Talented, Gifted and The Academic Decathlon

Parents of Talented and Gifted students face a dilemma. They want the best for their kids, but the best is often difficult to locate. The 'Best' often consists of programs of various sorts. These programs abound, but too many are trivial. They are often anti-intellectual. They produce very little in the way of concrete results. And while they are ubiquitous in the lower grades, they nearly disappear at the high school level. But there are exceptions.

I believe that the Academic Decathlon is one such exception. Corbett's experience seems to bear this out. Far from being another 'quiz game' or 'bee', the Academic Decathlon consists in an ambitious interdisciplinary curriculum (this year's topic is the French Revolution) and students prepare for exams in Literature, Economics, Science, History, Music, Art, and Math. They prepare speeches and deliver impromptu speeches. They sit for an interview, and they compete in an essay-writing event. It's a pretty exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting!) experience. It's a chance to compete on a national stage, and last year we brought home Oregon's first national gold medal (in Literature)! Decathletes compete for individual as well as team recognition.

While Corbett's program is only in its third year (we got in on the ground floor when Oregon started competing again in 2008) we already have a group of Decathletes who have made a spectacular transition from high school to higher education.

Our first competitive team (comprised of the minimum number of students required to participate) was formed in the Fall of 2007, won a state championship, and represented the State of Oregon at the 2008 national competition. Of those six, four returned for a second year of competition and a second state championship. Over all, five of the original six have graduated and can now be reached at Oregon State University, Vassar, Willamette University, and Reed College. The sixth is working toward a three-peat at the State competition and a third trip to Nationals.

In the Fall of 2008, the returning four decathletes were joined by five new competitors. Two of them have since taken their places among the university crowd, one in architecture and the other in art. The other three are competing again this year.

Of these eleven decathletes, who were selected to meet the event requirements that one third be 'C' students, one third 'B' students, and only one third could be 'A' students, five posted SAT scores in the top 2%. Two more scored in the top 10%. The eight team members who have graduated thus far passed a total of 53 Advanced Placement classes. One was Corbett's first AP National Scholar (one of 53 in the State of Oregon), and another was our first AP State Scholar (one of two in the state).

This year the Corbett Academic Decathlon program has taken another leap, and it includes about 90 students comprising two full teams: one for The Corbett School and one for Corbett Charter School. It is our goal to win first and second at the state competition and to provide another opportunity to compete on a national stage. Having finished 31st in the nation in 2009 and 27th in 2009, we are hoping to break into the top 20 this year. Patience and improvement are the hallmarks of our approach. We will see how it goes.

Meanwhile, the Academic Decathlon provides an opportunity for limitless growth for even the most gifted students. In the 40-year history of the national competition, brilliant students from throughout the country have tested their ability against this curriculum. In 40 years, no student has posted a perfect score. No student has scored even 95%. This is tough. It's challenging. This is a program that a talented student can pour heart and soul into and never be in danger of running out of meaningful work to do.