CESA 7

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the criteria for team selection?

The unique format of each team consists of A, B and C, Level students.  The Academic Decathlon focuses on the importance of developing well-rounded individuals and provides incentive for the average student, as well as providing the opportunity for academically talented students to participate in intellectual activities.  

The skills obtained and practiced are used throughout life and in corporate America.  Businesses of the future need our high school students of today to gain skills, knowledge and confidence to remain competitive.

Are volunteers needed?

How can I help financially support

the Decathlon?

WIAD is a non-profit organization sponsored 100% through private donations and team registration fees.  The program has an established 501(c) (3) designation.  You may chose to make a monetary contribution toward general operational expenses or sponsor an event, award or scholarship at competition.  

Tax deductible contributions to the Wisconsin Academic Decathlon Foundation, Inc. are exempt from federal income tax, EIN 39-1860126, under Section 509(a)(3) Type I of the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3).

Without  financial support from all of our Wisconsin communities, this successful program cannot continue.  For sponsorship information, contact the State Director, Molly Ritchie, at 608/845-3544 or by email at mritchie@wiad.org.

How do I register?

You may register May 1 thru October 7   by completing your Registration/Application Form, also available on line, and submitting it via the mail to:  CESA 7, WIAD, 595 Baeten Road, Green Bay, WI  54304. 

Your team is officially registered upon application approval by the WIAD Office.  You will receive an acknowledgement memo approximately 3 working days after receiving the team's registration form; if you do not receive acknowledgement a week after registering, contact the WIAD Office.

Note:  After October 7, a late registration fee is applied.

Late team registrations will NOT be accepted after October 14.

When do we pay the entry fee?

Anytime from May 1 to November 1.  Do not delay in sending in your Team Registration Form because you don't have the entry fee.  Upon receipt of this form, your school district will be billed for the entry fee and you will be put on the active registration list to receive testing materials and all communications.

All fees are non-refundable.  Your team registration also assumes the commitment to accept the opportunity to advance to the next level of competition when the team score warrants it.

Where do I go with questions throughout the season?

The Competition Handbook.   Testing schedules for Local and Regional Competition are listed along with program information. 

The handbook demonstrates how to verify students' GPAs for team eligibility and provides the policies, rules, and regulations for competing at the Local and Regional levels of competition. 

Most, if not all, of your questions are addressed in the handbook.

A copy may be purchased for $25 when a team registers, or a coach may download the handbook from the WIAD website at no cost:

http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/content/acadec/Competition_Handbook.asp

When are transcripts due?

You are requested to submit your transcripts at the Local Competition site -- review Section III Transcript Verification in the Competition Handbook to determine team members' GPA.

Failure to submit official transcripts will result in team disqualification. 

It is the school's responsibility to verify that each student is eligible to compete at their A, B or C level according to Decathlon GPA Guidelines.  All transcripts are forwarded to the WIAD Office for verification of the eligibility of your team for Regional advancement.

What if I have extra students that I want to test at the Local round?

The Academic Decathlon Program allows the school to register more than one team.  In this way, you can give the Academic Decathlon experience to more students than your official team. 

The second team is charged a $300 entry fee -- a $50 reduced fee from the first team; however, only one team may advance to Regional Competition.

Click Here to download registration form.

(Your regional team may be comprised of a combination of students from your local teams.)

Additional alternates (1 to 5 students), short of a full nine-member team, are also allowed to take the Local tests -- with their registered team -- for a "reduced" fee. 

Note:  Alternate team members will NOT be eligible to receive award ribbons.  Contact the WIAD Office for more information.

Click Here to download alternate team registration form.

NO.   A student may test UP to a higher level, but not DOWN. 

For placement on the team roster, a Varsity student can test at any level.  A Scholastic student can test at the Scholastic level or may be moved UP to test at the Honor level.  An Honor student can ONLY test at the Honor level.

What if we don't get enough students to have 9 on the team?

You still can have an official team if you have at least 2 Honor, 2 Scholastic, and 2 Varsity students.

You may test with an 'incomplete' (less than 6 students) team for the experience at Local Competition.  Students are still eligible for individual award ribbons.  This may help you to develop your team for next year. 

Or, view the "Cooperative Team" option under the next bullet.

Is it possible for students from two different schools to form one team?

Yes, the option to form a "Cooperative Team" is available providing that one, or both of the schools do not currently participate. 

An application must be filed with the WIAD Office and permission granted from the interested school district(s).

Contact mritchie@wiad.org for an application form.

Do we need to purchase the USAD materials?

To be competitive and give your students the best opportunity for success in advancing to the next level of competition, you must have the USAD® curriculum materials, including the assigned novel and the Study Guide. 

USAD® produces a music CD with all the selected excerpts needed for the audio portion of the music test, an Art Booklet with reproductions of the selected pieces of art, Resource Guides and Student Exercise Books for each of the written test subjects. 

What if I have a student who was home-schooled?

Home-schooled students can only be allowed to participate if the school/district, that they would normally attend, allows home-schooled students to participate in other extracurricular activities.   

If the State Director allows home-schooled students to participate, these students will automatically be classified as HONOR 'A' students.

When should we start?

Get organized in the spring.

Start recruiting potential team members so they can listen to the music CD and read the novel over the summer.  Order your study materials from USAD in May for August distribution.

Attend the annual Coaches' Workshop in the fall. 

Can we use a word processor or dictionary to write the essay?

Can an alternate student submit a written essay?

YES, an alternate student for Regional Competition is allowed to write the essay within the dates specified (test window) by the State Director.

Coach may request up to three EXTRA essay booklets for alernate students if coach had a double team at Local Competition, or if he carried alternates. 

E-mail request to acadec@cesa7.k12.wi.us - two weeks prior to the regional Essay Test Window.

What if I have a sick or missing student during the essay test window?

There is no make-up of the essay test. 

All students must write during the test window. 

Absent students (regardless of reason) will receive a "0" score. 

When do we receive test answer sheets

for Regional Competition?

Test answer sheets are not sent to the coach, as is done for Local Competition.

Test answer sheets are provided for the students in the test rooms at each site.

What if I have a question on a course's content?

Contact State Director for verification at mritchie@wiad.org