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#1 – Fall 1981

  • The Birth of a New Voice for Excellence in Education
  • Direct Instruction After Follow Through — Is There Life After Death?
  • Bylaws of the Association for Direct Instruction
  • Does the IQ Tell You Who Can Learn More?
  • Direct Instruction in Kalamazoo — A History
  • Evaluating Math Programs
  • Getting DI Going
  • JDRP Validates Nine DI Projects
  • How To Use Peer Tutors
  • The Roles of Principals in Educational Change
  • Field-Oriented Ph.D. Program in Special Education at the University of Oregon
  • Large City Implementation Study
  • Dissent: Direct Instruction Under Attack
  • From the Children of the Ann Sullivan Center – La Punta, Peru
  • Direct Instruction Reading Research
  • Book Reviews – Making Schools Work/Why Johnny Still Can’t Read
  • Maintaining the Scientific Spirit in Direct Instruction: A Comment and a Case Study
  • Academic Games to Reinforce Academic Skills
  • Minutes of the First Annual Meeting of the Association for Direct Instruction
Categories: Volume 01

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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. 

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.