This report examines the achievement growth of two cohorts of students who were enrolled in the Baltimore City Public School System in both first grade and fifth grade (in first grade in 1997-98 and fifth grade in 2001-2003, or in first grade in 1998-99 and fifth grade in 2002-03) and were included in the study. Students attended 103 different schools. Eleven of these schools implemented Direct Instruction with support from the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI), and 5 used DI, but with support from another organization. The sample size was approximately 5,000. Schools in the three groups had similar demographic characteristics, although one of the Other DI schools had a markedly lower rate of poverty and a substantially lower rate of student turnover. The dependent variables were comprehension, vocabulary, and composite scores on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS). Results indicated that students who received Direct Instruction in first grade had significantly higher achievement scores in fifth grade than other students. The results were strongest with the measures of vocabulary and the composite score. While students in all schools had higher average achievement in fifth grade than in first grade, the increases were strongest for students in the NIFDI-supported schools and in the low-poverty Other DI school. On average, students in NIFDI-supported schools had a 25 percent gain in their composite reading achievement scores from first grade to fifth grade. Students in the control schools had a gain of 5 percent. The magnitude of changes from first to fifth grade far surpassed the traditional criterion of educationally important effects for both the NIFDI-supported school and the low poverty school in the Other DI group. Mixed models were used with controls for school-level socio-demographic characteristics.
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