Adi Summer 2011 News ADI

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Dear Members and Colleagues,Thank you for the warm welcome.The outpouring of support and kindwords has been incredible! To thosemembers whom I have not had thepleasure of meeting yet, please allowme to introduce myself. My name is

Amy Johnston and I am the new Exec-utive Director of ADI. I already knowmany of you through my work with theNational Institute for Direct Instruc-tion (NIFDI), where I have workedfor the last four years. Prior to that, Iwas with an educational technologycompany that develops computer/web-based DI curricula. I am fortunate tohave had the experience of seeing theDI community from the outside-inand, more recently, from the inside-out. What I have noticed from bothperspectives is that while we haveincredibly dedicated, talented folks onour side (not to mention the data), we

also have a long way to go towardsmaking effective, research-validatedteaching practices and curricula some-thing every student has the opportu-nity to benefit from.

Bryan Wickman, ADIs former Execu-tive Director, is now our Director ofConferences & Training. Together, wewill be working to significantlyincrease our offerings of workshopsand conferences across the county,

including a first for ADIwebinars!Other exciting initiatives youll hearabout in the months to come includethe launch of ADIs new website andnew opportunities for collaborationwith others in the DI community.

Our immediate goals will be to expandour membership and focus ourfundraising on sustaining our work.This means we must focus more on

Hello and Happy Summer! We are sopleased that we are able to bring youthis issue of theDI News. Many of youare reading it while in attendance atthe National DI Conference in Eugeneand we are so happy you are here. If

you have been here before you knowwhat is in store for you. If this is yourfirst time we cant wait for you toexperience the fun, insight and learn-ing that go on here.

This issue of theNews brings an articleby Amy Johnston. Please take this

opportunity to read and discover whothe new executive director of the

Association for Direct Instruction isand what her plans for the future ofthe organization hold.

The articles Hey, Look at Me! byRandy Sprick, You May Be a TeacherIf by Randi Saulter and Don Craw-ford, and A Dose of DI from Donnaby Donna Dressman are designed tobe useful on the ground in schools.

We hope that you find them as full ofhelpful suggestions as we did. And in

Effective School Practices

Direct InstructionDON CRAWFORD and RANDI SAULTER, Editors

newsA New Director, New Ideasfor DI Instruction

SUMMER 2011, Volume 11, Number 3

In this issue

3 Equal Opportunity: A Fairy Tale

6 Hey, Look at Me

7 The (Never-Ending)Battle of City Springs

9 You May Be a Real Teacher If

11 A Dose of DI from Donna

12 Martins Musings

an on the ground narrative, RhondaL. Richetta, principal of City SpringsElementary Middle School, takes usfor a tour inside The (Never-Ending)Battle of City Springs.

Equal Opportunity A Fairy Taleby Anne Berchtold is also in thisissue of the News. Anne is a newermember of the ADI board who hascontributed a thoughtful look at the

education system.

As always, we have a very thought-pro-voking and interesting piece by Dr.Kozloff. His contributions never fail toinclude new ways of looking at teach-ing and learning.

We hope that as you read this issueyou are enjoying a bit of time off andplanning new ways to use the infor-mation in the News to inform yourwork with students, teachers andadministrators throughout the com-

ing school year.

continued on page 3

AMY JOHNSTON, Executive Director, Association for Direct Instuction

ADI News

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2 Summer 2011

DI News provides practitioners, ADI members, the DI community, and those newto DI with stories of successful implementations of DI, reports of ADI awards,

tips regarding the effective delivery of DI, articles focused on particular types ofinstruction, reprints of articles on timely topics, and position papers that addresscurrent issues. The News focus is to provide newsworthy events that help usreach the goals of teaching children more effectively and efficiently and commu-nicating that a powerful technology for teaching exists but is not being utilizedin most American schools. Readers are invited to contribute personal accounts ofsuccess as well as relevant topics deemed useful to the DI community. Generalareas of submission follow:

From the field: Submit letters describing your thrills and frustrations, prob-lems and successes, and so on. A number of experts are available who may beable to offer helpful solutions and recommendations to persons seeking advice.

