Embedded Files
An inquiry-based secondary school survey course
who we are
who we are
Debating U.S. History (DUSH) is a comprehensive college-readiness curriculum and professional learning community that transforms the traditional Regents-assessed New York State 11th grade U.S. History and Government Social Studies survey class through genuine, engaging historical inquiry coupled with academic literacy strategies.
Initially funded as a pilot in 2013 by the Tortora Sillcox Foundation, the Debating U.S. History curriculum has been developed in collaboration with participating teachers and implemented in dozens of New York City Department of Education schools as part of the CUNY Office of K16 Initiatives’ effort to better align high school curriculum with college expectations and bridge academic gaps between high school and college learning.
Participating students will enter debates around crucial issues facing Americans and defend their interpretations through the use of historical evidence. The history-specific skills cultivated throughout the curriculum align with 11th and 12th grade college and career readiness standards and with the NYS US History and Government Regents Exam. The curriculum materials complicate conventional stories to take a clear-eyed look at injustice, social conflict, and change, past and present. The component skills used in strong argumentative and expository essays are explicitly modeled and rehearsed throughout the course in order to support students to do their best work.
our impact
our impact
Students who took the Debating U.S. History course had significantly higher rates of passing the New York State U.S. History and Government (USHG) Regents exam and obtained higher scores, compared to their peers.
Three-quarters of Debating U.S. History students passed the USHG Regents Exam, and 46% passed with high scores (≥80)—nearly 10 percentage points higher than the comparison cohort. The course particularly benefited students with previous lower Global History Regents scores. The effect is cumulative, with increasing success at schools implementing the course for more than one year.
Beyond the Regents Exam, the Debating U.S. History program supported students in developing historical and critical thinking skills. Ninety-six percent of teachers surveyed said that after completing the course, students improved their ability to make claims and back them up with evidence. Similarly, 83% of teachers surveyed stated that students used sourcing, contextualization, close reading and corroboration more independently over the course of the year.
The Debating U.S. History program also supports teachers in shifting their classroom practice toward inquiry and student-centered lessons. As the charts below show, a survey of DUSH teachers demonstrates a clear shift toward working with primary source documents in class and away from teacher lecturing.
FAQs
FAQs
How can I access the curriculum materials?
All curriculum materials are available free of charge. All it takes is a quick registration HERE.
Who can join the Debating U.S. History Professional Learning Community?
Participation in the Professional Learning Community is open to all New York City U.S. History and Government teachers. If you do not live in New York City, please contact us to learn about other ways that we might support your school.
It says the curriculum is based on the New York State U.S. History and Government Regents. My students don’t have to take the Regents Exam. Is the program still for me?
Absolutely! We work with teachers from several schools that do not administer Regents Exams (whether because they have alternate teaching models or because they use the DUSH curriculum in middle school). The inquiry-driven lessons are engaging and impactful for all students and can be easily expanded for more in-depth inquiry.
What participants SAY
What participants SAY
"Let’s face it, the textbook approach is outdated and ineffective—DUSH is more engaging and leads to further understanding because of the ‘debate’ approach and how the curriculum is primary source heavy."
-Joe C.
"The program is consistent, useful, and organized with highly effective lesson plans that run smoothly in the classroom. It provides a differentiated structure with modified primary sources that also include vocabulary exercises to assist ELL students or even mainstream students who need to build their vocabulary skills."
-Sophia K.
"DUSH materials are amazing! What is especially helpful is the way they help break down the writing process, as well as how they implement analyzing documents and historical thinking skills into the curriculum... And I have been teaching for 21 years. I really feel that [these] resources have helped prepare my students for college much more than any other resource I have tried."
-Beth F.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse