same questions are asked of all teams in each round. However, each question packet contains more than 40 questions in case of an emergency. For example, if the moderator inadvertently reads the answer instead of the question, or if the bottom part of the question has been cut off, this question should be disregarded and replaced with one of the “extra” questions. To ensure fairness to all, neither moderators nor team members may decide to eliminate a question because a book has not been read, the question appears difficult or confusing, etc. Also, moderators should practice with one question per team before the beginning of the first round.

6. Questions in the packet are in alphabetical order by book title. Moderators are encouraged to shuffle the questions before beginning. Read each question twice and allow the teams to confer for no more than 20 seconds. Teams do not have to wait the full 20 seconds to answer. However, if they take the full time, call for the answer by saying, “Your answer please.” The team captain either answers or identifies another student who will answer the question. If a student other than the captain blurts out an answer, the moderator says, “I must have the answer from the captain please,” without any indication that the answer is right or wrong.

7. If the answer is correct, the moderator continues the questioning process by directing the next question to the second team.

8. If the first team fails to answer the question correctly, the opposing team has the opportunity to answer. The question is not repeated and no additional time is permitted for conferring. The team captain or his/her appointee responds.

9. Whether or not the second team answers correctly, the next question is directed to the second team.

10. After each question, the moderator verifies the answer by reading it from the quiz card.

11. Both teams are to confer quietly so as not to give the opposing team an advantage.

12. The moderator proceeds with the questioning process until forty (40) questions have been asked, twenty (20) to each team.

13. Teams are to remain in the contest room until the announcement to move to the next round is made. Moderators should remind team leaders that they are responsible for enforcing this rule. Students should remain seated and must visit quietly to ensure that announcements can be heard. Noise in the hallways is unfair to the other teams and prolongs the competition.

14. At the conclusion of Round 3, the moderator supervises the team members, team leaders, and spectators in returning the contest room to its original condition.

15. Quiz cards contain questions with detailed answers and verification information. This information has been provided in order to assist the moderator who may not have read the book. Unless the quiz card specifically states that an entire phrase or word must be included, students do not have to give the answer exactly as it is stated on the card. They may give any reasonable part of the answer or answer with synonymous terms as long as they have the correct concept of the question and answer. If an answer is close, the moderator should give the team the opportunity to answer correctly by saying, “Is there something more you would like to say?” or “Could you please clarify your answer?”

16. The moderator should not hesitate to confer with the scorekeeper in determining the correctness of an answer.

17. If an uneven number of teams register, it is necessary to assign only one team to a room for a round. If this should happen, that team has a Bye Round. Following are special instructions to follow if only one team is present in a room for a round. Moderators are asked to explain this procedure to the team.
The moderator will ask the team 20 questions. Obviously, the team will not have the opportunity to gain bonus points by answering questions that their opponents answered incorrectly. At the end of the twenty questions, the scorekeeper will tally the correct answers and record the score on the score card indicating that this is a Bye Round. Since this team will undoubtedly finish early, the moderator may ask the team additional questions. However, these extra questions cannot be counted toward the team’s score. These extra questions are for fun and practice only.
At the end of the third round, the team will have the choice of their actual score for the Bye Round or an average of their scores for the other two rounds. For example, assume a team scores 18 points in Round 1, 15 points in Round 2 (Bye Round), and 10 points in Round 3. They may choose either:
18 (Round 1) +15 (Bye Round)+10 (Round 3) = 43 total points,

OR
18+10 (scores of Rounds 1 and 3) = 28 + 14 (1/2 of 28), the average of Rounds 1 and 3 instead of the Bye Round score, = 42 total points.
This team should choose the first option, the Bye Round score, for the higher total.

Instructions to the Scorekeepers Back to Top
Each team must provide one faculty member who will serve as a moderator or scorekeeper during the competition. The scorekeeper is assigned to one contest room, which he/she assists the moderator in supervising for the entire competition. The scorekeeper is responsible for monitoring the time limit and tabulating team scores during each round.

1. Upon arrival at the Olympics, scorekeepers must register at the scorekeepers’ table and collect the scoring materials before reporting to the assigned classroom.

