Academic Decathlon

Grades 9-12 Fact Sheet

The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools promotes student achievement by providing a forum in which teams in grades 9-12 may engage in rigorous academic preparation through cooperative interaction. This year’s theme is “The Age of Empire”, providing challenge, powerful academic growth, and tremendous rewards for the students involved.

What is the Academic Decathlon? Like the Decathlon of the ancient Greeks, the San Bernardino County Academic Decathlon consists of ten exacting and exciting competitions. But, while the Greek events were contests of physical strength, the San Bernardino County event is a test of academic strength and endurance. County champions are provided an opportunity to participate at the state and national levels of this prestigious event.

The goals of the Academic Decathlon are: to encourage students to develop a greater respect for knowledge, to promote wholesome inter-school competition in academic areas of study and interest; to stimulate intellectual growth and achievement; and to encourage public interest and awareness of outstanding programs in secondary schools.

Academic Decathlon Events: Seven core-curriculum areas are tested for academic strength, as well as three areas of communication skills.

Tests/Communication Skills: Math, Economics, Science, Music, Art, Language and Literature, Super Quiz, Essay, Interview and Speech.

Registration Fee: There is a $750.00 registration fee per team.

Team Selection: Each participating school sends a team of six to nine students to the County competition. A full team consists of nine students from the ninth through twelfth grades. The team may be comprised of all freshmen, all sophomores, all juniors, all seniors, or a combination. These members can be any combination of males and/or females. Each full team includes three Varsity, three Scholastic, and three Honor students. Although a team may have fewer than nine students, it should not have fewer than six students in order to be eligible for awards. Those six students must be 2 Honor, 2 Scholastic, and 2 Varsity.

Varsity = 0.00 - 2.99 GPA Scholastic = 3.00 - 3.74 GPA Honor = 3.75 - 4.00 GPA

Awards and Recognition Banquet: Individual and team winners in all events will be recognized at an awards ceremony held February 9, 2012, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the National Orange Show. For information regarding Banquet reservations contact Becky Gilkerson, 909/386-2979.

2011-2012 ACADEMIC DECATHLON
"The Age of Empire"