Twenty-one high schools participate in Delco Hi-Q. Each school team has ten members, and each school hosts one contest during the regular season. Three teams compete at each regular season match, and there are three rounds in each match.
Questions, prepared from 14 subjects, cover standard high school course content as well as general scholastic knowledge that students are expected to have acquired. Guidelines and specific reference material are provided to each team at the start of each season.
Each participating high school hosts at least one regular season Hi-Q match. Team standings are determined by total cumulative earned points.
At the end of the regular season, the highest scoring team bypasses the semi-final round to advance directly to the championship round. Teams ranking second through seventh compete in the semifinal round before advancing to the championship match.
Four of the six semi-finalists will be eliminated during the semi-final matches. The second highest ranking team competes against teams ranking sixth and seventh. The third highest ranking team competes against teams ranking fourth and fifth.
The two semi-finalists compete against the season’s highest ranking school for the championship. The winning team is awarded the coveted Donna Zerby Trophy and $3,000 for their school. Second and third place teams earn for their schools cash awards of $2,500 and $2,000 respectively. The Most Improved team also receives a cash award.
All Delco Hi-Q teams are recognized at the annual Partners in Education Celebration, an awards banquet that highlights academic achievements in Delaware County and its neighboring communities.
SUBJECTS
Participants are asked questions on a variety of subjects. Students are provided with a reference list before the start of each season.
STANDARD
- American History
- American Government
- Art History
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Current Events
- Geography
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Shakespeare
- World History
