MAA AMC 8

149 Pages·2007·2.54 MB·English

The Mathematical Association of America
AMericAn MATheMATics coMpeTiTions
2003
19th Annual
MAA AMC 8
Summary of Results and Awards
Learning Mathematics
Through Problem Solving
Examinations prepared by the AMC 8 Subcommittee of the
American Mathematics Competitions
and administered by the Office of the Director
The
American Mathematics
Competitions
are sponsored jointly by
The Mathematical Association Of America
and
The University of Nebraska -- Lincoln
Contributors:
Akamai Foundation
American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges
American Mathematical Society
American Society of Pension Actuaries
American Statistical Association
Art of Problem Solving
Canada/USA Mathcamp and Mathpath
Casualty Actuarial Society
Clay Mathematics Institute
Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
Mu Alpha Theta
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Pedagoguery, Inc.
Pi Mu Epsilon
Society of Actuaries
Table Of COnTenTs
The International School of Havana, Havana, Cuba .............................................2
Report of the Director ..........................................................................................3
Dick Gibbs with Plaque .......................................................................................7
Message from the aMC 8 Chair...........................................................................8
Message from the CaMC Chair ...........................................................................9
The sliffe awards for Distinguished Middle school Mathematics Teaching .......10
2003 aMC 8 edyth May sliffe award Winners .................................................11
sliffe awards Reception ......................................................................................14
san antonio, Texas -- april 12, 2003 .............................................................14
Sliffe Winners Attending Reception .....................................................................14
2003 Sliffe Awards Reception .............................................................................15
Regions of the aMC 8 .......................................................................................16
AMC Office Staff ...............................................................................................16
american Mathematics Contest 10 and american Mathematics Contest 12 ......17
Quotations .........................................................................................................18
The Gardner School, Vancouver, Washington .......................................................20
american Mathematics Contest 8 examination Committee ...............................21
Committee on the american Mathematics Competitions ..................................21
CaMC executive Committee .............................................................................21
advisory Panel ...................................................................................................22
state Directors -- aMC 8 ..................................................................................24
sponsors and Donors .........................................................................................26
2003 NCTM Spring Meetings - Rachelle Jensen in AMC’s Booth .........................26
school Honor Roll ......................................................................................27
United states ..............................................................................................27
The Central Academy of Des Moines Public Schools, Des Moines, Iowa. ................28
school Honor Roll ......................................................................................30
International schools ..................................................................................30
U. s. school Merit Roll ..............................................................................32
International school Merit Roll .................................................................39
2 Students from the Swiss Cottage Secondary School, Singapore. ............................40
Perfect scores .....................................................................................................41
U.s.a. students ...........................................................................................41
International students ................................................................................43
Merit Roll .........................................................................................................44
U.s.a. students ...........................................................................................44
Merit Roll ...................................................................................................50
late Participation student...........................................................................50
Distinguished Honor Roll ..................................................................................51
U.s.a. students ..........................................................................................51
2003 AMC 8 waiting to be Scanned ..................................................................54
Tennessee State Awatds for 2002 .........................................................................61

Table of Contents continued
International students .................................................................................62
Honor Roll .........................................................................................................68
U.s.a. students ..........................................................................................68
Stacks of AMC 8 Envelopes waiting to be processed ..............................................82
The Chinese High School, Singapore .................................................................115
International students ...............................................................................116
Swiss Cottage School, Singapore ........................................................................119
late Participation students .......................................................................132
2002 Kansas State Awards Ceremony ................................................................132
Rank listing of schools by states .....................................................................133
Rank listing of enrollment by states ...............................................................133
Item Difficulty .................................................................................................134
Table 1 ......................................................................................................134
Graph 1 .....................................................................................................135
Results by Gender, 2003 aMC 8......................................................................136
Table 2 ......................................................................................................136
Graph 2 .....................................................................................................137
Results by Grade level .....................................................................................138
Table 3 ......................................................................................................138
Graph 3 .....................................................................................................139
score Comparison between 2002 and 2003 .....................................................140
Table 4 ......................................................................................................140
Graph 4 .....................................................................................................141
2003 - The Answer sheets return, stacks and sorting. .........................................142
Individual school Registration .........................................................................143
The International School of Havana, Havana, Cuba
Participating students and teachers from the International School of Havana.
RePORT Of THe DIReCTOR
I. InTRODUCTIOn
I am pleased to announce that over 58,000 students from
more than 2,00 schools participated in the 200 AMC 8
contest. Many dedicated mathematics teachers provided an
opportunity for students to participate in this national exam.
Our State Directors did a great job soliciting enrollment, and
the Committee created an exam which was both “exciting and challenging.” A
hearty thanks to all of you for continuing to recognize the fact that the AMC
8 plays a complementary role in support of the junior high/middle school
mathematics curriculum.
II. GeneRal ResUlTs
This summary includes a listing of the results and awards associated with
the 9th annual AMC 8, which was held on Tuesday, November 8, 200.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE 2004 AMC 8 WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 6th.
