California State Science Fair
Project Allocations — 2007

The California State Science Fair intends to maintain the number of projects presented at the Fair at the same level as in recent years. Based upon our experience with the results of allocations in the years since 1998 when allocations were first necessitated, we have established this year's allocation to each affiliate as given in the table below. Built into these allocations is the assumption that a certain fraction will not be utilized, so that the total of all allocations is significantly greater than our participation target. Unutilized allocations of one affiliate will not be reassigned to another.

This year the allocations to all affiliates have been adjusted from last year in an effort to minimize disruption from significant changes in allocations, while simultaneously better accounting for the quality of projects across affiliates. This quality is monitored by the fraction of each affiliate’s projects receiving category awards, averaged over the past five fairs. Affiliates whose projects have won more (or less) than the State average will find their allocation from last year adjusted up (or down) in proportion to this quality measure and the size of their previous allocation. This is the same policy as applied last year and was first announced in 2005. It is anticipated that average project quality will remain high in importance in setting future allocations.

It is the continuing intention of the California State Science Fair to balance the competing goals of raising the quality of projects exhibited at the Fair, providing opportunities for participation to students without an established history of strong science fairs in their geographical region, and fairly recognize all affiliates, large and small, urban and rural, well- and poorly-supported, throughout the entire State of California.

Most affiliates will find insignificant changes in their allocation to CSSF given in the table immediately below. As one measure of the size of these changes, fewer than one-third (8 of 28) have changed by more than one from last year. Small fairs are guaranteed not to have their allocations reduced below the baseline of 6 as specified in previous years.

In cases where these revised allocations cause extreme difficulties, affected affiliates are urged to contact us immediately. Similarly, we welcome your comments regarding the fairness of the allocations given above by emailing directly to us.