LeadershipPresentation

Speaking Skills

For Middle School and Secondary members with an IEP under IDEA: a five-minute prepared speech on this year's theme, Redefine the Standard.

About this event

Speaking Skills is one of four HOSA events reserved for members classified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Section 504 students are not eligible), open to the Middle School and Secondary divisions and sponsored by eDynamic Learning. Competitors deliver a prepared speech of up to five minutes (a minute longer than last year) on the national topic that follows the HOSA membership theme; for 2026-27 it is Redefine the Standard. Only paper or electronic notecards may be used and no microphones are provided. An Accommodation Form (Appendix H-1) must be submitted by May 15; competing without it costs 35 penalty points. The speech is scored on the same 105-point rubric as Prepared Speaking: content (coverage, impact, fit to the theme, clear point of view), organization (opening, cohesion, closing) and delivery (voice, stage presence, diction). Ties are broken by the highest-value rubric sections.

What judges score

A. Content: Coverage of topic (15), Impact, strong and meaningful message (15), Appropriate to the conference theme (15), Clear focus and point of view (15)B. Organization: Opening statement (10), Cohesion of body and speech (10), Closing (10)C. Delivery: Voice (5), Stage Presence (5), Diction, Pronunciation, and Grammar (5); total 105

What judges score

2026-27 topic: Redefine the StandardCoverage of topicImpact: strong and meaningful messageAppropriate to the conference themeClear focus and point of viewOpening statement, cohesion of body and speech, closingVoice, stage presence, diction, pronunciation and grammar

Study resources

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