Overview
The United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) is a national academic competition. The Chicago Public Schools has the largest number of student participants than any school district in the nation.
At CPS, approximately 70 high schools compete; each school has a nine-member team. Each team has three students with an A average, three with a B average and three with a C average. Students are tested in 10 academic areas and the USAD offers three levels of competition (honors, scholastic, and varsity) as teams advance through the process of competitive elimination.
CPS students compete at two citywide competitions and the citywide winner then progresses to the state competition. The culminating event is the national competition where students compete against other state championship teams.
The 28th Annual USAD Nationals Competition will take place April 22–25, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee. The overarching theme for the 2008-2009 school year is Latin America.
Goals
- Develop and provide academic competition to promote learning and academic excellence
- Foster teamwork among students of all achievement levels
- Provide an opportunity for students to excel academically through team competition
Program Benefits
- Strengthen self-esteem
- Develop school pride
- Foster a team spirit and spirit of cooperation
- Improve academic achievement
Resources
For more information on the national competition, please visit the USAD’s website.
