Debate and Academic Achievement in Urban Public School Settings

Abstract: Urban Debate Leagues (UDLs) provide students in over 20 cities around the US the opportunity to participate in competitive policy debate, an extracurricular activity that is hypothesized to improve academic engagement and performance through its emphasis on critical engagement with non-fiction texts. This talk will (1) review prior empirical research on debate and achievement; (2) describe an ongoing pilot study aimed at examining the relationship between debate performance and non-cognitive skills in the Chicago UDL, and (3) discuss a project that will go into the field this spring that is aimed at evaluating the impact of three UDLs (Boston, Chicago, and Houston) on academic achievement over a 5-year period using administrative records.

About CIERS:  The objective of the Causal Inference in Education Research Seminar (CIERS) is to engage students and faculty from across the university in conversations around education research using various research methodologies. This seminar provides a space for doctoral students and faculty from social science disciplines to discuss current research and receive feedback on works-in-progress. Discourse across schools and departments creates a more complete community of education scholars, and provides a networking opportunity for students enrolled in a variety of academic programs who share common research interests.

Our regular meeting schedule is Wednesday mornings from 8:30 to 10 am in Weill 3240. Check out our website to learn more and to sign up for the mailing list.

• Education