A team of 15 to 40 students under the direction of a coach play a four-quarter game focusing on questions that span 22 subjects grouped under the basic curriculum areas of math, English/language arts, science and social studies. Schools across the nation have contributed questions based on their curricula. Players use strategies to keep possession of a question sequence, learn teamwork as they huddle to answer a complex question, learn to problem-solve by preparing and presenting a solution to real-world problems, and engage in a fast-paced, quick-answer contest. In this academic sport, each NAL ® league participates in a regular season of play to determine a league champion.
Answer: Currently grades 5 through 9 in middle, intermediate, and junior-high schools participate. To participate, at least two teams of 15 – 30 students must be available to play against one another.
Answer: Yes. The NAL ® competition is structured much like a basketball game, so to participate you need at least two teams of 15 to 40 students each.
At least three working microphones should be available on the active player table. A microphone must also be available to the judges. A quick response button or buzzer board,
connected to a buzzer and a light, should be within reach of each player at the active table. We also recommend an electric scoreboard (with a 12-minute clock) and a large shot clock (which clocks the seconds allowed for players to answer) be used in the games. The audience should
be able to see both. Below are some sources that other leagues have used to order equipment. (These are suggestions, not an endorsement or recommendation. These are independent companies with whom we have no business dealings.)
Scoreboards: www.allamericanscoreboards.com/index.html
Shot clocks: www.nevco.com
Buzzers: www.zeecraft.com/index.html
The NALQB consists of a large database of questions used to generate NAL ® games. These questions span 22 subjects grouped under the basic curriculum areas of math, English/language arts, science, and social studies. These questions are generated from educators across the
country, as well as from materials used in schools. Many of these questions are also aligned to National Curriculum Standards. The National Office continuously updates, reviews, and edits the questions before entering them into the NALQB. Each fall the National Office generates new games using questions from the NALQB. The game questions are secure and only sent to NAL ® League Commissioners.
Answer: Any NAL ® participant, including students, can submit questions. The National Office reviews all submitted questions before they are entered into the Question Bank. The National Office requests that anyone writing questions follows the Question Writing Guidelines in the Appendices of the NAL ® Rules and Guidelines book. Also, reference the source of the question and answer. If you would like to submit a question, email to office@nationalacademicleague.org
Answer: The NAL ® Study Book is created each fall. It includes study statements that align with the season’s questions as well as some practice questions, suggested websites for study, and Third Quarter tips. You can place an order through office@nationalacademicleague.org. The NAL ® game questions span 22 subjects grouped under the basic curriculum areas of math, English/language arts, science, and social studies. We recommend that students study their textbooks, relevant websites, and other materials used to prepare for criteria-referenced testing that meets school standards. Trivia-type questions, especially those about television shows, sports stars, movies, etc., are not used.
Answer: The questions in all quarters are sent to NAL ® League Commissioners and are for official
game use only. All questions are to be kept in strict security and are not to be recycled as
practice questions. The NAL ® Question Bank is a large database, and at the start of each NAL ®
season each of the questions are randomly chosen to be used. Since some questions from
previous seasons may be picked, none of the questions can be released to anyone except NAL ®
League Commissioners.
Answer: The NAL ® Email Directory lists NAL ® League Commissioners and their email addresses. You may also contact the NAL ® National Office at office@nationalacademicleague.org.
Answer: Please refer to the NAL ® Rules & Guidelines book. It states: The champion team of each league can be determined in one of two ways, and individual leagues can determine which process they prefer to use:
(1) The champion team can be defined as the one that has the most wins in the league. If two teams tie for the most wins, the team that has earned the most cumulative points during the season will be the champion;
(2) the champion team can be
determined through league playoffs at the end of the season. It is recommended that each league decides at the beginning of the season which method they will use and not change that
method during the season.
NATIONAL ACADEMIC LEAGUE ® and NAL ® as well as related program materials, logos, and memorabilia, are registered with the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office and/or the Library of Congress and may not be used in any way without the express written permission by an authorized representative of Terrel H. Bell & Associates. NAL ® participants agree not to sell, license, rent, lease, modify, copy, produce or reproduce NATIONAL ACADEMIC LEAGUE ® and NAL ® , materials, memorabilia, and assets (tangible or intangible). All rights reserved. No part of NAL ® trademarked materials may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying and recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from Terrel H. Bell & Associates.
The NAL ® was founded by Drs. Terrel H. Bell and Donna L. Elmquist. Donna Elmquist, Ph.D., President of Terrel H. Bell & Associates, is an educational author, researcher and public school and university educator. Dr. Bell served as the U.S. education leader under three presidents. When serving as U.S. Secretary of Education in the Reagan Administration, Dr. Bell commissioned the report A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform that
launched the school reform movement. In their book How to Shape Up Our Nations Schools, Drs. Bell and Elmquist first described the concept of building a network of academically competitive leagues to rival interscholastic athletic competitions. In 1991 they launched the pilot program to bring substance to their vision.
NAL ® Leagues need to get written permission from Terrel H. Bell & Associates to use the logo on their websites or letterheads. NAL ® materials and logos are Copyright, Trademark, and/or Service Mark protected. Terrel H. Bell & Associates, a Utah 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, developed, owns and operates the National Academic League ® (NAL ® ) and its marks. All rights reserved. Except as expressly authorized by Terrel H. Bell & Associates, through one of its authorized representatives at the National Office, National Academic League ® and NAL ® materials and logos cannot be used, sold, licensed, rented, leased, modified, copied, or reproduced.
No they may not. Contact the National Office to order t-shirts, trophies, medals and other memorabilia. Terrel H. Bell & Associates, a Utah 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, developed, owns and operates the National Academic League ® (NAL ® ) and its marks. All rights reserved. No part of NAL ® trademarked materials may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means.
Answer: No, they may not. Terrel H. Bell & Associates?, a Utah 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, developed, owns, and operates the National Academic League ® (NAL ®) and its marks NAL ® participants are encouraged to share information about the NAL ® program. Informational items such as program dates, names of local NAL ® League Commissioners, contact information for National Headquarters, program eligibility requirements, lists of available materials and memorabilia, and other non-trademarked material may be reproduced and shared with others.
