National History Day Fact Sheet - American Library Association



1-314325 The study of history is essential to better government. George WashingtonFounded in 1974 on the campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, National History Day (NHD) is a nationwide history education program and competition with a community-based approach that includes students, teachers, parents, historical societies and museums. It is the only program of its kind that involves middle and high school students as well as educators in an engaging, innovative and project-based education program about U.S. and global history. In addition, it works with state and federal education standards for history and language arts. NHD is a federally authorized program as part of P.L.108-474, The American History and Civics Education Act. Annually, more than 600,000 middle and high school students participate in NHD by creating presentations that bring primary-source research to life through table-top exhibits, documentaries, performances, web sites and research papers. Teachers incorporate the NHD curriculum into their classrooms or offer the program as an extracurricular activity. The program is supported locally with “affiliate coordinators” at the state or territorial level who represent local historical societies and museums – a true partnership between historians and historical societies, educators and students. Student work culminates in local and affiliate contests – and a final national competition, the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest, held each June at the University of Maryland. Since its inception, the NHD program has successfully served more than 10 million students and teachers. 56 affiliates include all 50 states, D.C., American Samoa, Guam, and International Schools in China, Korea, and South Asia.NHD provides a model to help teachers meet state and national standards.Annual teacher workshops are conducted at national and affiliate levels.NHD designs and offers programs to help educators exceed education standards. The NHD program rewards innovation and interdisciplinary approaches in the classroom with resources including:Intensive summer institutes, including Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom, a program for teacher-student teams, and Understanding Leadership: China in the 20th CenturyTeacher workshopsCurriculum materialsRecognition for outstanding teaching in historyThe National Humanities MedalIn February 2012, NHD received the prestigious National Humanities Medal from President Obama in a White House ceremony. The award honors NHD's 30+ years of service and accomplishments in the field of history education.National History Day Works: Key Evaluation FindingsThe need to demonstrate the evidence-based, wide-ranging effectiveness of innovative, successful modes of teaching history is at a pivotal point. According to the most recent federal study of American students’ academic ability in history, the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), less than one-quarter of students performed at or above the proficient level, and on the secondary school level, 12th-grade students performed the lowest on the history assessment compared to science, math and economic assessment scores. With funding from Kenneth E. Behring and the U.S. Department of Education, NHD commissioned an independent research organization, Rockman et al, to develop and implement a national evaluation to explore the impact of the program.Key Evaluation Findings During the 2009-2010 school year, researchers from Rockman et al examined students’ skills and knowledge across a range of measures and found:NHD students outperform their non-NHD peers on state standardized tests in multiple subjects, including reading, science and math, as well as social studies. NHD students learn 21st Century college- and career-ready skills. They learn to collaborate with team members, talk to experts, manage their time and persevere.NHD students are better writers – they write with a purpose and real voice, and they marshal solid evidence to support their points of view. NHD students had more exemplary writing scores and fewer low scores than comparison students. NHD has a positive impact among students whose interests in academic subjects may wane in high school, and NHD students are critical thinkers who can digest, analyze and synthesize information. National History Day Is Endorsed By:American Association for State and Local HistoryAmerican Historical AssociationFederation of State Humanities CouncilsNational Association of Secondary School PrincipalsNational Center for History in the SchoolsNational Council for History EducationNational Council for the Social StudiesOrganization of American HistoriansSociety of American ArchivistsThe full report – including detailed methodology and research instruments – can be found on the National History Day website: ................
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