EUGENE–Two University of Oregon researchers have developed one of the most effective elementary education reform programs in the nation, according to a study by an independent research group.

The study, published in February by the Washington, D.C.-based American Institute of Research (AIR), analyzed the effectiveness of the 24 most widely used schoolwide education reform programs in the United States. Direct Instruction, developed by UO researcher Siegfried "Ziggy" Engelmann and his colleagues, received the highest rank of any program in the study. It was one of only two programs in the study which could produce solid research on how their systems helped dramatically improve student test scores.

Direct Instruction differs greatly from traditional programs for teaching reading, math and other subjects in that classroom teachers follow a script that specifies the exact wording to be used with students. It has drawn wide criticism from educators who argue that it is too rigid.

The AIR study concluded that, of the 24 programs examined, only Direct Instruction and one other program, Success for All, have substantial research to prove their effectiveness. Of the two, Direct Instruction was found effective in a much broader range of areas.

"This report affirms what we’ve known all along," Engelmann says. "Direct Instruction produces substantial gains in all major subjects–reading, math, language, writing, spelling and science–with at-risk students as well as mainstream students."

Earlier studies such as the U. S. Office of Education’s Follow Through comparison of programs for at-risk K-3 students drew the same conclusion–Direct Instruction outperforms all other models.

Engelmann’s Direct Instruction system begins by separating students into small groups of equal ability. Skills in phonics and basic math concepts are taught in an orchestrated sequence. The curriculum anticipates that the students will make mistakes and teachers correct the errors immediately so the children don’t get in the habit of making mistakes. Teachers use a rapid-fire approach generating 10 to 14 responses a minute from each child.

Wesley Elementary School in Houston, Texas, began using Direct Instruction in the 1970s when fewer than 20 percent of their third grade students were at or above grade level. Last year, despite the fact that the school is located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Houston, 100 percent of the third grade students passed the state test for reading.

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