News: Report news of interest to ADIs members.

Success stories: Send your stories about successful instruction. These can beshort, anecdotal pieces.

Perspectives: Submit critiques and perspective essays about a theme of currentinterest, such as: school restructuring, the ungraded classroom, cooperativelearning, site-based management, learning styles, heterogeneous grouping, Regu-lar Ed Initiative and the law, and so on.

Book notes: Review a book of interest to members.

New products: Descriptions of new products that are available are welcome.Send the description with a sample of the product or a research report validatingits effectiveness. Space will be given only to products that have been field-tested and empirically validated.

Tips for teachers: Practical, short products that a teacher can copy and use

immediately. This might be advice for solving a specific but pervasive problem, adata-keeping form, a single format that would successfully teach somethingmeaningful and impress teachers with the effectiveness and cleverness of DirectInstruction.

Submission Format: Send an electronic copy with a hard copy of the manu-script. Indicate the name of the word-processing program you use. Save drawingsand figures in separate files. Include an address and email address for eachauthor.

Illustrations and Figures: Please send drawings or figures in a camera-readyform, even though you may also include them in electronic form.

Completed manuscripts should be sent to:

ADI Publications

P.O. Box 10252Eugene, OR 97440

Acknowledgement of receipt of the manuscript will be sent by email. Articles areinitially screened by the editors for placement in the correct ADI publication. Ifappropriate, the article will be sent out for review by peers in the field. Thesereviewers may recommend acceptance as is, revision without further review, revi-sion with a subsequent review, or rejection. The author is usually notified aboutthe status of the article within a 6- to 8-week period. If the article is published,the author will receive five complimentary copies of the issue in which his or herarticle appears.

Direct Instruction News

Editors

Randi SaulterEducational Consultant

Don CrawfordArthur Academies Charter SchoolsPortland, Oregon

Editorial Board

Kerry HempenstallRoyal Melbourne Instituteof TechnologyVictoria, Australia

Martin KozloffUniversity of North Carolina,Wilmington

Vicki SniderUniversity of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

ADI Board of Directors

Anne BerchtoldLee County School DistrictCape Coral, Florida

Timothy SlocumUtah State UniversityLogan, Utah

Don SteelyiLearnEugene, Oregon

Rose WankenChico Unified School DistrictChico, California

Cathy WatkinsCalifornia State University, StanislausTurlock, California

Leslie ZorefCastle Park Middle SchoolChula Vista, California

The DI News is published in the fall, spring,and summer by the Association for DirectInstruction. The Association for DirectInstruction is a professional organizationdedicated to the development and dissemi-

nation of information and training for usersof Direct Instruction.

The Association for Direct Instruction wasincorporated in 1981 in the state of Oregonfor educational purposes. ADI is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation under Sec-tion 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Codeand is a publicly supported organization asdefined in Sections 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) and509(a)(1). Donations are tax-deductible.

A copy or summary of the current financialstatement, or annual report, and registra-tion filed by ADI may be obtained by con-tacting: ADI, P.O. BOX 10252, Eugene, OR97440 (541-485-1293). ADI is registeredwith the state of Oregon, Department ofJustice, #79-16751. Copyright 2011

Association for Direct Instruction.ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $25U. S.; $30 (U. S. currency) Canada; $40Europe; $60 airmail to Europe.

(ISSN 1540-0026).

Managing Editor: Lynda Rucker

Publisher: The Association for DirectInstruction

http://www.adihome.org

Layout and Design:Beneda Design, Eugene, Oregon

Contribute to DI News:



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Direct Instruction News 3

donations, sponsorships, and grants.We will be asking for help more oftenand in more ways. And we will be ask-ing for volunteers to help build astronger DI community.

