USAD Participant Survey
We want to hear your thoughts! Students, coaches, parents, and state directors, please complete this 10-question survey to help us improve the Academic Decathlon. Thank you for your time and your feedback.
Nationals 2022
The United States Academic Decathlon Board of Directors unanimously voted for the 2022 USAD and USAP Nationals to be held virtually. The decision was based on the health and safety for all of our student participants based on the new CDC and State Covid restrictions, regulations and guidelines. With consideration that many of our participants will be unable to cross borders to participate in nationals.
Due to continued grading issues in many schools and districts caused by the pandemic, GPAs for the 2021-2022 competition season will be calculated in accordance with the following:
-
GPAs will be based on one academic year of calculable grades (letter and/or numerical grades and not pass/fail), not two years as in the past.
-
Terms without calculable grades cannot be used.
-
GPA forms should represent a full-time student (four or more class periods that are Academic Decathlon acceptable) with calculable grades.
-
Grades used from the 2019-2020 academic year, including summer grades, must be calculated in the same way they were calculated for the 2020-2021 competition season.
-
Finding 12 months of calculable grades may require using graded terms from a year or two before the pandemic.
-
The 12 months of calculable grades may be separated by non-calculable terms (i.e. there may be a term or terms not used chronologically in the middle of the terms used).
-
Summer courses do not need to meet the minimum requirement of 4 Academic Decathlon acceptable courses to be included. Acceptable summer courses cannot be included to the previous Spring or Fall term to meet the minimum of 4 Academic Decathlon acceptable courses for that term.
The eligibility guidelines and GPA calculation forms have been updated for the 2021-22 season and can be found under the "Coaches" link: https://usad.org/Coaches/GPA.aspx
The outlines for the 2021-2022 Academic Decathlon curriculum have been posted!
Check out the video from the 2019 USAD Nationals in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Check out the video from 2019 USAP Nationals in Nashville, Tennessee.
United States Academic Decathlon®
The United States Academic Decathlon® is a ten-event scholastic competition for teams of high school students.
Each high school enters a team of nine students: 3 Honor students (3.80 - 4.00 GPA), 3 Scholastic students (3.20 - 3.799 GPA), and 3 Varsity students (0.00 - 3.199 GPA).
The theme for the 2021–2022 Academic Decathlon is Water: A Most Essential Resource.
United States Academic Pentathlon®
Get ready for the Decathlon: the rapidly-growing Pentathlon program allows middle school students a chance to start experiencing the benefits of Academic Decathlon ahead of schedule.
Academic Pentathlon is comprised of five academic events: Literature, Mathematics, Fine Arts, Science and Social Science.
Click here for more information.
USAD Individual Competition
The United States Academic Decathlon Individual Competition has been created to help individuals achieve their individual academic goals.
Home school students, alternative school students, team alternates, and Academic Decathlon team members, this competition is for you!
USAD International Competition
USAD continues to recruit new schools for the International Competition. All English speaking International Schools are encouraged to participate. Teams for the International Academic Decathlon are created in the same manner as for the Academic Decathlon. Click here to find out how to get involved!