User:Smidlbrk

Direct Instruction(DI)is a model for teaching that emphasizes well-developed and carefuuly planned lessons designed around small learning incrementsDirectInstruction.Direct Instruction is based on theory that clear instruction eliminating misinterpretations can greatly improve and accelerate learning. Direct Instruction (DI) is a highly structed instructionalapproach, designed to met learning needs of at-risk student.Curriculum materials and instructional sequences attempt to move students to the mastery level at the fastest possible pace. The oldest program was Distar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DISTAR. Distar, was developed in the 1960,s as part of Project Follow Through, a massive educational initative of President Johnson's war on Poverty.Direct Instruction was created by Siegfried Engelmann and Wesley Becker.

Who Should Use DI? While it is quite true that virtually any school or district can benefit from Direct Instruction, clearly, some have a greater need than others. Districts in which the vast majority of students are progressing at a normal rate...a year of academic growth per school year...have a relatively minor need to change what they are doing. On the other hand, those districts in which a significant percentage of students are falling behind expectations and are below national norm might wish to look carefully at what they’re doing and consider what changes they might make that could improve the situation for their students.

Districts in Which Staff and Faculty:

are concerned about the numbers of students that are failing, desire to turn the situation around are willing to take responsibility for student failure and success, and are willing to change what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.... are excellent candidates for Direct Instruction and the progress it can help bring about. If these factors are not present, it’s unlikely that a district is ready to make the commitment required to produce real, measurable progress among its students. But where a significant number of staff and faculty members believe the responsibility for student progress lies with them, and that their ability to teach effectively has a direct impact on students’ abilities to learn successfully, there is a great likelihood that Direct Instruction can have an important positive impact on all concerned.The term "Direct Instruction" refers to a rigorously developed, highly scripted method for teaching that is fast-paced and provides constant interaction between students and the teacher. The evidence for the success of Direct Instruction is much more than anecdotal: major long-term studies provide powerful evidence of its success, and disturbing evidence for the futility of the more popular techniques that dominate our schools. About School/Student Success

Schools fully implementing the NIFDI approach produce evidence of success in direct proportion to teaching improvements. The most significant improvement in standardized test data is likely to become evident in the third year of implementation. The greatest gains are normally shown by students who began using DI in kindergarten and have continued through second grade and beyond.

A report from the American Institutes for Research for AASA, AFT, NAESP, NASSP and NEA of all schoolwide reform models indicated that 32 of 34 qualifying studies demonstrated a positive effect of Direct Instruction on student achievement. In addition, DI was reported effective in improving overall achievement plus achievement in language, reading, mathematics, spelling, health and science. Perhaps most interesting, it had a positive effect on these affective behaviors and social skills: self esteem/concept, attitudes toward self and school, attribution of success or failure to self or outside, sense of responsibility and high school success.