FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
1. What is the CDL?
2. What schools participate in the CDL?
3. What is this year’s debate topic?
4. How Can I join?
5. How has debate increase academic achievement in Chicago’s
Public schools?
6. Who do I contact if I want to start a team at my school?
7. How long has the CDL been around?
8. How competitively successful are CDL debaters nationally?
9. How has debate helped to minimize the achievement gap in Chicago’s
public schools?
10.Where can I find a schedule of your events?
What is the CDL?
The Chicago Debate League (CDL) serves to advance the Mission of the
Chicago Public Schools (CPS): to be the premier urban school district
by providing high quality instruction, outstanding academic programs,
and development supports to prepare its students for tomorrow's challenges.
The CDL is one of the nation's oldest, largest, and very best Urban
Debate Leagues. It instructs student participants in reading, speaking,
writing, and listening -- all of the language arts. With a rigorous
critical thinking component, it is an outstanding and challenging
academic program. In university campus classrooms and on electronic
research databases, CPS debaters are preparing for their future success.
Debate empowers all participating students, and thereby helps create
school-wide norms and expectations of academic excellence.
What schools participate in the CDL?
There are 50 middle and high schools in the Chicago Debate League,
which are divided into three league conferences: Regional Circuit,
“A” Conference and “AA Conference.”
Our Members:
Regional Circuit Conference (7)
Kelly H.S.
Lane Tech H.S.
Marmion Academy
Morgan Park H.S.
Northside College Prep H.S.
Walter Payton College Prep
Whitney Young Magnet H.S.
“A” Conference (17)
Brooks College Prep High School
Dunbar High School
Evanston Township High School
Farragut High School
Hope College Prep High School
Jones College Prep High School
Juarez Community Academy High School
Kelvyn Park High School
Kenwood Academy
King College Prep High School
Lincoln Park High School
Noble Street Charter School
Phoenix Academy High School
Raby High School
Schurz High School
Taft High School
Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center High School
“AA” Conference (33)
Amundsen High School
Chicago Agricultural Sciences High School
Chicago Military Academy -- Bronzeville
Chicago Vocational Career Academy
Corliss High School
Michele Clark High School
Frederick Douglass Academy
DuSable Campus High School
Dyett High School
Foreman High School
Harlan High School
Hirsch Metro H.S.
Hubbard High School
Hyde Park High School
Lake View High School
Leo Catholic High School
Lindblom Math and Science
Manley High School
Marshall Metro High School
Mather High School
North Grand High School
North Lawndale College Prep
Orr High School
Perspectives Calumet Charter High School
Phillips Community Academy
Prosser Career Academy High School
Paul Robeson High School
South Shore High School
Steinmetz Academic Center
Urban Prep Charter Academy
Washington High School
Young Women’s Leadership Academy Charter H.S.
Middle School Conference (10)
Louisa May Alcott Elementary School
Brighton Park Elementary School
Burke Elementary School
Harlan Academy
Kellogg Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School
McCutcheon Elementary School
Morgan Park Academy
Owen Scholastic Academy
Smyser Elementary School
New Schools in 2008/09
Guest Schools (3)
Charter Schools (5)
(Prospectively) ASM-Funded Schools (3)
What is this year’s debate topic?
This year's topic for all U.S. high schools participating in inter-scholastic
debate is:
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States.
How can I join?
Who do I contact
if I want to start a team at my school?
Sylvia Nelson-Jordan
CDL Administrator
(o) 773-553-3593
(e) snelson@cps.k12.il.us
LaTonya Starks
CDL Coordinator
(e) latonyastarks@gmail.com
Andrew Brokos
CDL Consultant
(c) 443-866-2408
(e) andrew@urbandebate.org
Richard Sullivan
Judge Development
474 N. Lake Shore Dr., Apt. 5801
Chicago, IL 60611
(h) 312-321-1194
(c) 312-953-0872
(e) rwsull@aol.com
How long has the CDL been around?
The Chicago Debate League (CDL) is the second-oldest Urban Debate
League (UDL) in the country. Begun in 1997/98 with five High Schools,
the Chicago Debate League now encompasses 42 CPS high schools, 6 CPS
middle schools, more than 1,000 competing debaters, 82 CPS teacher-coaches,
and more than 300 volunteers from the community. Four non-district
schools have paid to join the League this year. The CDL has run the
largest UDL tournaments in the nation.
How competitively successful are CDL
debaters nationally?
The CDL has qualified a team for the National Forensic League Championship
for five consecutive years. In 2003, the CDL had the fifth-place team
nationally (in a field of more than 400 teams from all 50 states).
In 2004, the CDL had the 8th place team at Nationals. The CDL has
won Midwest UDL Regionals for three consecutive years. The CDL won
J.B. Fuqua Urban Debate League Celebration, held at Pace Academy in
Atlanta, Georgia in 2003, 2005, and 2007, and placed second in 2001.
How has debate helped to minimize the
achievement gap in Chicago’s public schools?
A recent national study published by researchers at the University
of Missouri documents that urban debaters from Chicago improved their
scores on standardized literacy exams by 25% more than non-debaters
after one year of participation. CDL students improve their grade-point
average and class rank by an average of 8% each year that they debate.
CDL students have nearly a 90% graduation rate and a 75% college matriculation
rate.
Five university partners support the CDL. CDL students have received
more than $1.5 million in college scholarships. CDL students have
won the prestigious Crown
Scholarship at the University of Chicago each year it has been offered
and have earned six debate scholarships to Northwestern University
in the last five years.
Argumentation and Debate is a course taught in the regular school
day at 23 CPS high schools, expanding the reach of the academic debate
project to another 500 students.
Where can I find a schedule of your
events?
Please go to our schedule section for a
calendar of CDL events, including tournaments, workshops and seminars.