
DECA High
DECA High was founded in 2003 as Ohio's first early college high school. Located on the prestigious University of Dayton campus, our program offers students from the city of Dayton a one-of-a-kind opportunity to excel academically and achieve their goal of graduating from college. In partnership with Sinclair Community College, DECA High students begin taking college courses as early as their freshman year, earning dual high school and college credit.
Our rigorous curriculum requires students to pass six sets of requirements or benchmarks called "gateways" which every student must complete before graduating from DECA. These are unique to our school and are required in addition to regular class work.
The gateways help DECA students focus on writing skills, the steps to applying for college/financial aid, and being prepared for college life. They include school expectations such as attendance and grade point average, as well as skill-building activities that broaden the student’s knowledge of the world and specific skills needed for college, like writing and public speaking. The gateway process culminates in choosing, preparing for, and applying to college. The final gateway includes a capstone project where the student writes their autobiography and presents it to others as a way of knowing themselves and where they want to go in life.

Gateways
- Gateway 1 - Presentation of Learning
- Gateway 2 - Demonstrate of Learning and Research
- Gateway 3 - Career Prep / Interpretation
- Gateway 4 - Career Prep / Communication
- Gateway 5 - Internship / Problem Solving
- Gateway 6 - College Readiness/Precision and Accuracy
Gateway 1 - Presentation of Learning
Gateway 2 - Demonstrate of Learning and Research
Gateway 3 - Career Prep / Interpretation
Gateway 4 - Career Prep / Communication
Gateway 5 - Internship / Problem Solving
Gateway 6 - College Readiness/Precision and Accuracy
Calendar Highlights
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Calendar
September 2026
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday, August 30
Monday, August 31
Tuesday, September 1
Wednesday, September 2
Thursday, September 3
Friday, September 4
Saturday, September 5
Sunday, September 6
Tuesday, September 8
Wednesday, September 9
Quarter 1 Interim
All Day
Thursday, September 10
Friday, September 11
Saturday, September 12
Sunday, September 13
Monday, September 14
Tuesday, September 15
Thursday, September 17
Friday, September 18
Saturday, September 19
National ACT Test Day
All Day
Sunday, September 20
Monday, September 21
Tuesday, September 22
Wednesday, September 23
Gateway Submission Day
All Day
Thursday, September 24
Friday, September 25
DECA High Pep Rally
All Day
Saturday, September 26
Sunday, September 27
Monday, September 28
Tuesday, September 29
Wednesday, September 30
Thursday, October 1
Gateway Presentation Day!
All Day
Friday, October 2
Saturday, October 3
Homecoming
All Day