From the responses received from many of the contest managers, it is evident
that the examination was once again well received by the students and teachers.
A sample of specific comments received is found in the Quotations section
of this summary.
A comparison of the statistics shows that this year’s 200 contest was compa-
rable to the 2002. A total of 92 perfect scores were recorded (27 in 2002)
while the national average decreased to 0.27 (.09 in 2002). The AMC 8
Committee is in its final stage of preparation of the 2004 exam and I expect
it to be similar to the 200 edition, but still challenging.
A four-year statistical comparison of results is given in Section III. We sincerely
hope that your school administrators will continue to support your future
requests for funds to enable your students to participate in this academic
activity which is consistent with the standards set by the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics.
On behalf of the AMC 8 committee, I express my appreciation to all of the
school contest managers and their associated teachers, school counselors and
administrators for providing an opportunity for their students to participate
in the 200 AMC 8. I particularly would like to express my gratitude to those
teachers who personally paid the fees associated with the contest. Their dedica-
tion to the profession is certainly noteworthy and beyond the call of duty.
III. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

Report Of The Director continued
A FOUR YEAR COMPARISON
Please note that the word “recorded” used throughout this section should be
interpreted as indicating that the results are based on only the items that were
mark-sensed by the students. Some of the students failed to mark items such
as their grade or gender.
SCHOOL & STUDENT REGISTRATIONS & AVERAGES
2003 2002 2001 2000
Registered schools 2,396 2,493 3,176 3,523
Registered students 183,830 188,530 203,170 249,260
Schools sending in results 2,737 2,390 2,600 3,362
Answer forms received 158,309 157,778 169,654 204,687
Recorded female participants 75,574 75,880 81,482 98,899
Recorded male participants 80,010 78,825 84,888 103,668
Average of all participants 10.27 11.09 10.00 8.66
Average of female participants 9.72 10.47 9.39 8.20
Average of male participants 10.79 11.68 10.60 10.93
Perfect papers 192 126 84 58
PARTICIPATION BY RECORDED GRADE LEVELS
GRADE 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
4 & 5 1,553 1,560 1,736 3,122 1,082
6 15,414 14,707 14,710 18,628 16,689
7 53,170 53,804 58,271 69,146 73,511
8 86,542 85,351 93,090 113,061 110,252
AVERAGE SCORE BY RECORDED GRADE LEVELS
GRADE 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
4 & 5 7.62 7.76 6.73 6.35 7.11
6 8.58 9.31 8.28 7.27 8.46
7 9.77 10.59 9.49 8.13 9.77
8 10.93 11.79 10.66 9.28 11.39
There were a total of 1,971 school winners at 2,396 schools, and the following
number of certificates were sent to schools: Gold – 8,004, Silver– 10,079,
Bronze– 12,163. While the AMC 8 is primarily intramural, the national results
make some comparison at that level viable, but the examination, which has
no established norms, is comparable to neither classroom nor placement tests.
The AMC 8 answer forms are retained for only 8 weeks after the exam.
IV. SCHOOL PLAQUE/NAMEPLATES
Many schools have continued to keep their school award plaque updated with
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Report Of The Director continued
the name of their school winner. A plaque/nameplate order form was enclosed
with your school results, however, if you no longer have this form in hand
you may contact our distributor directly at rixstinetrophy.com or you may
find it more convenient or timely to seek out a local engraver. Either way we
encourage those schools who possess this plaque to continue the tradition of
recognizing their mathematically talented students.
V. 2003 STATE TOP STUDENT PLAQUE
This year we are presenting 181 Top Student Plaque awards. This plaque is
awarded to the top scoring student in each state, from all of the U.S. Territories
and schools abroad, and from Canada. This student award program which
began in 1991, will continue to be presented on an annual basis. Each of our
State Directors is asked to arrange for the Governor of the State to present
the plaque to the state recipient. You will note, in this Summary are photos
of some of last year’s awardees.
VI. AREA OF PARTICIPATION
Participation in the AMC 8 extends beyond the USA. Registrations were
received from 40 APO/FPO Schools (Junior High or Middle Schools associ-
ated with U.S. military bases abroad), American schools associated with U.S.
Embassies, U.S. Territories (Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), Ca-
nadian, and foreign schools (including a group of 462 schools from Taiwan),
for a total of 6,444 students. Recognition is hereby given to those teachers
abroad who have provided an opportunity for their students to participate in
the AMC 8. A complete list of participating schools from foreign countries and
U.S. territories is found in this summary. We are grateful to the Department
of Defense for providing the financial support which enabled the students in
its dependent schools to participate in the AMC 8.
