Eligibility (1 Student Athlete per age Group)
The purpose of this award is to recognize academic success in the classroom. To be eligible for the University City Sports Association Award for Educational Excellence, students at each award level (elementary & middle) must meet the requirements in Category A. If a school does not have letter grades, a student must meet the requirements in Category B.
A. Grade Point Average: Students are to earn a grade point average of 90 on a 100 point scale, (an A on a letter scale or a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale).
When computing grade point averages at the respective award level, only the current grade to date will be recognized, not a cumulative of all
years.
B. School Criteria/Standards: Standards for the award are to be established by the UCSA that reflect a 90 percent level or higher on the
traditional grading scale. This allows the criteria to be applied fairly to all students. The primary indicators of excellence must be based on
academic achievement. UCSA may also consider, as part of the criteria, activities in which a student demonstrates high motivation, initiative,
integrity, intellectual depth, leadership qualities and/or exceptional judgment. UCSA may also require student essays and outstanding
attendance, but these activities must bear some relationship to the academic performance of a student.
Selection Criteria
University City Sports Association Award for Educational Achievement (All Student Athletes are eligible)
The purpose of this award is to recognize students that show outstanding educational growth, improvement, commitment or intellectual development in their academic subjects but do not meet the criteria for University City Sports Association Award for Educational Excellence. This award should not be compared to the University City Sports Association Award for Educational Excellence or be seen as a second tier award, for it recognizes a very different type of academic achievement. It is meant to encourage and reward students who work hard and give their best effort in school, often in the face of special obstacles to their learning.
This award is given at the Coaching Staff’s discretion based on the criteria developed at the UCSA (3.0 – 3.4 or 85 to 89 on a 100 point scale) The criteria should reflect the purpose of the award and must be applied fairly to all students. The following are examples of criteria for which the University City Sports Association Award for Educational Achievement may be presented:
Show tremendous growth but did not meet all the criteria for the University City Sports Association Award for Educational Excellence. Demonstrate commitment to learning in academics despite various obstacles. Maintain a school record that would have met the school's selection criteria for the University City Sports Association Award for Educational Excellence but illness, personal crisis, or special needs prevented the student from maintaining such high standards despite hard work. Achieve high scores or show outstanding growth, improvement, commitment or intellectual development in particular subjects, such as English, Math, Science, etc. Demonstrate achievement in the arts such as Music or Theater.