This process involves the constant search for new talent, constant training and education of current judges and quality control monitoring of all judge's work.

The search for new talent is executed within the various activities and reaches out to all who have performer, designer and instructor experience.

The on-going process includes a multi-tier curriculum with annual attendance required at season specific training sessions for both indoor and outdoor venues.

Quality control is monitored by advanced level judges who serve as chairpersons of specific criteria areas referred to as captions. These individuals receive assistance from their peers who function together on a caption committee.

The purpose of the committee is to constantly evaluate the course content of the training process, recommend changes to the caption or its curriculum and to serve in a mentorship role for new and experienced judges.

Therefore, it is the intent and purpose of the Education Committee to serve as an on-going avenue for the improvement of overall adjudication services.

The curriculum is an constant process which is constantly changing to meet the needs of the judges, changes in caption requirements and the needs of the indoor and outdoor participant.

Curriculum changes most often come from the Members Rules Congress and association task forces. It is through these venues that member units put forward recommendation for caption changes that lead to curriculum development.

Course content development is written by TOB instructors and NJA caption chairs and committee members. In most cases the writers and course presenters instruct and judge.

The following outline enumerates courses which are currently offered, and a brief overview of their content.

Technical captions require attendance every two years with updates presented annually while more generalized topics are offered as refreshers on an on-going basis.

Music

Music Individual Analysis Tier 1

This course will provide the new judge with appropriate experiences that will lead to successful evaluation of the Individual Performer involved in the marching band activity. The adjudicator will learn to evaluate what the Performer is asked to play (repertoire) and respond to how the performers achieves (excellence).

Music Individual Analysis Tier 2

This next tier of Music Individual Analysis training prepares the judge to evaluate Chapter, Regional and Atlantic Coast level contests.

Music Ensemble Analysis Tier 1

This course will provide the new judge with appropriate experiences that will lead to successful evaluation of the Ensemble Performer involved in the marching band activity. The adjudicator will learn to evaluate what the Ensemble is asked to play (repertoire) and respond to the Ensemble's achievement (excellence).

Music Ensemble Analysis Tier 2

This next tier of Ensemble Music Analysis training prepares the judge to evaluate Chapter, Regional and Atlantic Coast level contests.

Music General Effect Tier 1

This course is to provide the new judge with appropriate experiences that will lead to successful evaluation of the General Effect of the ensembles' performance involved in the marching band activity. The adjudicator will learn to evaluate those areas of compositions/repertoire as they contribute towards the programs effect and to respond to the performance and showmanship effects as generated by the performer.

Music General Effect Tier 2

This next tier of General Effect Music training prepares the judge to evaluate Chapter, Regional and Atlantic Coast level contests.

Visual

Visual Individual Analysis Tier 1

This course provides the new judge with appropriate experiences that will lead to the successful evaluation of the Individual Performer in the visual area involved in marching band activity. The adjudicator will learn to evaluate what the performer is asked to do (vocabulary) and to respond to the performer's achievement (excellence).

Visual Individual Analysis Tier 2

This next tier of training prepares the judge to evaluate Chapter, Regional and Atlantic Coast level contests.

Visual Ensemble Analysis Tier 1

The intent of this course is to provide the new judge with appropriate experiences that will lead to the successful evaluation of the Ensemble's Performance involved in the marching band- activity.

The adjudicator will learn to evaluate what the performers are asked to do (compositional) and to respond to the performer's achievement (excellence).

Visual Ensemble Analysis Tier 2

This next tier of training prepares the judge to evaluate Chapter, Regional and Atlantic Coast level contests.

Visual General Effect Tier 1

This course provides the new judge with appropriate experiences that will lead to successful evaluation of the Program's Visual Effect involved in the marching band activity. The adjudicator will learn to evaluate what the performers are asked to do (repertoire) in the creation of the effects and to respond to the performer's achievement (performance and showmanship) in the generation of those effects.

Visual General Effect Tier 2

This next tier of training prepares the judge to evaluate Chapter, Regional, and Atlantic Coast level contests.

Specialty Awards

Percussion · Woodwinds · Brass · Drum Major

These courses will provide the judge with appropriate experiences that will lead to the successful evaluation of the designated specialty area involved in the marching band activity. The adjudicator will learn to identify the demand/exposures of these specialty areas and its musicality as demonstrated by the individual or group.

Auxiliary

This course provides the new judge with appropriate experiences that will lead to successful evaluation of the Auxiliary involved in the marching band activity. The adjudicator will learn to evaluate what the performers are asked to do (repertoire/design), and respond to the performer's achievement (showmanship).

Technique Preparation Courses

Tape Technique

This course prepares the new judge and to reinforce the experienced judge, in appropriate techniques for use of cassette tape as a method of feedback and evaluation for the performing groups and instructional staff. The course explores appropriate verbiage, pacing, criteria understanding and communication, tape preparation and pre-contest tape preparation.

Field Trials

Field trials are an integral part of a new judge's experience. Field trials are designed to provide the new judge with hands-on experience of tape preparation, critique preparation and numbers management.

All work generated in the field trials is turned over to a senior mentor judge who then provides feedback to the trainee. All judges new to National Judges Association are required to do field trials. This serves as a method of quality control for the activity.

Numbers Management

This course prepares the new judge and continually update the experienced judge in the judicious management of criteria and linear scale number application. It is understood that the judge's responsibility is to rank, rate and to provide feedback. Within that structure, the judge becomes aware of numbers relationships both group to group and subcaption to subcaption. This is an ongoing course of study.

Numbers Management Championship Level

This course is designed to prepare the experienced judge with the challenges faced in a large contest, specifically at the Chapter, Regional or Atlantic Coast level. Large numbers of competing units functioning within a very close performance range present a unique and challenging opportunity for the experienced judge. This course prepares the experienced judge for just such experiences.

Critique Preparation and Management

This course assists the new judge and guides the experienced judge in the preparation of notes and commentary for the post-contest critique. It is understood that the critique is a vital part of the learning process for the instructional team. It is in the critique where the judge and the instructional staff get to communicate with respect to the evaluation and work together for the enhancement of the program.

Mentoring the New Judge

The intent of this course is to prepare the experienced judge for the hands-on processing of nurturing and mentoring a new member of the judging community, Individuals are taught techniques for encouragement, criticism and development with the ultimate goal being the preparation of the new judge to successfully handle a live contest situation.

Mentoring the Experienced Judge

This course is designed as a hands-on program of "peer review". The intent is to prepare the experienced judge to monitor the performance of his or her peers and provide constructive feedback for the improvement of their tape analysis, written commentary and numbers management.

Clinic Instructor Preparation

It is the intent of the National Judges Association to take full advantage of the outstanding talent available within its ranks. Experienced teachers, instructors and adjudicators are urged to lend their skills and background for the further development of the judging curriculum in the improvement of the pageantry activity.

This course is a one-on-one mentoring process designed to develop new clinic presenters.