The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) proudly hosts extracurricular student events and competitions for local students, including the Sacramento County Academic Decathlon and the Gordon D. Schaber Mock Trial & Moot Court Competitions. SCOE encourages schools to participate in these programs for high school students to stimulate interest, create a rich academic learning environment, and foster academic achievement.
Sign Up to Learn More
To answer questions and provide more information about what it’s like to participate, two informational meetings are being conducted online:
- Sign Up to Learn About Academic Decathlon—connect with program staff by Zoom to learn more about Academic Decathlon and how to start/add a team
- Zoom link for online information meeting (9/7/23 at 4 p.m.)
- Sign Up to Learn About Mock Trial & Moot Court—connect with program staff by Zoom to learn more about Mock Trial & Moot Court
- Zoom link for online information meeting (9/14/23 at 4 p.m.)
About the Programs
Academic Decathlon
High school teams participating in the Sacramento County Academic Decathlon are given an annual theme and study subjects like science or music using the curriculum provided by the United States Academic Decathlon. Events include multiple-choice tests in different subjects. Students also deliver prepared and impromptu speeches, write essays, and compete in the Super Quiz (a bowl-style competition held in front of a live audience). In addition to mastering the extensive academic content, students learn teamwork, goal setting, planning, and leadership skills.
Mock Trial
The Mock Trial competition simulates a trial-level proceeding in which students play the roles of pretrial counsel, prosecuting and defense attorneys, witnesses, court clerks, and bailiffs before a single presiding judge and two to three scoring judges who score individuals based on their legal arguments and presentations. Competitions take place in January and February.
Moot Court
The Moot Court competition simulates an appellate-level proceeding in which students prepare and argue a case before a panel of three judges who evaluate the students on the quality and persuasiveness of their legal reasoning and presentation, as well as their unscripted responses to spontaneous questions from the bench. Competitions take place in January and February.