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Help NIFDI Make a Difference

Help NIFDI Make a Difference

For 30 years, the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) has partnered with schools worldwide to improve the lives of all students. Please help us make a difference by donating during this season of Thanksgiving.

Your donation can help support our work in schools like:

  • A very rural tribal K-12 school in Minnesota. The staff serves 213 Native American students. In 2021-22, 88% of students were below or well below BIE English Language Proficiency Standards. The school has implemented DI as its core English Language Arts program and partnered with NIFDI to improve student performance for two years. They are beginning to show strong results, such as fewer upper-grade students placing in Corrective Reading as a result of early intervention.
  • A suburban school in Louisiana with 614 PK-5 students. At this school, 71% of students scored below the proficient level for reading. NIFDI is partnering to support staff in an intervention model for identified students. Based on the first-year results, the implementation is expanding this year.

We are launching a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $10,000 to help schools like these implement Direct Instruction (DI) with fidelity. Your donation will support additional coaching and staff development, which are critical to students’ success.

Please donate today and help make a difference in the lives of children! Click here if you would like to donate by check.

Which best describes your role?

Curriculum Decision Maker
School and District Leader

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

Leaders
Teachers
Parents
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.