Research

877.485.1973 | 541.485.1973
Info@NIFDI.org

877.485.1973 | Info@NIFDI.org

What our partners say…

“I would use the word transformational to describe our relationship with NIFDI.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Robin Shakespeare, Director of Education - Midland Academies Trust, UK

“NIFDI support was exemplary. It was structured in such a way as the teachers did not feel overwhelmed.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Nazam Hussain, School Psychologist - Bradford, UK

“Our principals have all agreed that NIFDI support is the single most changing professional development experience they have experienced in their careers.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Sean McKenzie, Director of Support Services - Bethel School District - Spanaway, WA

“The support for me as an administrator–looking at the data, and making decisions was really valuable. I couldn’t have done it by myself.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Rhonda Richetta, Principal - City Springs Elementary/Middle School - Baltimore, MD

“The small, bite-size level of feedback has supported me in improving as a teacher.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Ann Fuentes, Assistant Principal of Instruction - Idea Mission Academy - Mission, TX

“NIFDI has been a game-changer in terms of building student confidence. They have fun with the program.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Selina Ortiz, Assistant Principal of Instruction - IDEA Edinburg Academy - Edinburg, TX

“Working with NIFDI means you are working with the acknowledged authority on Direct Instruction.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Robin Shakespeare, Director of Education -Midland Academies Trust, UKm

“The thoroughness and robustness of the training was amazing to see. It was rigorous and professional, but sensitive to the individual.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Nazam Hussain, School Psychologist - Bradford, UK

“Schools with NIFDI have more and better discussions about how what they are doing is impacting individual student achievement.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Sean McKenzie, Director of Support Services - Bethel School District - Spanaway, WA.

“The support was very targeted.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Rhonda Richetta, Principal - City Springs Elementary/Middle School - Baltimore, MD

“The schools like the support and they are seeing the results”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Nazam Hussain, School Psychologist - Bradford, UK

“The teachers have gained so much knowledge behind the data tracking. They love the assistance… end of week goals, end of month goals…”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Selina Ortiz, Assistant Principal of Instruction - IDEA Edinburg Academy - Edinburg, TX

“NIFDI Implementation Managers build relationships. She is here to help and support. It is a caring, comforting approach.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Ann Fuentes, Assistant Principal of Instruction - Idea Mission Academy - Mission, TX

"The most valuable tool for a teacher is a NIFDI coach… side by side, shoulder to shoulder, to model for you, show you and give you feedback.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Rhonda Richetta, Principal - City Springs Elementary/Middle School - Baltimore, MD

"The tools and procedures taught in training are applicable... When I enter a new program the teachers pick it up easily.”

Click here to view our Partner Perspectives videos. Selina Ortiz, Assistant Principal of Instruction - IDEA Edinburg Academy - Edinburg, TX

Recent research continues to document the effectiveness of Direct Instruction. These studies confirm the accumulated findings of decades of research showing that students taught with DI have higher achievement scores and stronger growth rates than students studying with other curricula.

The recent positive findings for Direct Instruction occur with different subjects. They appear in studies of reading and in studies of mathematics.

They appear in different geographic settings including urban inner cities, rural areas, suburbia, and outside the United States.

Positive findings regarding DI appear with students with different learning histories: with middle class high achieving students, with high risk students, with general education students, and with special education students.

Positive findings are documented for students with different racial-ethnic backgrounds: in schools that are predominantly African American, those with substantial numbers of Hispanic students and those with large numbers of non-Hispanic whites.

Positive findings are found for elementary students as well as for preschoolers and those in middle school.

The strong positive results appear with different types of assessments including state test scores, curriculum-based measures, and norm-referenced tests.

The strong positive results occur in studies using different research designs including randomized control trials and quasi-experimental designs.

Even though research on Direct Instruction has been available for nearly 50 years, more continues to appear. Current research examines both the effectiveness of Direct Instruction programs and the most effective ways to deliver them.

The recent studies confirm the findings of earlier decades. Efficacy studies continue to find that students in Direct Instruction have higher achievement scores than those using other programs. These results occur with students in general education and those in special education. They occur when comparisons are made to basal texts or to “constructivist” approaches. They occur with preschoolers through adults. They occur with students from many different communities and demographic backgrounds.

Recent work also continues to examine how teachers and schools can be most effective in their use of Direct Instruction programs. The research confirms the importance of following NIFDI guidelines in implementation. The research also highlights the importance of having strong training and coaching programs for teachers and supportive administrative structures.

Because there is such a large amount of research literature on Direct Instruction, a number of researchers have systematically summarized the findings. These summaries have included both extensive reviews of the literature and statistical meta-analyses. Again, these summaries consistently find strong evidence of Direct Instruction’s effectiveness.

NIFDI is dedicated to ensuring that research on Direct Instruction is accessible to teachers, parents, policy makers and scholars throughout the world. It is also dedicated to promoting research on Direct Instruction and its effective implementation. NIFDI provides several resources for those interested in learning more about Direct Instruction.

Literature on Direct Instruction is extensive and diverse, spanning almost fifty years. NIFDI’s Bibliography of Direct Instruction provides complete bibliographic citations to this literature. It lists the Direct Instruction programs, studies of DI’s effectiveness, and a wide variety of other related work including criticisms and responses, textbooks, theoretical writings, and studies that were instrumental in the development of the programs. Researchers are encouraged to submit their studies of the Engelmann-Becker tradition of Direct Instruction for inclusion in the bibliography. Inquiries and submissions should be sent to research@nifdi.org.

Many of the studies listed in the Bibliography are included in NIFDI’s searchable research database. Articles and books are indexed on a variety of dimensions, allowing users to search for material that is most relevant to their interests. All entries are abstracted and users may request copies of many of the entries.

NIFDI also supports the development of research on Direct Instruction through research awards and fellowships. Awards include fellowships to support graduate student dissertation or thesis projects and postdoctoral fellowships to support emerging and/or established scholars.

Scholars from all over the world conduct research on Direct Instruction. Some serve on the faculties of colleges and universities, some work in institutes devoted solely to research, some are independent researchers, and some are teacher scholars, doing action research in their classrooms. People doing research on Direct Instruction are invited to join the Direct Instruction Research Group. The NIFDI Research Office periodically sends information to the group on recent research, possible research sites, funding, and other areas of potential interest. With members’ permission help with networking and collaboration is also provided.

Want to be included in the Directory of Researchers?

Subcategories

Article Abstracts Article Count: 18

Page 5 of 9

Start
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Next
End

Implementing Direct Instruction Successfully

When implemented fully, Direct Instruction (DI) is unparalleled in its ability to improve student performance and enhance students’ self-esteem. In order to implement DI effectively, much more is required than simply purchasing instructional materials. The following two-part tutorial guides administrators, teachers, and coaches through the key features of a successful DI implementation. Part I provides an overview of the steps schools need to take in preparation for a DI implementation before school starts, while Part II provides an overview of the steps schools need to take after school has started.

IMPORTANT: This tutorial is an intensive video series comprised of 18 segments, each followed by a series of questions. Users should allow approximately three hours to watch the videos and complete the questions. NIFDI recognizes the high demand for time placed on school officials and, for this reason, has structured the tutorial so users may stop at any time and later resume where they left off.

Enroll in the tutorial here.