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< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON GENERAL FAQs Georgia Academic Decathlon Essay Competition FAQs Q: When is essay competition? A: The essay is written on computers at school or other location in your district, usually the first Wednesday and Thursday in February. (See the Dates and Registration page for this year's dates.) Q: Who should write essays for competition? A: The entire nine-person team must write at the same time, including up to three alternates. Q: What is the Mandatory Login and why is it important? A: The Mandatory Login usually takes place the Monday and Tuesday before the essay competition. The competition site is only available at certain, predetermined times so it is vital that each participant sign on using their given username and password to make sure there are no issues prior to competition. This login also allows participants to familiarize themselves with the program and practice answering a prompt. Q: How long do students have to write the essay? A: Students have 50 minutes to choose a topic, plan, write, and edit the essay. Q: How should students prepare for essay competition? A: Any practice writing an essay is helpful. One of the most valuable lessons for a timed essay is learning to use the time given appropriately (See "How can an essay be written in only 50 minutes?" below.) Revising and editing practice essays, especially with a peer editor, also builds writing skills. Q: How can an essay be written in only 50 minutes? A: Practice, practice, practice! Planning/prewriting should take no more than 10 minutes but is necessary to make sure that every aspect of the prompt is answered. Writing the essay should take about 30 minutes. This leaves 5-10 minutes for revising, proofreading, and editing. Q: What are some tips for writing essays? A: Do not summarize the text. Answer all parts of the prompt equally. Show you know what you are talking about. Use clear organization that is easy to follow but not formulaic. Support your ideas with specific examples, not just commentary. Skip lines between paragraphs because it is easier to read. If you choose a prompt that is a science topic, remember that your audience is typically English teachers. Q: What should I expect on the day of competition? A: You should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the testing time, even though you cannot log in before the scheduled time. This will allow you enough time to hear all instructions and be prepared before competition begins. You will choose one of three essay prompts to write about. There is a 60-minute window for each competition time, though each student has only 50 minutes to write the essay. The student screen counts down the time remaining, gives a 5-minute warning after 45 minutes, and shuts off at the end of 50 minutes. You may not leave the testing area until all essay tests have been completed and all papers collected. Q: If I don't know the answer to a prompt, what should I do? A: Look carefully at the prompts and choose the one you can best answer. Do not hurt your team's score by writing something that has nothing to do with the topic. Q: How are essays scored and who scores them? A: Two different judges separately score each essay. The average of these two scores becomes the final essay score. If the scores given by the two judges differ by 200 or more points, then the essay is read by a third scorer. The final score of the essay is the average of the two closest scores. The judges are mostly English teachers who have been trained to score essays using the rubric provided by USAD. The essay score is made up of two parts. The first 80% is based on the focus/score, organization, and content/development of the essay. An outstanding score in this area would address the prompt in an outstanding manner, respond to all aspects of the task, be organized clearly and consistently based on a strong central purpose that provides substantial and specific evidence to support major positions. The second 20% is based on language/style and conventions. An outstanding score in this area would demonstrate exceptional control of sentence structure and precise word choice, and is almost entirely free of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Q: What is allowed during competition? A: You are allowed to have two sheets of blank paper and a pen/pencil provided by the proctor (not your coach) to outline your essay if you choose to. The proctor will pick up this paper after competition. No other materials are allowed into the testing room. Q: What is not allowed during competition? A: No hats, drinks, or food. No names or identifying headings on the essay. No student is to leave the room during the testing period, except for emergencies. No talking during the testing time. No study materials in the essay room. No cell phones or other electronic devices. No other screens or programs may be open on the computer during testing. No extra time will be given. Q: Why is the essay written on the computer weeks before competition? A: Moving the essay competition online has some terrific benefits. Judges are able to score essays at their convenience over a longer period of time that improves validity and accuracy of scores. Illegible handwriting is no longer a concern. Finally, winning teams are better prepared for national competition. < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON GENERAL FAQs Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

