Milwaukee Public Schools Direct Instruction Study

Wisconsin Policy Research Institute Study shows that Direct Instruction is successful, particularly with hard to reach students. The study is on-line at http://www.wpri.org/Reports/Volume18/Vol18no4.pdf

Summary:

Education That Works in the Milwaukee Public Schools:
The Benefits from Phonics and Direct Instruction
by Sammis White, Ph.D.

A phonics-based teaching technique (Direct Instruction) is proving successful in some Milwaukee Public Schools. This study of 23,000 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students in the Milwaukee Public Schools showed that “among low-income students tracked between third and fourth grades 2002-03 to 2003-04, those with five years of Direct Instruction (DI) increased their math scores by 6.6% whereas non-low-income students increased their scores by 4.7%. This difference is statistically significant and is evidence of substantial progress.”

Direct Instruction in the Milwaukee Public Schools is creating real progress for hard-to-reach students.

* Students exposed to DI were even lower income, on average, than other MPS low-income students, but those individuals with long-term exposure to DI (defined as five years) did better, on average, than all low-income MPS students.

* In schools with DI in every grade and continuous professional development for the staff, students did even better, on average. Among low-income students, with a mix of regular and special education, students scored six points higher in reading and 25 points higher in math versus other low-income students. These differences suggest that with full implementation of DI at more schools, MPS would produce even greater academic gains.
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The conclusions are less obvious from this article, but it is worth reading:

How best to teach reading?
Study of MPS students provides no clear answer

By ALAN J. BORSUK
aborsuk@journalsentinel.com
Posted: July 21, 2005

A controversial reading program called Direct Instruction is helping some Milwaukee Public Schools students, particularly those on the short end of the achievement gaps that are such an urgent issue here, a study of test scores of thousands of MPS students concludes.

But the comparison of students who have been in schools using the highly scripted program with those who haven't been taught by that method leaves room for argument that the increasingly popular approach is not having much impact, at least not the way it is being done in many schools.

For the entire article go to: http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jul05/342804.asp

Posted by Lucy Mathiak at July 22, 2005 9:23 AM
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