Boston Debate League

The debate-inspired classrooms (formerly evidence-based argumentation) initiative partners with schools and cohorts of teachers, supporting teachers in all disciplines. Bdl staff serve as instructional coaches and plan and facilitate faculty professional development. Research indicates that students learn better when they talk more - and with each other - in the classroom, so debate-inspired classrooms centers instruction on student voice by offering a comprehensive set of tools that teachers can use to engage students in academic content. With debate-inspired classrooms coaching, teachers create classroom environments where students engage with content and each other in ways that are meaningful, energized, and aligned with real-world problems; where students participate in evidence-based discourse; and where students lead and learn from each other. Debate-inspired classrooms reached 1700 students and 85 teachers in active partner schools during the 2023-24 school year.