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2024 STAR Region Winners STAR Region 1 Grayson Sneed STAR STUDENT Mr. Billy Singletary STAR TEACHER Whitfield County Coahulla Creek High School Kiwanis Club of Dalton STAR Region 3A Pranaya Balaji STAR STUDENT Mr. Joe League STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Andrew David Fang STAR STUDENT Mr. Doug Wolfe STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Omer Mustafa Inan STAR STUDENT Mrs. Tamara Hollingsworth STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Parv Mahajan STAR STUDENT Ms. Julia Rachkovskiy STAR TEACHER Gwinnett County Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Partnership Gwinnett STAR Region 3A Kinley Michelle Sikes STAR STUDENT Mr. Jason Hardin STAR TEACHER Cherokee County Creekview High School Canton Lions Club STAR Region 3A Jillian Vacha STAR STUDENT Mrs. Andrea Boyce STAR TEACHER Gwinnett County North Gwinnett High School Partnership Gwinnett STAR Region 3A Henry Yu STAR STUDENT Mr. Kent Ames STAR TEACHER Forsyth County South Forsyth High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3B Rush William Maples STAR STUDENT Ms. Christie Leanza STAR TEACHER Fayette County Starr's Mill High School Kiwanis Club of Fayette County STAR Region 5 Raymond Yao STAR STUDENT Mrs. Storie Atkins STAR TEACHER Muscogee County Columbus High School Rotary Club of Columbus STAR Region 6 William Steinfeld STAR STUDENT Mrs. Alisha Rochon STAR TEACHER Baldwin County Georgia Military College High School Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 8 Emiline Wayde Baxter STAR STUDENT Mr. AJ Goldman STAR TEACHER Chatham County Savannah Country Day School Kiwanis Club of Savannah STAR Region 9 Evan Jacob Ariail STAR STUDENT Mr. Charles Gammel STAR TEACHER Thomasville City Thomasville High School Kiwanis Club of Thomasville STAR Region 11 Cody Bryan Page STAR STUDENT Mr. Jess Coleman STAR TEACHER Ware County Ware County High School Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 2 Yumeng He STAR STUDENT Mrs. Nicole Ager STAR TEACHER Rabun County Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Rabun County Chamber of Commerce / Forward Rabun, Inc. STAR Region 3A Katherine Taylor Carter STAR STUDENT Ms. Alissa Jean STAR TEACHER Cobb County Wheeler High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Sebastian Flores STAR STUDENT Ms. Caitlen Stovall STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Denmark High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Gordon Lichtstein STAR STUDENT Mr. Henry Tsay STAR TEACHER Decatur City Decatur High School Decatur Rotary Club STAR Region 3A Kyan Nguyen STAR STUDENT Mr. Paul Chance STAR TEACHER Cobb County Wheeler High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Alexander Thomas STAR STUDENT Mr. Brad Davis STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Alliance Academy for Innovation Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Jillian Sara Yoder STAR STUDENT Mr. Elliott Reid STAR TEACHER Atlanta City North Atlanta High School Kiwanis Club of Atlanta, Inc. STAR Region 3A Hudson Zhou STAR STUDENT Ms. Saru Bhardwaj STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Lambert High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 4 John Nesbit STAR STUDENT Mr. Jake Forrester STAR TEACHER Oconee County Oconee County High School Oconee County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 6 Shiva Kevin Soundappan STAR STUDENT Mr. Daryl Leslie STAR TEACHER Houston County Houston County High School Perry Area Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 7 Samuel Joseph Hobbs STAR STUDENT Mr. Steven Hahn STAR TEACHER Columbia County Evans High School Harlem Woman's Club STAR Region 8 Eli Compton STAR STUDENT Mrs. Ashley Thompson STAR TEACHER Bulloch County Statesboro High School Bulloch County Foundation STAR Region 10 James Lanford Scott STAR STUDENT Mr. Jonathan Payne STAR TEACHER Lowndes County Lowndes High School Azalea City Civic Club

