“Competitive debate forces students to look outside their pre-conceived views, at both sides of an issue, and thereby deepens their ability to cope with complexity and to understand nuance.” - Van Nguyen, Brown University, UDL Alumna, Oakland

Proven Results

ALOUD’s approach gets results. An ever-growing body of research supports debate's effectiveness. ALOUD works with partners in over 500 schools, community-based organizations and prisons.  The immersion that students experience when they participate in debate produces results in an accelerated fashion. Supporting ALOUD preserves that track record and the following successes:

Debate helps students achieve academically

1) Debate raises high school graduation rates above 98% - DEBATE-Kansas City 2002, 2003

2) Debate leads to a measurable increase GPA in middle schools - Dr. Carol Winkler, 2005 Assessment Report

3) Debate increases the likelihood of college acceptance by 22-30% - Luong, Minh. "Forensics and College Admissions" NFL Rostrum (November 2000)

4) Teaching effective debate research skills significantly improves student research skills and confidence - The Journal of Academic Librarianship January 2005 (v.31 140-5) "Developing Information Literacy and Research Skills in Introductory Psychology: A Case Study"

Debate improves students’ ability to learn

1) Debate improves High School students' reading skills by as much as 25% in a single year - Collier, L.M. (2004). Argument for success: A study of debate in the urban high schools of Chicago, Kansas City, New York, St. Louis, and Seattle.

2) Debate improves critical thinking skills by 44% in one year - Communication Education

3) Debate accesses 5 of the 6 recommended methods of active construction - Nyquist, J.D. and Wulff, D.H. "Selected Active Learning Strategies," 1990.

Debate Improves Social Development

1) Debate reduces disciplinary referrals for at-risk middle schoolers by 50% - Georgia State University Reporting at the 2005 White House Conference on Helping America’s Youth.

2) Debate creates civic-minded students who seek out opportunities for change. - Dr. Georgia Hall 2006, Bowne Foundation Study

3) Debate develops emotional maturity and social skills - Richard B. Sodikaw NFL Conference on the State of Debate, 1985

4) Debate across the curriculum reduces violence by teaching students to resolve conflicts positively - Joe Bellon, Georgia State University Argumentation & Advocacy, Winter 2000, Vol. 36 Issue 3. p161-175. RESEARCH-BASED JUSTIFICATION FOR DEBATE JUSTIFICATION FOR DEBATE ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

Debate success leads to success in the workplace

1)Businesses target debaters - Ross, Sherwood. "Workplace: College debaters get head start on exec track." REUTERS. (03 June 2002)

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There was a reason debate was required in school for decades…It works.

This is our message to urban students:

Your Voice.       Your Future.        Debate.

2007 Associated Leaders of Urban Debate
330 West 42nd Street Suite 2420
New York, NY 10036
(Tel) 1-866-4DEBATE, (fax) 212-471-8664