FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT THE DI MODEL
To find out more about the full immersion (comprehensive) DI model, you can attend the session for administrators that is part of the annual National Training Institute. The session runs for four full days and is led by NIFDI personnel. The session discusses the changes in time management, student assessment, problem solving, behavior management, and capacity building that accelerates student performance. The National Training Institute will be held this August in San Antonio. For more information on the institute, visit the institute's home page.
NEXT STEPS WITH NIFDI
In addition to attending the Full Immersion Model for Implementing DI, administrators interested in implementing DI can call Dr. Kurt Engelmann, President of NIFDI, at 1.877.485.1973 toll-free to discuss implementation options with NIFDI. Fill out the pdf School Data Form with the number of students, aides and teachers for all grades in the school and fax the form to Dr. Engelmann's attention at 541.683.7543. This information will be used to help assess the school's needs and to put together a budget on the expenses of NIFDI services.
For arranging next steps with NIFDI:
The term direct instruction was first used in 1968, when Science Research Associates published a beginning reading program called DISTAR, authored by Siegfried Engelmann and his colleagues. Since 1968, the use of the term direct instruction has evolved in two main directions: DI and di.
Direct Instruction (DI)
In the 1960's, Zig Engelmann created this explicit, carefully sequenced and scripted model of instruction. Published Direct Instruction programs are based on a landmark empirical research study and numerous follow-up studies over the last thirty years about how children actually learn. Project Follow Through (1967), the largest educational experiment ever conducted, evaluated nine major approaches to educating at-risk students. Only students taught with the Direct Instruction approach consistently outperformed control students on basic, cognitive, and affective measures. Direct Instruction is sometimes referred to as "capital DI."
direct instruction (di)
In his 1976 teacher effectiveness research, Barak Rosenshine gave this term to a set of variables found to be significantly related to student achievement. This set of variables included engaged time, small group instruction, and specific and immediate feedback. This approach is often referred to as "small di."
Research on Direct Instruction continues to appear. Many studies are found in general education and social science journals. The Journal of Direct Instruction is exclusively devoted to publishing scholarly work on DI. Direct Instruction News provides timely information about recent events in the DI community. The Association for Direct Instruction convenes annual conferences on DI and links practitioners and researchers from around the nation. See The Journal of Direct Instruction and DI News.
The NIFDI Research Office produces technical reports analyzing data from schools across the country that have implemented direct instruction. See NIFDI Research Reports.
A very important issue facing anyone who studies Direct Instruction is ensuring fidelity of treatment - that the program is implemented as it was designed. Learning to teach in an explicit and systematic manner takes practice, and studies show that fidelity of treatment has a strong impact on student outcomes.
Knowing the extent to which programs have been implemented with fidelity can also impact the accuracy of meta-analysis and literature reviews. Because fidelity of implementation is so important, researchers and practitioners have developed instruments to assess how well DI is implemented and the extent to which classroom and school practices conform to the original designs.
Researchers who would like to add their contributions to our research database or communicate with the NIFDI research office regarding their work may contact us at research@nifdi.org.
Helping Kids Soar: Children Reaching Their Full Potential with Direct Instruction
Helping Kids Soar from NIFDI
Direct Instruction is often used to help students who are stuggling academically. DI can be used to accelerate the learning of higher performning students, too. "Helping Kids Soar: Children Reaching Their Full Potential with Direct Instruction," portrays two schools in different parts of the country that have used DI successfully with all children.
