Announcing the SY2013 CDL Participation Performance Incentives

The Chicago Debate Commission is committed to encouraging as many public high school students as possible to participate in competitive academic debate. The CDC believes that when high school students compete in argumentation, using evidence from complex texts, communicating persuasively about public policy issues, their grades and test scores increase and they are better prepared for college. Ultimately, participation in competitive debate prepares our students for more successful careers and a more constructive, empowered place in our democracy.

From this premise, the CDC is investing again this year in participation performance incentives, to offer additional rewards to coaches who do the additional work necessary to involve more students in their debate program.

At the Chicago Debate Championship Awards Ceremony, on April 7th, head coaches from the top 20 schools in total number of tournament debaters for the season will be awarded incentives, at the following levels:

1st – 5th place schools — $400
6th – 10th place schools — $300
11th – 15th place schools — $200
16th – 20th place schools — $100

You can track your school’s placement on total tournament debaters on the Participation Numbers sheet (the second sheet) of the Tournament Reporting Notebook.

In order to win an incentive schools should work to introduce debate to new students at T4 or T5, and should certainly work to ensure that all of their current debaters participate in the second semester.

If the SY2013 CDL Participation Performance Incentives were to be given today, here’s how they would be disbursed.

1st – 5th Place ($400)
1. Lane Tech
2. Northside
2. Phoenix
2. Whitney Young
5. Thomas Kelly

6th – 10th Place ($300)
6. Marshall
6. Payton
8. Lindblom
9. PCS Joslin
10. Ellison

11th – 15th Place ($200)
11. Von Steuben
12. Little Village
12. Williams
14. Brooks
15. Bogan

16th – 20th Place ($100)
16. Mather
17. Evanston
18. Chicago Ag
18. Hubbard
18. Lincoln Park

And these schools are all very much in the running for a CDL Participation Performance Incentive at mid-year:

21. Clark
21. Julian
21. Power House
24. Amundsen
24. Taft
26. King
26. Morgan Park
28. Senn
28. Westinghouse
30. Harlan
30. PCS Tech
30. VOISE
30. U. of Chicago Woodlawn