2024 STAR Region Winners STAR Region 1 Grayson Sneed STAR STUDENT Mr. Billy Singletary STAR TEACHER Whitfield County Coahulla Creek High School Kiwanis Club of Dalton STAR Region 3A Pranaya Balaji STAR STUDENT Mr. Joe League STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Andrew David Fang STAR STUDENT Mr. Doug Wolfe STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Omer Mustafa Inan STAR STUDENT Mrs. Tamara Hollingsworth STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Parv Mahajan STAR STUDENT Ms. Julia Rachkovskiy STAR TEACHER Gwinnett County Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Partnership Gwinnett STAR Region 3A Kinley Michelle Sikes STAR STUDENT Mr. Jason Hardin STAR TEACHER Cherokee County Creekview High School Canton Lions Club STAR Region 3A Jillian Vacha STAR STUDENT Mrs. Andrea Boyce STAR TEACHER Gwinnett County North Gwinnett High School Partnership Gwinnett STAR Region 3A Henry Yu STAR STUDENT Mr. Kent Ames STAR TEACHER Forsyth County South Forsyth High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3B Rush William Maples STAR STUDENT Ms. Christie Leanza STAR TEACHER Fayette County Starr's Mill High School Kiwanis Club of Fayette County STAR Region 5 Raymond Yao STAR STUDENT Mrs. Storie Atkins STAR TEACHER Muscogee County Columbus High School Rotary Club of Columbus STAR Region 6 William Steinfeld STAR STUDENT Mrs. Alisha Rochon STAR TEACHER Baldwin County Georgia Military College High School Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 8 Emiline Wayde Baxter STAR STUDENT Mr. AJ Goldman STAR TEACHER Chatham County Savannah Country Day School Kiwanis Club of Savannah STAR Region 9 Evan Jacob Ariail STAR STUDENT Mr. Charles Gammel STAR TEACHER Thomasville City Thomasville High School Kiwanis Club of Thomasville STAR Region 11 Cody Bryan Page STAR STUDENT Mr. Jess Coleman STAR TEACHER Ware County Ware County High School Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 2 Yumeng He STAR STUDENT Mrs. Nicole Ager STAR TEACHER Rabun County Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Rabun County Chamber of Commerce / Forward Rabun, Inc. STAR Region 3A Katherine Taylor Carter STAR STUDENT Ms. Alissa Jean STAR TEACHER Cobb County Wheeler High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Sebastian Flores STAR STUDENT Ms. Caitlen Stovall STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Denmark High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Gordon Lichtstein STAR STUDENT Mr. Henry Tsay STAR TEACHER Decatur City Decatur High School Decatur Rotary Club STAR Region 3A Kyan Nguyen STAR STUDENT Mr. Paul Chance STAR TEACHER Cobb County Wheeler High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Alexander Thomas STAR STUDENT Mr. Brad Davis STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Alliance Academy for Innovation Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Jillian Sara Yoder STAR STUDENT Mr. Elliott Reid STAR TEACHER Atlanta City North Atlanta High School Kiwanis Club of Atlanta, Inc. STAR Region 3A Hudson Zhou STAR STUDENT Ms. Saru Bhardwaj STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Lambert High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 4 John Nesbit STAR STUDENT Mr. Jake Forrester STAR TEACHER Oconee County Oconee County High School Oconee County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 6 Shiva Kevin Soundappan STAR STUDENT Mr. Daryl Leslie STAR TEACHER Houston County Houston County High School Perry Area Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 7 Samuel Joseph Hobbs STAR STUDENT Mr. Steven Hahn STAR TEACHER Columbia County Evans High School Harlem Woman's Club STAR Region 8 Eli Compton STAR STUDENT Mrs. Ashley Thompson STAR TEACHER Bulloch County Statesboro High School Bulloch County Foundation STAR Region 10 James Lanford Scott STAR STUDENT Mr. Jonathan Payne STAR TEACHER Lowndes County Lowndes High School Azalea City Civic Club

< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Georgia Academic Decathlon Columbus High School Earns First State Title FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Michelle Crawford, State Director PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon mcrawford@pageinc.org Click here for a printable version of this press release. MUSCOGEE’S COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL WINS SCHOOL’S FIRST STATE ACADEMIC DECATHLON TITLE Columbus High School took state championship honors at this year’s Georgia Academic Decathlon State Competition, sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) in partnership with Kennesaw State University. First row (from left) Aaron Dorbu, Patch Hearn, Owen Steele, Tristian Patterson, and Utkarsh Anand . Second row (from left) JC Bush, Katie Krump, Coach Julie Garner, and Sun Choi. Not pictured Carl Tutton. ATLANTA – Mar 3, 2025 – Muscogee County Public Schools’ Columbus High School captured its first PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon (GAD) State Championship. The competition