fwd: New study about Direct Instruction

[email protected] Wed, 17 Apr 2002 12:21:49 EDT
Newsgroups gmane.psychology.behavior-analysis
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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http://edweek.org/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=3D31direct.h21
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/default1.htm

Subj:   di: New study about DI =20
Date:   04/17/2002 11:52:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time   =20
From:   <A HREF=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>   =20
To: <A HREF=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>   =20
Sent from the Internet (Details)   =20

The piece below, appeared in this week's issue of Education Week=20
( http://edweek.org/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=3D31direct.h21 ).  It cites a new=20
study=20
about DI, that appears in the April 2002 issue of JESPAR (The Journal of=20
Education for Students Placed at Risk), which is a part of the Center for th=
e=20

Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. =20
Here=20
is the web link to the Johns Hopkins program, though I can't seem to find th=
e=20

study on-line yet:

http://www.csos.jhu.edu/default1.htm

Maybe some folks on the list can tell us how to get our hands on the study,=20
and=20
impressions of the findings?  Thanks.

Lynn Harbinson
email:  [email protected]

Studies Cite Learning Gains
In Direct Instruction Schools

By Debra Viadero=20

Schools using Direct Instruction, a teaching method sometimes criticized for=
=20
its tightly scripted teaching lessons, are generally seeing gains in student=
=20
learning, according to a new package of studies that tracked the program in=20
Florida, Maryland, and Texas.=20

The studies, published this month in the Journal of Education for Students=20
Placed at Risk, are important, experts said, because they represent the firs=
t=20

published empirical research on the program, or adaptations of it, in more=20
than=20
a decade.

They look at districts in four locations=E2=80=94Baltimore; Broward County,=20=
Fla.;=20
Fort=20
Worth, Texas; and Houston=E2=80=94in which anywhere from six to 30 schools b=
egan=20
using=20
the program in the 1990s.

"Direct Instruction is a powerful tool, and educators have a right to know=20
it's=20
out there. Some may choose it and some may not," said Muriel V. Berkeley, th=
e=20

president of the Baltimore Curriculum Project, a nonprofit group supporting=20
efforts to put the program in place in 16 schools in that city.=20

As promising as the test-score gains look, however, commentators on both the=
=20
pro and con sides of the debate over the controversial school improvement=20
program said they are not the last word on the program's effectiveness.

The findings are inconclusive, educators said, for a variety of reasons. In=20
Broward County, results were hard to disentangle because the program was=20
combined with other educational innovations. Other studies either focused=20
only=20
on the early elementary grades or looked at programs that were not=20
implemented=20
as faithfully as program developers might have hoped, experts said.

"We do the best we can with what we've got, and we don't give up because we=20
don't have perfect studies," said Martha Abele Mac Iver, who helped edit the=
=20
special issue and was a co-author of one of the studies in it.

Developed more than 30 years ago by Sigfried Engelmann, Direct Instruction i=
s=20

used in thousands of schools nationwide. It is one of only a handful of=20
comprehensive school reform models cited for having a solid research base.=20
Critics up until now, however, have complained that many of the studies were=
=20
old. ("A Direct Challenge," March 17, 1999.)

forwarded by

Dr. David Feeney
[email protected]
Director of Digital Education, http://foxonline.temple.edu
FOX School of Business & Management, http://sbm.temple.edu
Temple University, http://www.temple.edu
300 Speakman Hall
215-204-2727 office
215-204-5698 fax

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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=
=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">http://edweek.org/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=3D31direct.h21<=
BR>
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/default1.htm<BR>
<BR>
Subj:   <B>di: New study about DI </B> <BR>
Date:   04/17/2002 11:52:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time    <BR>
From:   <A HREF=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>    <BR>
To: <A HREF=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>    <BR>
<I>Sent from the Internet (Details)</I>    <BR>
<BR>
The piece below, appeared in this week's issue of Education Week <BR>
( http://edweek.org/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=3D31direct.h21 ).&nbsp; It cites a=20=
new study <BR>
about DI, that appears in the April 2002 issue of JESPAR (The Journal of <BR=
>
Education for Students Placed at Risk), which is a part of the Center for th=
e <BR>
Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.&nbs=
p; Here <BR>
is the web link to the Johns Hopkins program, though I can't seem to find th=
e <BR>
study on-line yet:<BR>
<BR>
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/default1.htm<BR>
<BR>
Maybe some folks on the list can tell us how to get our hands on the study,=20=
and <BR>
impressions of the findings?&nbsp; Thanks.<BR>
<BR>
Lynn Harbinson<BR>
email:&nbsp; [email protected]<BR>
<BR>
Studies Cite Learning Gains<BR>
In Direct Instruction Schools<BR>
<BR>
By Debra Viadero <BR>
<BR>
Schools using Direct Instruction, a teaching method sometimes criticized for=
 <BR>
its tightly scripted teaching lessons, are generally seeing gains in student=
 <BR>
learning, according to a new package of studies that tracked the program in=20=
<BR>
Florida, Maryland, and Texas. <BR>
<BR>
The studies, published this month in the Journal of Education for Students <=
BR>
Placed at Risk, are important, experts said, because they represent the firs=
t <BR>
published empirical research on the program, or adaptations of it, in more t=
han <BR>
a decade.<BR>
<BR>
They look at districts in four locations=E2=80=94Baltimore; Broward County,=20=
Fla.; Fort <BR>
Worth, Texas; and Houston=E2=80=94in which anywhere from six to 30 schools b=
egan using <BR>
the program in the 1990s.<BR>
<BR>
"Direct Instruction is a powerful tool, and educators have a right to know i=
t's <BR>
out there. Some may choose it and some may not," said Muriel V. Berkeley, th=
e <BR>
president of the Baltimore Curriculum Project, a nonprofit group supporting=20=
<BR>
efforts to put the program in place in 16 schools in that city. <BR>
<BR>
As promising as the test-score gains look, however, commentators on both the=
 <BR>
pro and con sides of the debate over the controversial school improvement <B=
R>
program said they are not the last word on the program's effectiveness.<BR>
<BR>
The findings are inconclusive, educators said, for a variety of reasons. In=20=
<BR>
Broward County, results were hard to disentangle because the program was <BR=
>
combined with other educational innovations. Other studies either focused on=
ly <BR>
on the early elementary grades or looked at programs that were not implement=
ed <BR>
as faithfully as program developers might have hoped, experts said.<BR>
<BR>
"We do the best we can with what we've got, and we don't give up because we=20=
<BR>
don't have perfect studies," said Martha Abele Mac Iver, who helped edit the=
 <BR>
special issue and was a co-author of one of the studies in it.<BR>
<BR>
Developed more than 30 years ago by Sigfried Engelmann, Direct Instruction i=
s <BR>
used in thousands of schools nationwide. It is one of only a handful of <BR>
comprehensive school reform models cited for having a solid research base. <=
BR>
Critics up until now, however, have complained that many of the studies were=
 <BR>
old. ("A Direct Challenge," March 17, 1999.)<BR>
<BR>
forwarded by<BR>
<BR>
Dr. David Feeney<BR>
[email protected]<BR>
Director of Digital Education, http://foxonline.temple.edu<BR>
FOX School of Business &amp; Management, http://sbm.temple.edu<BR>
Temple University, http://www.temple.edu<BR>
300 Speakman Hall<BR>
215-204-2727 office<BR>
215-204-5698 fax</FONT></HTML>

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