NIFDI's Office of Research and Evaluation has released a new technical report studying the impact of Direct Instruction on college preparation readiness.

This report examines the high school accomplishments and preparation for college of students with varying degrees of exposure to Direct Instruction in elementary school. Results indicate that students taught with Direct Instruction early in their school career were significantly more likely to be prepared to enter higher education – enrolling in a traditional academic program, finishing a college prep mathematics class, and  taking Advanced Placement courses and/or college entrance examinations. Among those enrolled in traditional academic programs, those with early exposure to Direct Instruction also ranked higher in their high school graduating class and were more likely to have a GPA high enough to qualify for college admission.

Read the full report here.

Students in Roseville, Michigan are demonstrating significant growth in reading and math competencies after Roseville Community Schools introduced Direct Instruction at district elementary schools in the fall of 2012. The implementation began with Corrective Reading as an intensive intervention for low performing students in 4th and 5th grade while Reading Mastery was concurrently introduced as a core program for students in kindergarten through grade 2. The next year, the district added grades 3 and 4 to the implementation, and by 2015, all seven elementary schools in the district were implementing Direct Instruction in kindergarten through grade 5. The efforts are paying off. In 2012, only half of Kment Elementary's 3rd graders were passing the state exam. Just a year later, nearly 60% were passing. The performance of the cohorts is also improving. The group of 3rd graders who had a 50% pass rate in 2012-13 had nearly 70% of the group passing the following year.

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There are many myths and misperceptions related to Direct Instruction. We compiled a list of some of the most common ones and tried to find an expert to help us respond to them. Fortunately, we had the perfect spokesperson for the job... Zig Engelmann, creator of DI!

In these five short (2-3 minute) videos, Zig tackles topics ranging from rote learning to higher order thinking skills to teacher creativity. DI users may find them useful to be able to help educate others on some key features of DI programs. NIFDI members may recognize these videos, as they were previously available only to our members in the Members-Only portion of our website.

Not a member and curious what other goodies are available in this private resource? Join NIFDI today and find out! Our members also enjoy discounts on NIFDI Press publications, professional development and more!

As tablets, Kindles and e-readers have become more popular in recent years, the demand for previously published titles to be offered in an e-format has increased. NIFDI continues to add titles to our e-book offerings and has just released Zig's 2007 book, Teaching Needy Kids in our Backward System, to available e-book titles.

Through a tapestry of vignettes that start in the 60s and continue through 2006, Professor Engelmann describes the battles he has fought to provide effective instruction for at-risk kids, particularly children of poverty. You'll also enjoy a number of personal stories from Zig throughout.

Don't have a Kindle? Don't worry! You can access any Kindle book via your Mac, PC or tablet, including iPad. Simply download the free Kindle reading app, login to your Amazon.com account and start reading!

$9.99 E-book
$32.00 Print Edition