In collaboration with the
National Catholic Educational Association
What is the Catholic Academic Junior High Decathlon?
- The Academic Junior High Decathlon is a one-day competition for Catholic School students in grades 6-8. This year the event will be in-person where available and online/virtual for schools not in the vicinity of an in-person event.
- Schools register online – 2 options – 1.) with 10 students on a team participating in the full day, or 2.) with 1-5 students competing in Individual Subject tests only as a POD (Part of Decathlon)
- There are 10 events:
- Two are collaborative team efforts – a Logic Quiz with 20 rigorous thinking problems, and a Super Quiz with 50 multiple choice questions on five broad academic themes.
- The remaining eight events test individual knowledge of the Roman Catholic doctrine, English, Literature, Science, Mathematics, Current Events, Social Studies, and Fine Arts (Art and Music).
- Topics for these events are available on a Resource List in September.
- Study Guides (practice tests and guidance) are available for purchase separately, in October.
- Awards are given for individual and team performance, and the winning school team from each geographic arch/diocese, and winners of individual subject tests competes in a National championship which is held shortly after the main competition.
History
The Catholic Schools Academic Decathlon was founded in September of 1989 by Dr. Mark Ryan who was then a junior high teacher at St. Aloysius School in south-central Los Angeles. Dr. Ryan had a vision for an academic event to parallel the athletic competitions so prevalent in schools. What began as a tiny competition involving a handful of schools from the greater Los Angeles area has grown to become a statewide event involving Catholic junior high students from across the United States.
The Decathlon is under the guiding jurisdiction of the California Catholic State Superintendents Curriculum Committee (CCSSCC).
Arizona
Phoenix
California
Fresno
Los Angeles
Monterey
Oakland
Orange
Sacramento
San Bernardino
San Diego
San Francisco
Santa Rosa
Colorado
Denver
Georgia
Atlanta
Participating Dioceses
Iowa
Dubuque
Illinois
Rockford
Massachusetts
Fall River
Rhode Island
Providence
Texas
El Paso
Galveston-Houston
San Antonio
Utah
Salt Lake City
Virginia
Arlington
Washington
Seattle
Wisconsin
Milwaukee
Washington, D.C.