VII. DATE AND FORMAT OF THE 2004 AMC 8
The date of the 2004 AMC 8 is Tuesday, November 16. The exam will again
be a 40-minute, twenty-five question, multiple-choice contest. The scoring
procedure will be the same as in 2003: one point will be given for each correct
answer. Registration materials will be mailed to schools during the months of
May, September, and October. If you wish to register now, a 2004 Registration
Form has been included in this Summary on Page 143. We hope that your
school will participate again in the 2004 AMC 8.
Please complete your registration as early as possible. Contest materials will
be mailed in October and early November, so there is ample time for planning
and completion of pre-contest activities. We would be most grateful to you if
you would encourage neighboring schools to participate in the AMC 8.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals continues to place
the AMC 8 on its advisory list of contests and activities for 2004-2005.
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Report Of The Director continued
VIII. aCKnOWleDGeMenT
We are fortunate to have dedicated staff members who fulfill the responsibilities
associated with the entire examination process in a timely and efficient manner.
One can imagine all of the expected and unexpected duties and operations
that must be completed during the examination year. AMC staff members
include Donita Bowers, Marsha Conley, Rachelle Jensen, Linda McCormick,
Joyce McNeil, RuthAnn Royer, Sawsan Mohamed, Kay Michael, and Janet
Sylvester. Our University student helpers are Lindsey Domangue, Tuan Le,
Erin Johnson, Justin DeVries and Gabe Smith. I welcome this opportunity to
commend their excellent work.
IX. ReTIReMenT
Last spring Richard “Dick” Gibbs stepped down as Chair of the CAMC (Com-
mittee of the American Mathematics Competitions). He had been Chair for
two terms, and has seen us through all our recent changes and additions. We
express our gratitude to him for all his hard work and dedication.
X. sTaTe DIReCTORs, sPOnsORs, DOnORs anD
COMMITTees
In this summary you will find a list of the AMC 8 State Directors, sponsors,
donors, members of the Committee on the American Mathematics Compe-
titions (CAMC), and AMC 8 committee. In addition, the members of the
American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) Panel are listed, and they are
hereby recognized for submitting and reviewing potential problems for the
examinations of the AMC. The work of the State Directors is significant to
the success of the AMC 8. They send follow-up mailings and attend state
mathematics meetings to give talks about the examination in order to encourage
more schools to participate. The Directors receive no financial compensation
for their work. The CAMC recognizes these individuals for their outstanding
dedication to the profession of mathematics educators.
Special recognition is given for the work of the AMC 8 and CAMC committee
members. They devote considerable time, under the direction of Bonnie Leitch
(AMC 8 Chair) and Elgin Johnston (CAMC Chair), reviewing examination
policy, proposing problems, and developing the examination. The contribu-
tions of our sponsors and donors are hereby recognized. The significance of
the examination is greatly enhanced by their continued support.
XI. COnTRIbUTIOns Of
THe UnIVeRsITY Of nebRasKa
The AMC office has been located at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln since
970. For the past 4 years the University has made significant contributions
in support of the American Mathematics Competitions including providing
utilities, office space and the use of university facilities.
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Report Of The Director continued
XII. fInal COMMenTs
I welcome and appreciate your comments regarding this Summary and the
procedures associated with the AMC 8.
steven Dunbar, Director
The Mathematical Association of America American Mathematics Competitions
University of Nebraska, 740 Vine Street
Lincoln, NE 68588—0658
P: 800/527-690 F: 402/472-6087 eM: [email protected]
Dick Gibbs with Plaque
Dick Gibbs retired after serving for two terms as Chair of the CAMC. He will
be missed.
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MessaGe fROM THe aMC 8 CHaIR
Dear Teachers and Parents,
Thank you for the opportunity to share the 200 AMC 8 Con-
test with your children. We hope that the experience will be a
window into the world of mathematical excellence and fun.
More than forty math teachers and professors across the na-
tion have worked for over a year to create the forty-minute
contest your children wrestled with. We try to include puz-
zling, challenging, even curious and humorous problems in our
25-item mix.
Activities like our contest allow and encourage students to strive and excel in an
academic sphere. The contest is a rewarding experience where mathematical
curiosity and skill are, we hope, stimulated. The series of contests sponsored
by the American Mathematical Competitions is designed to inspire an interest
in mathematics that will lead to academic success, scholarship and a rewarding
career. Professionally and personally, competence in mathematics and math-
ematical understanding lead to success and an enriched life.
Of course, one of the best parts of the contest occurs right after your children
have taken the test. Many times students’ interest is highest then. We in the
committee hope that you can use this opportunity to talk about math with
your children. Use the alternate solutions to elicit creative approaches to the
problems. Perhaps explain some new mathematical concepts to the younger
middle school students who soon will be eighth graders. Talk about which
problems were easier or harder for your children and why.
Finally, thank you for all you do daily to help your children reach their potential
as people and as better mathematics students, no matter what their natural
abilities. You are one of our nation’s greatest resources for ensuring all children
a rich and rewarding future by promoting knowledge and understanding.
Bonnie Leitch
548 Hill Avenue
New Braunfels, TX 78130
830/606-5320 [email protected]
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