was held Friday, Feb. 21, through Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025 at Kennesaw State University. The team scored the highest total points overall in the competition, earning the Howard Stroud Championship Trophy. Columbus High School is a Division I, (based on Round 2 scores) participant, and will be submitted as the Georgia representative to the annual United States Academic Decathlon® (USAD®) National Competition, May 1-3, 2025. This year’s national competition will be in Des Moines, Iowa. Clayton County’s Elite Scholars Academy also earned an invitation to attend USAD’s Nationals as the overall 2nd place team in the State Competition. For the first time, USAD is assigning national teams to divisions based on their scores. In addition to Georgia’s first and second place teams earning the opportunity to compete at in-person nationals, GAD was able to offer bids to the next-highest-scoring teams in state competition as long as the teams were in a different USAD size division than the champions. North Atlanta High School from Atlanta Public Schools, and, Davidson Fine Arts Academy from Richmond County Schools advance to national competition. This is the first appearance for Davidson. USAD also sponsors an Online National Competition for Small, Medium, and Large Schools, based on school enrollment, held in conjunction with the national finals. The Georgia representatives in this category are: · Westover High School from Dougherty County (Large School Online Competition) · Model High School from Floyd County (Medium School Online Competition) · Armuchee High School from Floyd County (Small School Online Competition) In overall scoring, Division I (higher Round 2 scores) winners include: · Champion — Columbus High School , coached by Julie Garner · First Runner-up — Elite Scholars Academy , coached by C. Jack Smith · Second Runner-up — North Atlanta High School , coached by Dr. Deanna Hasty, Dr. Usha Patke, and D’Andra McPhail In overall scoring, Division II (lower Round 2 scores) winners include: · Champion — Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School , coached by Melody Spires-Howe, and James Samaha · First Runner-up — Model High School , coached by Sarah Syverson, Tara Workman, and Angelique Armas-Alvarenga · Second Runner-up — Monroe Comprehensive High School from Dougherty County, coached by Timothy Hardwick, and David Wilschetz Glenn Hills High School from Richmond County, coached by Lutongel Few, and Harry Desile, captured Rookie of the Year honors, awarded to the highest-scoring team making its first appearance at in-person state competition. This year’s Highest Scoring Students are all from Columbus High School. They are: · Varsity: JC Bush · Scholastic: Patrick Hearn · Honor: Owen Steele More than 140 high school students from throughout the state competed in the academic event. The program is unique because each nine-member team is made up of three honor students, three scholastic students, and three varsity students as determined by their USAD grade point averages. Each year, the program features a different overall curriculum topic, and this year’s curriculum is Our Changing Climate . The 10 events that compose the decathlon are: · Testing in seven content areas: economics, art, literature, mathematics, science, social science, and music · Three communication events: public speaking, personal interview, and written essay · Super Quiz: the final event comprised of questions from all seven of the testing areas. This year’s winners in the Super Quiz competition were: · Champion — Columbus High School · First Runner-up — Elite Scholars Academy · Second Runner-up — Westover High School For a complete list of awards and individual medal winners, visit www.pageinc.org/gad/gadstatewinners/ . Now celebrating 50 years of service to Georgia educators and students, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) is the state’s largest and most trusted educator association. PAGE exists to support our members who work in every Georgia public school. Through unparalleled legal coverage, one-on-one coaching, legislative advocacy, professional learning, grants, scholarships, and more, PAGE helps members succeed in all stages of their careers. And, through programs such as STAR (Student and Teacher Achievement Recognition), FGE (Future Georgia Educators), GAD (Georgia Academic Decathlon), and Academic Bowl for Middle Grades, PAGE honors and encourages excellence in education. Professional Association of Georgia Educators PO Box 942270 Atlanta, GA 31141-2270 770-216-8555 / 800-334-6861 < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< Back to GAD Home Georgia Academic Decathlon 2024 Medalists Music Varsity Gold Angelica Jones Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Schools Silver Evyn Laing Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Schools