An important feature of Direct Instruction (DI) is to celebrate success–the success of students, teachers, and entire schools. Every year, at the National Direct Instruction Conference in Eugene, Oregon, we recognize individual and group achievements for the following awards:  

• Siegfried Engelmann Excellence in Education Award – This award is named after Siegfried “Zig” Engelmann, co-creator of Direct Instruction, senior author of the DI programs, and founder of NIFDI. The recipient of this award can be anyone – a teacher, paraprofessional, administrator, college professor, etc. – who has provided a significant contribution to the field of education and/or student achievement.

• Wes Becker Excellent School Award – This award is named after Wesley Becker, co-creator of Direct Instruction and longtime Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Oregon. This award is given to a school for exemplary implementation of Direct Instruction.

• The Carnine-McRoberts Student Improvement Award – This award is named in memory of the parents of Doug and Linda Carnine. It is given to a student who has demonstrated remarkable academic success with DI. Teachers submit nominations. The winner, selected by Doug and Linda Carnine, will receive a plaque and $1,000. The winner’s school will also receive $1,000.  

An independent committee will review nominations from the field and honor individuals and schools that have made a significant difference in children’s educational achievement. Please take time to think about and nominate a student, colleague, and/or school. Perhaps it is someone who worked with a child after a parent had been told the child “has a learning disability” and will never learn to read. Or a classroom teacher whose students have consistently shown notable performance gains. Your nominee may be a principal who stood up for what was right and successfully implemented DI. Or a college professor who taught a methods class centered around DI. Or a student who made amazing progress this current school year. There are many more examples out there.