Urban Debate Quick Facts
History:
- 1982: Year that policy debate, the most academically rigorous of all interscholastic speech activities, began
- 1997: Year the Urban Debate Network was founded
- 2002: Year the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues was founded
Reach:
- 37,000: Number of students who have competed in Urban Debate Leagues
- 19: Major cities with Urban Debate Leagues
- 81: Major cities, of the 100 largest districts in the country, that have yet to form debate leagues
- 300: High schools in the Urban Debate Network
- 50: Middle schools
- 64: Percent of members of Congress in 1996 who were former debaters
Academic Benefits:
- 1/3: Fraction of public high school students who do not graduate
- 1/2: Fraction for Black, Native American and Latino public school students
- 99%: Graduation rate in the Kansas City Urban Debate League
- 100%: Graduation rate in the Baltimore Urban Debate League
- 75: Percent of urban debaters who go to college nationwide
- 4: Number of times higher this is than non-debating peers
- 91: Percent of Baltimore Urban Debate League participants who went to college in 2006
- 25: Percent greater improvement in reading scores of debaters compared to non-debaters, according to one study
Costs:
- $1,500: Average yearly cost per student of running a typical afterschool program
- $750: Urban debate yearly cost per student
- $11 million: Money committed by urban public schools for urban debate
- $20 million: Minimum estimated amount committed by private partners
