Research Finds Academic Debate Programs Raise Graduation Rates and Test Scores

Online, October 27, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Groundbreaking peer-reviewed research from the University of Michigan, published this week in a special issue of the Journal of Negro Education, shows that participating in an academic debate program in urban schools boosts student achievement. According to the study, participation in an Urban Debate League (UDL) significantly increases a student's chances of graduating from high school and performing at or above college-ready benchmarks on the ACT's Reading and English subject-matter tests when compared to similar students who did not participate in urban debate.

The study found the educational benefits of participation in urban debate to be even more pronounced for school-age African American males. African American male students participating in urban debate were 70 percent more likely to graduate from high school, three times less likely to drop out, 50 percent more likely to reach the ACT college-readiness benchmark for English, and 70 percent more likely to reach the ACT benchmark for Reading than non-debaters, even after accounting for eighth grade achievement. These findings should hold special interest to urban educators; local, state, and national policymakers; and anyone interested in promoting innovative, research-based solutions to our nation's educational challenges.

This study was conducted by a research team led by Dr. Briana Mezuk of Virginia Commonwealth University, in conjunction with the Chicago Public Schools and the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago. It retrospectively examines ten years of the Chicago Debate League, a partnership between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Debate Commission.

The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) leads the effort to expand access to Urban Debate Leagues (UDLs) in urban schools, to facilitate participation in organized debate for as many urban high school students as possible.

The NAUDL is launching an online Urban Debate Works Evidence Center to serve as a central location for educators, school officials, policymakers, and institutional supporters to access information and resources about the educational benefits of competitive policy debate for urban students. The Evidence Center is available for the public to review the available research establishing urban debate as a cost-effective, highly successful program for improving urban students' educational outcomes.

The Center is located at http://www.urbandebate.org/urbandebateworks.shtml.

For more information about the NAUDL and urban debate, go to http://www.urbandebate.org or contact Chief Academic Officer Eric Tucker at [email protected] or (312) 771-1816.