2. The scorekeeper assists the moderator in supervising the contest room. He/she may confer with the moderator in judging answers or enforcing contest rules. However, the decisions of the moderator are final.

3. The scorekeeper monitors the 20 second time limit for team members to confer before answering a question. If he/she does not have an appropriate watch, the moderator appoints a spectator to be timekeeper.

4. Team scores are cumulative and ribbons are awarded according to the team’s score for all three rounds. To facilitate the awards process, the team leader for each team carries the team’s score card from round to round. Cards for Round 1 are included in the materials the scorekeeper receives at registration. After recording the scores at the conclusion of Round 1, the scorekeeper delivers the card to the team leader. He/she then collects the card from the team leader at the beginning of the subsequent rounds and returns it to the team leader after Round 2. At the conclusion of Round 3, the scorekeeper records the scores, tallies the scores for all three rounds, and delivers the cards for both teams to the scorekeepers’ table in the reception area. The awards ceremony can then begin as soon as all participants have gathered in the assigned location.

5. Scorekeepers record scores on large scoresheets to ensure that both teams can see the scoring throughout the rounds. Before the beginning of the first round, the scorekeeper should determine a suitable location to hang the sheet.

6. The scoresheet is divided into columns for correct and incorrect answers for the two teams. The questions are numbered down the center of the page with arrows that indicate which team is to have a question directed to them first. Correct answers are recorded by marking a “C” in the “Correct” column. Incorrect answers are recorded by marking an “X” in the “Incorrect” column.

7. The scorekeeper records the team names and number of members for each team on the scoresheet and verifies which team will go first. This team is considered “Team A” and the opposing team is considered “Team B.”

8. A scoring example follows:
∑ Question 1 is directed to Team A and is answered correctly. The scorekeeper marks a “C” in the “Correct” column for Team A, Question 1. No other marks are necessary. Question 2 is directed to Team B.
∑ Team B answers Question 2 incorrectly. The scorekeeper marks an “X” in the “Incorrect” column for Team B, Question 2. Team A has the opportunity to answer this question immediately. No additional time is given for conferring. If Team A answers correctly, the scorekeeper marks a “C” in the “Correct” column for Team A, Question 2. Question 3 is then directed to Team A.

9. After forty (40) questions have been asked, twenty (20) to each team, the scorekeeper tallies the number of “C’s” recorded in each team’s “Correct” column. This number is the team’s score for the round and is recorded on the team’s score card. Team scores are cumulative. Ribbons are awarded to all participants according to the total score of the three rounds.

10. At the end of each round the scorekeeper verifies the scores on the scoresheet, records the score on each team’s score card, and signs each document.

11. At the end of Rounds 1 and 2, the scorekeeper returns the question packet and scoresheet to the scorekeepers’ table and collects the question packet for the next round. Please do not place the scoresheet inside of the question packet.

12. At the conclusion of Round 3, the scorekeeper returns the question packet, scoresheet, and the two teams’ score cards to the scorekeepers’ table.

13. If an uneven number of teams register, it is necessary to assign only one team to a room for a round. If this should happen, that team has a Bye Round. Following are special instructions to follow if only one team is present in a room for a round. Moderators are asked to explain this procedure to the team.
The moderator will ask the team 20 questions. Obviously, the team will not have the opportunity to gain bonus points by answering questions that their opponents answered incorrectly. At the end of the twenty questions, the scorekeeper will tally the correct answers and record the score on the score card indicating that this is a Bye Round. Since this team will undoubtedly finish early, the moderator may ask the team additional questions. However, these extra questions cannot be counted toward the team’s score. These extra questions are for fun and practice only.
At the end of the third round, the team will have the choice of their actual score for the Bye Round or an average of their scores for the other two rounds. For example, assume a team scores 18 points in Round 1, 15 points in Round 2 (Bye Round), and 10 points in Round 3. They may choose either:
18 (Round 1) +15 (Bye Round)+10 (Round 3) = 43 total points,

OR
18+10 (scores of Rounds 1 and 3) = 28 + 14 (1/2 of 28), the average of Rounds 1 and 3 instead of the Bye Round score, = 42 total points.
This team should choose the first option, the Bye Round score, for the higher total.

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