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#4 – Summer 1992

Annual ADI Awards for Excellence in Education • Zig’s Tribute to Wes Becker on His Retirement • Retirement-Time Reflections of Wes Becker on his Relationship with Zig Engelmann, Direct Instruction, and ADI • Myths, Misconceptions, and the Thief at the Door • Promoting School Success– Study Skills and What We’ve Learned from DI • Editorial: Herbie’s Blue Socks and the Support for Wholistic Approaches • Perspective: Volleyball and Other Analogies: A Response to Englert • Research Brief: Whole Language Instruction • Research Synthesis: Overview of the Research on Reading and DI • News Update: National Curriculum Committee Promotes Unproven Practice as National Standard • Research Study: Raising Mathematics Problem-Solving Performance: Do the NCTM Teaching Standards Help? • Book Review – A Time For Change: A Review of Engelmann’s War Against the Schools’ Academic Child Abuse • CAI in Teaching Math Facts to Students with Mild Handicaps

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Categories: Volume 11

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Interested in learning how to implement Direct Instruction in your district, school, or home? NIFDI can help. Click a button below to learn more. 

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What is a Peer Coach?

Peer coaches play a critical role in sustaining strong implementation of Direct Instruction (DI) at the school level. Selected during the first year of implementation, peer coaches are classroom teachers who demonstrate strong instructional practice, effective communication with colleagues, and a willingness to support others. Because they teach the same programs as their peers, they bring practical expertise and shared experience that help build trust and collaboration across the school.

As implementation progresses, peer coaches extend the impact of NIFDI consultants by providing ongoing, school-based support when consultants are not on-site. Their coaching is non-evaluative and focused on improving student outcomes. Peer coaches reinforce effective teaching practices and guide colleagues to make targeted adjustments that directly impact student performance and behavior.

Peer coaches participate in a structured, multi-year training sequence through NIFDI. Over the course of two to three years, they are trained to analyze student performance data, conduct both brief and extended classroom observations, and support data-driven problem solving. Advanced training prepares them to lead grade-level meetings and contribute to broader instructional planning with school leadership.

By developing peer coaches, schools build internal capacity to maintain and strengthen DI implementation over time—ensuring continuity, supporting new staff, and driving sustained student achievement.