ADL is the Advisor of NSDA Taiwan Members it Teaches
Asian Debate League, as the NSDA chapter advisor of schools it teaches or manages in Taiwan, has the ability to register and add individual students the NSDA membership. As such, ADL enrolls and manages NSDA points of all Taiwan students. ADL is also responsible for collecting NSDA fees from all schools and students in Taiwan and transfer the sum to U.S. NSDA annually.
How to Earn Points
National Speech & Debate Association point menu is the same for all school level, and it can be earned from 1) Debate, 2) Speech, 3) drama, and 4) Community Service.
A student competing at a tournament receives points for every round of competition according to the following scale: W(win)=4 points; L(loss)=2 points; N/D(no decision)=2 points. These records will be online permanently for your future references.
| Speech/Individual Events (Ranks) | Congress (Points) | Debate Events (Wins/Losses) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First place: Second place: Third place: Fourth place: Fifth place and beyond: | 5pts. 4pts. 3pts. 2pts. 1pt. | Up to 5 points per speech, daily limit of 20 points. | Win: Loss: No Decision: | 4pts. 2pts. 2pts. |
While competition rounds earn students more points, NSDA also stays true to its roots, encouraging involvement beyond interscholastic participation. Here is the scale for such speaking engagements, recorded in the “Service” area.
| Classroom Presentations | Community Speaking |
|---|---|
| One (1) point per presentation, up to two may be recorded in a day. Minimum presentation length is three minutes. | Two (2) points per speaking engagement, up to two may be recorded in a day. Minimum presentation length is four minutes. |
How to Search Points on Web
For Individual record, type in your 1) name + 2) graduating year on this website: https://www.speechanddebate.org/account/#/search
How to Apply on College Application
Just as in Boys/Girls Scouts, a different badge of honor is earned based on the level of students’ participation, a varying certificates of membership degrees are issued by the NSDA based on the level of students’ participation, so that students can list them as extracurricular accomplishments on their college application to prove their passion, dedication, and persistence in one activity.
The highest honor a student can earn is Academic All American Award, which requires 750+ NSDA points, high GPA, and high SAT/ACT score. Once student is approved for AAA, this special award is mailed directly to student’s school principal, so that the recipient can be awarded in his/her school publicly. Click of AAA application here: https://www.speechanddebate.org/academic-all-american-nomination-form/
How to Enroll Students
Student membership must be under the students’ school, so make sure your school is paid first. Once this is checked off, a student may join by paying their own life time membership. Here are the steps:
- Student’s school pays NSDA one of the three options: USD $150 (or NT 4,500) for annual high school membership; USD $100 (or NT 3,000) for annual middle school membership; and, USD $50 (or NT 1,500) for annual elementary school membership.
- A student pays NSDA one of the three options: USD 30 (or NT 1,000) for one time elementary membership; USD 30 (or NT 1,000) for one time middle school membership; or, USD 30 (or NT 1,000) for one time high school membership.
- A student pays Asian Debate League NT1,500 once a year to A) record NSDA points and B) issue NSDA Certificates of Membership Degrees. Regardless of when you pay – e.g., if pay in the middle of school year – this fee covers service for the given school year ONLY and will not be extended to the next school year.
- The points can be earned from any institute (e.g., church, community, school, NSDA tournaments or “even not NSDA” tournaments) and any place (e.g., Asia, America, Europe) for as long as it is related to speech and debate.
- Please download the NSDA Credit Point Record, fill out the form, and email it to <nsdapoints@asiandebateleague.com> or submit your points faster by doing it online here: https://asiandebateleague.com/points/nsda-point-request-form/
- On the student’s school profile page of the database, paid students may search and look up their membership and points status at any time: https://www.speechanddebate.org/account/#/search Here is an example:
NSDA Certifications
When student’s points reach one level of accomplishment, a degree of membership is earned, and upon request, these certificates of NSDA degrees can be mailed to the student. Here are some samples:
NSDA Degree Chart
Following is the structure of degrees of membership, along with the value each contributes to a school’s strength as an NSDA chapter.
| Degree of Membership | Points | Seal Description | Chapter Strength Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base level of membership (certificate) | 0-9 pts. | – None – | 1 |
| Degree of Participation (first seal) | 10 pts. | Orange on White | 2 |
| Degree of Recognition | 50 pts. | Yellow on White | 3 |
| Degree of Accomplishment | 100 pts. | Green on White | 4 |
| Degree of Achievement | 200 pts. | Black on Silver | 5 |
| Degree of Outstanding Achievement | 400 pts. | Silver on Black | 6 |
| Degree of Distinguished Achievement | 650 pts. | Red on Silver | 7 |
| Degree of Superior Achievement | 1000 pts. | Blue on Gold | 8 |