Hispanic Students in Nebraska Post Impressive Gains with NIFDI Support
Schuyler Elementary – Schuyler, NE
Students at Schuyler Elementary, a school in Eastern Nebraska with a large Hispanic population, have demonstrated incredible improvements in academic achievement over the past few years. In 2009-10, less than half (44%) of Schuyler’s third graders met the state standards on the Nebraska State Assessment (NeSA), and only 3 students exceeded them. In 2010-11, 67% of Schuyler’s third graders achieved passing scores, with eight percent of the students exceeding the state standards. The following year (2011-12), Schuyler experienced another improvement in student performance, with 86% of students passing the NeSA, 10% higher than the state average (see Figure 1).
How well did Hispanic students score?
Driving these gains is the progress made by Schuyler’s Hispanic students, who comprise nearly ninety percent of the school’s population (see Figure 2).
In 2009-10, a mere 39% of Schuyler’s Hispanic students in 3rd grade passed the NeSA. Not a single one exceeded the state standards. In 2010-11, 57% of 3rd-grade Hispanic students met the standards, and 8% exceeded them, totaling 65% of the school’s Hispanic population in 3rd grade. The following year, Schuyler made marked progress again, with 64% of the school’s Hispanic students meeting and 20% exceeding the state standards (see Figure 3).
How has Schuyler achieved such positive results?
In 2009, Schuyler Elementary began implementing Direct Instruction (DI) with support from the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI). Bill Comley, co-principal at Schuyler Elementary, attributes the school’s success primarily to the professional development and coaching support provided by NIFDI. “The professional development and on-site support NIFDI provides is critical in preparing teachers to teach our students effectively and implement the program with fidelity,” Comley says. “Their staff knows the ins and outs of the program and ensures we learn them, too, so that our students can experience the greatest success possible.”
Darli Jo Vrba, Comley’s co-principal, also noted one particularly relevant element of the program itself – the language component. Principal Vrba explained that providing students with an introduction to and practice in essential language skills was vital to their success in school. “It helps students to hear and understand what language should actually sound like versus the language they hear on the street,” she says. “It gives children the tools to learn, not just the ability to speak. They were already able to speak independently quite well.”
Principal Comley attributes students’ impressive improvement to the weekly data analysis and problem-solving sessions with NIFDI.
Principal Comley also attributed students’ impressive improvement to the weekly data analysis and problem-solving sessions with NIFDI. Each week, student performance data in the Reading Mastery curriculum is reviewed by NIFDI consultants. Based on the data, the consultants, along with school staff, make changes to students’ instructional programming, including advancing students in the curriculum and/or providing additional support to students who need assistance in mastering the skills. This unique feature of NIFDI support is vital to a successful implementation of DI.
Ms. Vrba shared her co-administrator’s sentiments and added that the Coaches’ Training and conference calls provided by NIFDI has built highly skilled literacy coaches in their school. She says, “NIFDI spends a lot of time ensuring coaches are strong in the programs so they can continue the implementation when NIFDI isn’t here. This implementation wouldn’t have happened without the support of NIFDI and our teachers’ buy-in, which only came after NIFDI showed such care and enthusiasm for Direct Instruction and how it could help our students.”
The results at Schuyler are consistent with other schools with large Hispanic populations that have implemented the NIFDI model. Schools in both Crete and Gering, Nebraska, have enjoyed similar results after implementing Direct Instruction with support from NIFDI. To learn more about Gering’s story of successfully implementing DI to improve student outcomes, view Closing the Performance Gap.