GCI Alaska Academic Decathlon

Team Eligibility Guidelines

Alaska - Blended Teams - Because of the diversity and rural schools in Alaska with so many remote locations and small schools, USAD allows us to have blended teams from 1A-3A school districts only. If there are schools in small districts that can't put a team together from their own school, they can join together with other schools in their districts to form a district team. School Districts may send more than one team to State.  

A team consists of nine full-time students from the ninth through twelfth grades. A full-time student is defined as a student who is enrolled in four or more class periods per day. Each team is made up of three Honor students, three Scholastic students, and three Varsity students as determined by the following grade point average definition: 

• 3.75 - 4.00 GPA Honors Division

• 3.00 - 3.74 GPA Scholastic Division

• 0.00 - 2.99 GPA Varsity Division

Contestants may compete in a higher division than their own grade point average division but not in a lower division. Each team member competes in all ten events of the Decathlon and is eligible for individual medals in all ten events. Only six scores count for the final team standing in the competition, the top two Honor scores, the top two Scholastic scores, and the top two Varsity scores. Therefore, schools may enter with fewer than nine members and still be eligible for team awards as long as there are at least two Honor, two Scholastic, and two Varsity members. 

Schools are encouraged to have an alternate for each division. One alternate per division will be allowed to participate in all events, but cannot win medals and their scores will not be counted for team awards. An alternate may not be substituted for a regular team member after the competition has begun. An additional or second team from individual high schools will be allowed to participate in all events, but will not be eligible to receive individual or team awards.

The State Academic Decathlon organization has the full authority to declare the first place team ineligible to attend the National Finals in accordance with the rules and practices of its own state organization and may send the second place team to represent their state. 

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Computation of Grade Point Averages

The "focus semesters" for GPA computation go back two years prior to the present grade level of the contestant. Example: If the contestant is a 12th grader in September of the competition year, then the semesters that are used for GPA computation are all of the 10th grade, all of the 11th grade, and the summer sessions between 10th and 11th grades and between 11th and 12th grades.  This same "two year rule" applies to 9th, 10th and 11th graders.  Alaska Academic Decathlon needs the student’s official transcripts for these same "focus semesters". 

The following guidelines are to be used to compute official Decathlon grade point averages. These criteria must be followed to ensure uniformity and equity among all participants in the Alaska Academic Decathlon.

1. Grades for the following academic subjects shall be used in grade point computation for competition purposes:

Grades for all other courses shall be excluded from the GPA compilation. Inquiries regarding borderline courses should be referred to the State Director who will make the determination based on the academic nature of the course, and who will then implement the decision uniformly throughout the state.

2. For alpha grades, all A’s will count 4.0, all B’s will count 3.0, all C’s will count 2.0, and all D’s will count 1.0. Anything below D will count 0 points. When numerical grades appear on the transcript in place of alpha grades, they shall be converted to alpha grades according to the official conversion scale that appears on the school's official transcript or in the school's official profile.

3. If a student receives a Fail in any academic course, the F is counted in averaging the student's grades even though no credit is given. When a course has been failed prior to the focus period for which the GPA is being computed but repeated during that period, only the repeat grade is counted. When a course is failed and repeated during the focus semesters, both grades will be counted in the GPA.

4. Incomplete or pass/fail grades are not included in computing the GPA unless the student received an F that appears on the transcript. Once a grade is given to remove an incomplete, that grade must be used to determine the Decathlon GPA. If only pass/fail grades are assigned, the State Director will determine an evaluation scale in concert with the USAD Testing and Competition Coordinator.

5. Community or college courses are included in the GPA only if high school credit is given and the course is listed on the official school transcript.

6. A grade, regardless of whether it is advanced placement, honors, regular, or remedial classification, will count the face value of the final grade as reflected on the official transcript. No weighting of grades for honors classes will be included even if this is the local district policy. An "A" grade, therefore, will count 4 points for Decathlon computation even if it counts 5 points within the local system. Under no circumstances may an "A" grade count three points. The letter grade shown on the transcript will be used in computing GPA regardless of any plus or minus. State Directors may determine standards for eligibility for students from schools with non-traditional grading systems. Such standards should be communicated to USAD for approval prior to the state competition.

7. If a school or a teacher has a policy of changing grades subsequent to receipt of advanced placement test scores, the new grade must be used for the computation of the Decathlon GPA.

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Verification of Eligibility

Each high school will submit official transcripts of team members to the State Director. The Competition GPA Verification Chairperson (Carol Miernyk) shall check the GPA computation in accordance with the above guidelines and verify eligibility of each team member. The team coach shall be notified of any discrepancies.

Foreign students are eligible to participate in the Academic Decathlon. A foreign student who does not possess a valid transcript may participate in the Honors category. If a coach wishes to qualify a foreign student for the Scholastic or Varsity categories, the coach must provide adequate evidence that the student performed at a relative B or C status within the foreign system during the two years prior to participation in the Decathlon.

For the National Finals, the State Director must file a team certification guaranteeing that this is the same team that won the State Championship and that all team members are eligible for the categories as indicated. Official transcripts must accompany this form. In addition, USAD may request seventh semester transcripts directly from the high school in order to verify eligibility.

Questions regarding computing the Decathlon GPA or eligibility of students should be addressed to the State Director, Curtiss Clifton, at:

    Phone: (907) 868-6994 

    e-mail: gciaad@gci.net 

   or the National organization, USAD, at:

    Phone: 562-626-0092

    Fax:     562-626-0098

    e-mail: usad@usad.org

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Awards

Teams are only eligible to win in one category. 

• Overall State Champion - 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Team Trophies and Individual Medals

• Division 1 Small Schools - 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Team Trophies and Individual Medals

• Division 2 Medium Schools - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Team Trophies and Individual Medals

• Division 3 Large Schools - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Team Trophies and Individual Medals

• Super Quiz -1st, 2nd and 3rd place Team Award and Individual Medals

• Each Event - 1st, 2nd, 3rd place medals for Honors, Scholastic, and Varsity

• The top-scoring student on each team will receive special recognition

• All participants receive a certificate of participation

• All ties will be awarded

Speech Showcase

The overall Honors, Scholastic and Varsity Student will present their speech before the Awards Banquet audience.

Scholarships

Nine $1,000 scholarships are given. Three per division: 3 Honors, 3 Scholastic and 3 Varsity determined by the top overall scores in each division.

GPA Verification Chairperson 

  Carol Myernik

Participation in the Alaska Academic Decathlon is voluntary and is open to all students 
regardless of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability or handicap.

This eligibility guideline has been adopted from the USAD eligibility guidelines.