The National Institute for Direct Instruction maintains an Office of Research and Evaluation that compiles research on Direct Instruction (DI), conducts original studies of DI, and responds to requests for assistance in issues related to research regarding Direct Instruction.

Body of Research
The Research Office has developed an extensive bibliography of writings related to DI⁶, maintains a searchable database of articles and books, and has written narrative summaries and meta-analyses of this literature^3,5.

A substantial body of NIFDI research has examined the effectiveness of the DI curricula. These studies have confirmed the accumulated findings of decades of other studies showing that students studying with DI have higher achievement scores and stronger growth rates than students studying with other curricula. These results have appeared with reading^{1,2,8,9,10,13,15} and math⁷; in urban_^1,2,7, rural^2,8 and suburban^8,13,15 settings; with middle class high achieving students¹³; with high risk students¹⁶, general education students^{1,2,7,8,9,10,13,15,16} and special education students¹⁵; with schools that are predominantly African American^1,7,9, those with substantial numbers of Hispanic students^2,8,15 and those with large numbers of non-Hispanic whites^8,13,15; and with children from pre-school age¹⁰ through middle school⁴. The strong positive results appear in studies examining state test scores⁴, curriculum-based measures^2,4,8,10 and norm-referenced tests^1,4,7,9,10; in the United States as well as in other countries¹¹ and with randomized control trials^10,13,14 as well as quasi-experimental designs^{1,2,4,7,8,9,11,15}.

Scientific Research Base Handout (click here)
Direct Instruction is documented by over 40 years of scientific research. This one-page handout briefly describes this research base in a format which can be downloaded and distributed to parents, school personnel, or those interested in a brief overview of the literature.

Examination of the NIFDI Implementation Model
The NIFDI research office has also examined how the NIFDI model can help teachers and students have the greatest success possible. This research has documented the ways in which schools that adhere to the NIFDI model, in all of its components, have the greatest growth in student achievement over time:

• Direct Instruction and First Grade Reading Achievement: The Role of Technical Support and Time of Implementation (2011)
• Increasing Reading Skills in Rural Districts: A Case Study of Three Schools (2011)
  
  

Research Support
The NIFDI office works with schools and individual researchers to help broaden the base of DI-related research. Research support is available for participating schools and for graduate students and post-doctoral scholars.

Institutional Review Board
NIFDI’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) is registered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and complies fully with the federally established guidelines for the protection of human subjects. Details on NIFDI’s IRB policy are available upon request.

Are you a researcher?

NIFDI recently compiled a bibliography of research related to Direct Instruction (DI) and is working to connect with researchers in the field to ensure the bibliography is as comprehensive as possible. Thus, we are asking scholars in the field to check their listings in the material to make sure it is correct and to let us know about studies that are missing, errors in classification, or any other changes you think would be appropriate. You may find the bibliography HERE.

We'd also be intersted in hearing more about your work and your interests in the field! Take our survey HERE.

Interested in supporting research on Direct Instruction?

If you've been thinking you would like to support NIFDI's research on Direct Instruction, now you can! Simply click on the button below to donate via PayPal using your credit card or PayPal account. Don't have a PayPal account? Don't worry - you can set your account up right there during checkout! Just click on "Continue" located just above the credit card images when you reach the PayPal website.

Remember, your donation may be tax deductible! You will receive a receipt for your donation so that you may claim applicable deductions on your taxes.

Thank you for your support of NIFDI and research on DI!

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 Citations:

1 “Direct Instruction and First Grade Reading Achievement: The Role of Technical Support and Time of Implementation,” Jean 
Stockard, Journal of Direct Instruction, 11 (1, 2011), 31-50.

2 Increasing Reading Skills in Rural Districts: A Case Study of Three Schools,” Jean Stockard, Journal of Research in Rural Education, 26 (8, 2011), pp. 1-19.

3 “Research on the Effectiveness of Direct Instruction Programs: An Updated Meta-Analysis”, Cristy Coughlin, Paper Presented at the Annual Meetings of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, May, 2011.

4 Merging the Accountability and Scientific Research Requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act: Using Cohort Control Groups, Quality and Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, published on-line December 11, 2011.

5 “Research Syntheses of Direct Instruction Outcomes: A ‘Tertiary’ Review, Cristy Coughlin, forthcoming in Lloyd, J. Carnine, D., Slocum, T., & Watkins, C. (Eds.). Does Direct Instruction Deserve Status as an Evidence-Based Practice? ADI Press, 2011.

6 A Bibliography of the Direct Instruction Curriculum and Studies Examining its Efficacy, National Institute for Direct Instruction, October, 2011.

7 “Improving Elementary Level Mathematics Achievement in a Large Urban District: The Effects of Direct Instruction,” Jean Stockard, Journal of Direct Instruction, 10 (Winter, 2010): 1-16.

8 “Academic Kindergarten and Later Academic Success: The Impact of Direct Instruction," Jean Stockard and Kurt Engelmann, Journal of Behavioral Assessment and Intervention for Children, 1 (1, 2010): 2-24.

9 “Promoting Reading Achievement and Countering the ‘Fourth-Grade Slump’: The Impact of Direct Instruction on Reading Achievement in Fifth Grade,” Jean Stockard, Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 15 (August, 2010): 218-240.

10 “Promoting Early Literacy of Preschool Children: A Study of the Effectiveness of Funnix Beginning Reading, Jean Stockard, Journal of Direct Instruction, 10 (Winter, 2010):29-48.

11 “Direct Instruction in Africa,” Tamara and Rob Bressi, Kurt Engelmann, Amy Johnston, Jerry Silbert, and Jean Stockard, DI News, Summer, 2010.

12 “An Analysis of the Fidelity Implementation Policies of the What Works Clearinghouse,” Jean Stockard, Current Issues in Education, 13, No. 4 (2010). 

13 “Fourth Graders’ Growth in Reading Fluency and Comprehension: A Pretest-Posttest Randomized Control Study,” NIFDI Technical Report, December, 2011.

14 “Changes in Reading Achievement at a Florida Elementary School: A Randomized Control Study of Reading Mastery", NIFDI Technical Report, October, 2011.

15 “Reading Achievement in a Direct Instruction School and a ‘Three Tier’ Curriculum School,” NIFDI Technical Report 2008-5.

16 The WhatWorks Clearinghouse Beginning Reading Reports and Rating of Reading Mastery: An Evaluation and Comment, NIFDI Technical Report, September, 2008.

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