Urban Debate League programming centers on competitive academic tournaments for urban public school students. Second to this component is the professional development of the coaches who recruit, motivate, teach, and coach the debaters throughout a UDL. The Chicago Debate League takes the professional development of its nearly 150 official coaches seriously, and aims to continuously upgrade and improve the effectiveness of its professional development programming.
This year the Chicago Debate League has instituted a completely new professional development system. Each coach is required to take part in 20 hours of professional development throughout the season — 10 hours per semester. For external coaches, the standard is 10 hours overall, 5 hours per semester.
Professional development options have been significantly expanded over previous years. There are seven different ways coaches can undertake their professional development and training.
Note that coaches who are approved to lead tournament or group meetings of coaches, or to mentor another, less experienced coach, can earn their professional development and training credit hours this way.
Training leaders must send an agenda of their training to the CDC at least 24 hours prior to the professional development training and following the event training leaders must report within two days of the event. This report should include the times, attendees, and content covered at the event. Tournament Coach Meetings and Group Meetings are required to have an instructor and three or more coaches, from two or more schools, in attendance.
(i) Coach Training Courses
The CDC once again offered two training courses over the summer, 2010: Introduction to Debate Coaching, and Intermediate Debate Coaching. Coaches can find the dates and location for upcoming coach training courses by checking the CDL’s Season Calendar.
(ii) Coach Training Seminars
These continue to be offered downtown on Saturday mornings and occasionally on weekday evenings throughout the season.
(iii) Tournament Coach Meetings
These 60 – 90 minute coach meetings are held at tournaments during rounds, for coaches who have met their judge requirements and are therefore not obligated to judge. They are led by trainers approved by the CDC, based on agendas announced and approved in advance.
(iv) Group Meetings
These are meetings held at a high school, during the week, for groups of coaches clustered geographically. They are led by a CDL coach instructor, with significant experience, approved by the CDC.
(v) Mentor Training
Coaches with fewer than two years of experience in the CDL can a site visit from a Mentor Coach, a coach with three years or more of experience in the CDL approved by the CDC to provide this mentoring. When a Mentor Coach is asked to visit a less experienced coach, at their mutual convenience, with specific agendas and objectives established, and sent to the CDC in the reporting of these training events.
(vi) CDC Site Visits
CDC staff has continued with and expanded its site visits to schools this season.
(vii) Online Training
The CDC will be selecting – and sending out links to – on-line instructional videos for coaching competitive academic debate. Each video will be attached to a quiz. Coaches can observe training videos at their convenience, and are required to complete the attached quiz, sending it back to the CDC by email. No more than two hours of professional development and training can be done on line each semester.
The Professional Development Reporting Notebook tracks professional development hours for each coach — in total, per semester, and for each of the seven categories of professional development offered by the CDC.
Also, Allstate is offering the Allstate Professional Development Incentives in this 2010/11 debate season. The first 50 coaches in the first semester who reach the standard of 10 professional development hours — 5 PD hours for external coaches — receive a $100 incentive from the Chicago Debate Commission. The Professional Development Reporting Notebook tracks the Allstate Professional Development Incentives, too.
CPDU Reporting Documents for 2011/12 Courses and Seminars
CDSI – Introduction to Debate Coaching Course Evidence of Completion
CDSI – Introduction to Debate Coaching Course Evaluation
CDSI – Varsity Debate Coaching Course Evidence of Completion
CDSI – Varsity Debate Coaching Course Evaluation
Coach Training Seminar I Evidence of Completion
Coach Training Seminar I Evaluation
Coach Training Seminar II Evidence of Completion
Coach Training Seminar II Evaluation
Coach Training Seminar III Evidence of Completion
Coach Training Seminar III Evaluation
Coach Training Seminar IV Evidence of Completion
Coach Training Seminar IV Evaluation
Coach Training Seminar IV (Track E) Evidence of Completion
Coach Training Seminar IV (Track E) Evaluation
Coach Training Seminar V Evidence of Completion
Coach Training Seminar V Evaluation
Coach Training Seminar VI Evidence of Completion
Coach Training Seminar VI Evaluation
Coach Training Seminar VII Evidence of Completion
Coach Training Seminar VII Evaluation
Coach Training Seminar VIII Evidence of Completion
Coach Training Seminar VIII Evaluation
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