The first national evaluation of National History Day (NHD) finds that students who participate in the program perform better on high-stakes tests, are better writers, more confident and capable researchers, and have a more mature perspective on current events and civic engagement than their peers. Participants also show a greater ability to collaborate with peers, manage their time and persevere – all skills employers say are lacking in today's workforce.

The NHD program works with both students and teachers to improve the teaching and learning of history in schools. Since its inception, the NHD program has successfully served 2.2 million students and teachers in 50 states, two American territories, the District of Columbia and in Department of Defense and International Schools overseas.

The national, independent evaluation, conducted by Rockman, et al, validates the success that has been understood anecdotally throughout NHD’s 30-year history – and proves the effectiveness of the program’s innovative, immersive approach to history education.

Specifically, NHD’s national evaluation findings show:

• 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 and are strong critical thinkers and better writers.
• Participation in NHD has a positive impact and increases engagement among all students, including those whose interest in academic subjects may wane in high school.

In short, National History Day is fostering outstanding achievement for students across all disciplines and performance levels, demonstrating the importance of providing a well-rounded education.

We invite you to review the evaluation report and the executive summary to learn more about the evaluation and the evidence-based success of National History Day. Please click on www.nhd.org/NHDworks.htm for more information I