Alabama Scholastic Competition Association

April 5, 2012

TO:Professional Businesses/Individuals Providing Tournament Questions for Academic Competition

FROM:Claudette Smith, ASCA President

1017 9th Street NW

Arab, AL 35016

256-586-8294

or

Please be advised that ASCA is now seeking bids for our 2013 tournament questions to supply our three divisions, middle school (grades 5-8), JV (grades 9-10), andHigh School Varsity (grades 9 - 12). We are looking for the best provider (best product at a reasonable price) for those questions. Please examine the following itemized list of our requirements and provide us with your signed bid for this contract along with a sample round of questions and statement of intent to comply. You may choose to bid on one, two, or all three divisions. The questions for the three divisions mustnot duplicate.Thank you.

ITEM 1. CLEAR, READABLE QUESTIONS IN WORD FORMAT

  1. Periods One and Three will consist of 10 questions each for a total of 20 with two-part bonus questions
  1. Prompt indicates 10 points for each toss-up question with a two-part bonus question worth ten points per part
  2. No multiple-choice answers or true/false questions.
  3. Because bonus questions are bounce-back, no true/false, two-choice or three-choiceanswers
  4. Bonus questions are not read simultaneously.
  5. Bonus questions are given just below their related toss-up question, not on a separate page; and all answers are clearly shown in bold and/or underlined type just beneath questions and not on a separate page
  1. Period Two Worksheet for each game
  1. Twenty short answer questions with lined space beside each for answers
  2. Worksheets should be broad-based, not single category in nature, and should be centered on academics and roughly balanced in accordance with the guidelines for question sets. They should be clearly labeled with the category at the top WORKSHEETS WITH ALL ANSWERS BEGINNING WITH A SPECIFIC LETTER ARE PREFERRED.
  3. Provide an answer page with the answers clearly filled in
  1. Each game is titled by consecutive numbers as in "ROUND ONE" and so forth
  2. Each page is numbered consecutively from Round One through the last round
  3. EXTRA TOSS-UP AND BONUS QUESTIONSARE PROVIDED AT THE END OF EACH ROUND IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES (at least 4 toss-up and 2 bonus/no math preferred)

ITEM 2. ACCURACY AND PROOFING OF THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

  1. Each question and its answer MUST BE ACCURATE (MOST important)
  1. Use the latest available, academically-respectable sources of information
  2. Note equally-or-also-acceptable answers in parentheses
  1. PROOF questions and answers for consistency of type and format, accuracy, and grammatical mistakes
  2. Do not allow DUPLICATION of questions and answers from one round to the next
  3. Indicate in consistent manner minimum amount of information needed for acceptable answer; for example, entire answer in bold with necessary information underlined (George Washington, John Quincy Adams)

ITEM 3. SECURITY AND PRISTINE NATURE OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

  1. Do not sell or otherwise provide the questions used in rounds bought by ASCA to others (schools, companies, and/or individuals) through May, 2012:
  1. Within the state of Alabama
  2. To any competition where ASCA schools might be competing
  3. NONE of the questions should come verbatim from previously-sold questions, practice materials, prior competitions.

ITEM 4. DIFFICULTY LEVEL, BALANCE,AND KNOWLEDGE BASE CATEGORIES

  1. Difficulty level of knowledge base needed to correctly answer the questions forJV and high school should not exceed underclass, undergraduate level or be below a9th grade level. Middle school questions should not exceed 9th grade level.
  2. The distribution of knowledge base categories MUST be BALANCED
  1. Do NOT emphasize one category within a round or period at the expense of others.
  2. Insure that questions come from all acceptable categories (shown below) and are alternated in a balanced, not jumbled, way throughout each round
  1. These knowledge base categories should be emphasized: There should be no more than 2 questions from each category per round.
  1. History (American, European, Asian, African, and rest of the world)
  2. Geography (same as above)
  3. Science (all areas of study, i.e. physical, biological, chemistry, astronomy)
  4. Mathematics (General math, algebra I and some geometry for middle schools: Algebra through Calculus for JV and HS, all shouldbe able to be done in 15 seconds without acalculator, should indicate at the start that it is computational and they have 15 seconds)
  5. Literature (same areas as for history)
  6. Fine Arts (music, art, architecture, theatre, dance, movies, TV)
  7. Language Arts: (English, Latin, French, Spanish, German and other foreign languagesincluding but not limited to vocabulary, translations, spelling, andgrammar from the upper end of difficulty)
  8. Technology (esp. computers, space program, manufacturing, transportation)
  9. Economics /Religion/Philosophy (esp. vocabulary, basic concepts, ideologies)
  10. Current Events (key events making history, world leaders, sports, etc.)

ITEM 5. PURCHASE OF QUESTIONS AFTER EACH TOURNAMENT BY PARTICIPANTS (NOT

REQUIRED BUT WOULD BE DESIRABLE)

  1. Allow ASCA to sell the USED tournament question sets to schools participating at the district, regional, or state levels (negotiable)
  1. Helps coaches debrief their players after the event
  2. Provides publicity for provider to these coaches who will likely order practice materials you provide
  3. Gives additional incentive to ASCA board to use this provider from year to year

ITEM 6. ROUNDS NEEDED FOR 2013 BY ASCA (Subject to possible changes in procedure – please indicate cost per round as these are estimates at this time –the high school division rounds could be decreased)

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION -20

JV DIVISION -10

HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION - 28 ROUNDS

ITEM 7. PUBLICITY AND PRACTICE QUESTION ORDERS FOR YOUR COMPANY

  1. ASCA will publicize your company as our provider (web, mail, conference, etc.)
  2. You may use our name in your ads
  3. ASCA will feature your materials prominently at our annual fall conference. (You will need to provide us with materials for the display and hopefully allow us to use your sample materials as door prizes.)

ITEM 8. FINAL, PROOFED,AND FULLY PREPARED TOURNAMENT QUESTIONS AS

REQUIRED IN THESE ITEMS WILL BE IN THE HANDS OF ASCA's DESIGNEE BY

  1. November 15, 2012, for JV and Middle School Divisions Rounds: December 15, 2012 for High School Division Rounds
  2. Emergency-only time extensions for deadlines must be requested/given in writing

Your signed bid for this contract along with a sample round of questions and statement of intent to comply should be sent to Claudette Smith, 1017 9th Street NW, Arab, AL 35016, or electronically to by July 10,2012. ASCA will notify you of your acceptance byAugust 1, 2012.

Any questions you have regarding this bid process may be directed to Claudette Smith. I look forward to hearing from you.