Melody Echere AR Johnson Magnet School Richmond County Schools Bronze Cooper Holihan North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Logan Hunton Armuchee High School Floyd County Schools Scholastic Gold Kristina Nguyen Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Schools Silver Deborah Gadri Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Schools Bronze Kaili Wheeler Armuchee High School Floyd County Schools Honor Gold Tony Doan Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Schools Silver Delaney Reese Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Schools Bronze Walker Gallman Model High School Floyd County Schools Owen Steele Columbus High School Muscogee County Schools Han Tran Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Schools Mariyo Mayette BEST Academy Atlanta Public Schools RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

2024 STAR Region Winners STAR Region 1 Grayson Sneed STAR STUDENT Mr. Billy Singletary STAR TEACHER Whitfield County Coahulla Creek High School Kiwanis Club of Dalton STAR Region 3A Pranaya Balaji STAR STUDENT Mr. Joe League STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Andrew David Fang STAR STUDENT Mr. Doug Wolfe STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Omer Mustafa Inan STAR STUDENT Mrs. Tamara Hollingsworth STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Parv Mahajan STAR STUDENT Ms. Julia Rachkovskiy STAR TEACHER Gwinnett County Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Partnership Gwinnett STAR Region 3A Kinley Michelle Sikes STAR STUDENT Mr. Jason Hardin STAR TEACHER Cherokee County Creekview High School Canton Lions Club STAR Region 3A Jillian Vacha STAR STUDENT Mrs. Andrea Boyce STAR TEACHER Gwinnett County North Gwinnett High School Partnership Gwinnett STAR Region 3A Henry Yu STAR STUDENT Mr. Kent Ames STAR TEACHER Forsyth County South Forsyth High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3B Rush William Maples STAR STUDENT Ms. Christie Leanza STAR TEACHER Fayette County Starr's Mill High School Kiwanis Club of Fayette County STAR Region 5 Raymond Yao STAR STUDENT Mrs. Storie Atkins STAR TEACHER Muscogee County Columbus High School Rotary Club of Columbus STAR Region 6 William Steinfeld STAR STUDENT Mrs. Alisha Rochon STAR TEACHER Baldwin County Georgia Military College High School Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 8 Emiline Wayde Baxter STAR STUDENT Mr. AJ Goldman STAR TEACHER Chatham County Savannah Country Day School Kiwanis Club of Savannah STAR Region 9 Evan Jacob Ariail STAR STUDENT Mr. Charles Gammel STAR TEACHER Thomasville City Thomasville High School Kiwanis Club of Thomasville STAR Region 11 Cody Bryan Page STAR STUDENT Mr. Jess Coleman STAR TEACHER Ware County Ware County High School Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 2 Yumeng He STAR STUDENT Mrs. Nicole Ager STAR TEACHER Rabun County Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Rabun County Chamber of Commerce / Forward Rabun, Inc. STAR Region 3A Katherine Taylor Carter STAR STUDENT Ms. Alissa Jean STAR TEACHER Cobb County Wheeler High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Sebastian Flores STAR STUDENT Ms. Caitlen Stovall STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Denmark High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Gordon Lichtstein STAR STUDENT Mr. Henry Tsay STAR TEACHER Decatur City Decatur High School Decatur Rotary Club STAR Region 3A Kyan Nguyen STAR STUDENT Mr. Paul Chance STAR TEACHER Cobb County Wheeler High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Alexander Thomas STAR STUDENT Mr. Brad Davis STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Alliance Academy for Innovation Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Jillian Sara Yoder STAR STUDENT Mr. Elliott Reid STAR TEACHER Atlanta City North Atlanta High School Kiwanis Club of Atlanta, Inc. STAR Region 3A Hudson Zhou STAR STUDENT Ms. Saru Bhardwaj STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Lambert High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 4 John Nesbit STAR STUDENT Mr. Jake Forrester STAR TEACHER Oconee County Oconee County High School Oconee County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 6 Shiva Kevin Soundappan STAR STUDENT Mr. Daryl Leslie STAR TEACHER Houston County Houston County High School Perry Area Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 7 Samuel Joseph Hobbs STAR STUDENT Mr. Steven Hahn STAR TEACHER Columbia County Evans High School Harlem Woman's Club STAR Region 8 Eli Compton STAR STUDENT Mrs. Ashley Thompson STAR TEACHER Bulloch County Statesboro High School Bulloch County Foundation STAR Region 10 James Lanford Scott STAR STUDENT Mr. Jonathan Payne STAR TEACHER Lowndes County Lowndes High School Azalea City Civic Club