DI Programs are based on years of research on how children learn and the most effective ways to teach.  This work produced the basic principles of effective instruction:  All children can learn when instruction is systematic, explicit, and efficient.  Poor achievement does not result from poor students, but from poor teaching. Direct Instruction programs, developed by Siegfried Engelmann and colleagues, incorporate all of these elements of effective instruction. 

Many studies have evaluated Direct Instruction programs and documented their effectiveness.  NIFDI's searchable database includes summaries of dozens of peer reviewed, scientifically strong studies of DI programs.  See The DI Research Base and Search for Articles on DI.

All Direct Instruction programs are extensively field tested during development. Students and teachers throughout the country try out each program, and their feedback is used to make sure they are highly effective. See Field Testing DI Programs.

Researchers continue to study Direct Instruction, and the literature on DI continues to grow.  See Current Research and Research Opportunities.