The Competitive Classroom: Evaluating Forensic Pedagogy as a Framework for College and Career Readiness

This applied dissertation addresses the persistent gap in college and career readiness (CCR) among high school graduates, who often lack the critical thinking, oral communication, and collaborative skills necessary for postsecondary success. While speech and debate (forensics) programs are recognized for cultivating these competencies, they are frequently relegated to extracurricular or elective status, limiting their scalability and equitable access.

The purpose of this study is to formalize forensics as a core instructional practice through the development of the Florida Speech and Debate College and Career Readiness Framework and a supporting Debate Across the Curriculum (DAC) instructional toolkit. Drawing on sociocultural learning theory, the research explores how structured argumentation and discourse-based pedagogy function as a site for readiness development.