As ADI moves forward into this nextchapter, we are recommitting ourselves

to the work of advocating for the useof proven instructional methods thatresult in an outstanding education forall students.

Please feel free to contact me [email protected] at any time.If you are interested in volunteeringplease let me know and I will find a

way for you to contribute. I also wel-come your input on things that wecould be doing more effectively. Ithank you for your past work and con-tinued support of ADI. Together wecan do great things!

Sincerely,Amy Johnston

he recounted their victories. Thestrange thing was, even though Lottmentioned setbacks, they seemed tobe the very things which sparked hisimagination and fueled his motivation.Coach Lott had chosen to head up histeam in Wesley. It was the most neg-lected, sorry part of town and nobodyin their right mind would knowinglychoose to be there. Coach Lott pos-sessed a dream, a vision and a plan. Itwas an audacious, simple plan: pre-testing, a script, intense DirectInstruction and practice, masteringone skill before advancing onto thenext, and continuous monitoring andfeedback. After implementation, withimprovement becoming evident, Lottfaced the most unbelievable hurdle the owners wanted him fired! Thelocal division accused his team ofcheating and refused to support him.Instead of support in the face ofremarkably increased achievement,Lott faced expulsion. The fans ralliedto his defense and he was re-instated.

ADI News... continued from page 1

Help us out!Contribute your story ofsuccess with DI! We want tohear from you!

You all have stories and it istime to share them. This isyourjournallet it reflectyour stories!

See the directions on page 2on how to make a contribu-tion. Youll be glad you did.

Once up a time, four baseball playersattended a try-out. Upon arriving,they were informed that they wererequired to hit the ball out of the parkthree consecutive times. They werestunned at such an expectation! In

turn, they each stepped up to bat andattempted to hit the baseball. Fred, apowerful hitter, slugged it out of thepark twice. Joe swung twice andwhacked it out of the park on thethird pitch. Thomas swung threetimes, and struck out. Jeff struck theball all three times, but could notslam it out of the park. Not one of theplayers met the requirement.

The team owner informed all the play-ers that they would need to improve

their performance, but did not elabo-rate on how this would be accom-plished. The players were furtherpuzzled when the owners stated thatThomas, because of his known disad-

vantages, would receive special train-ing so he could have an equalopportunity to meet the goal. Theplayers protested. Unmoved, the own-ers dispatched the players to improvetheir batting skills.

Thomas was to get specific training onwhacking the ball out of the park. He

would receive daily one-on-one super-vision. Furthermore, the baseballs hewould practice hitting were colored toimprove his perception. He wouldtrace the trajectory of each ball toengage all his senses. He wouldreceive regular eye exams, dentalcheckups, and meal allowances. Inaddition, he was assigned a motiva-tional coach so he would feel good

about himself. Cost was no objectwhen it came to the endeavor of clos-ing the gap between Thomas and hisfellow baseball players.

Fred returned to Baltimore totally

dejected. A friend happened to men-tion to him that there was a coach overin City Springs and he should waste notime in visiting this talented expert.Coach Welchel had a formidable trackrecord. She was assigned to a teamwhich, previous to her arrival, had

years of meager performance, and herbase was located in one of the poorestparts of town. Fred decided to visitCoach Welchel. Imagine his surprisewhen he arrived and the team waseagerly engaged in various stages of

practice. The positive energy wasinfectious. Coach Welchel outlined forhim a strategy that seemed almost tooeasy. It was an audacious, simple plan:pre-testing, a script, intense DirectInstruction and practice, masteringone skill before advancing onto thenext, and continuous monitoring andfeedback. Fred knew from the begin-ning it was a winning strategy. Themore he learned about Coach Welchel,her team and their method, the moreconvinced he was that he had justmade the smartest move of his life.

Back in Texas, Joe was also searchingfor someone who could assist him.

Without a clear direction from theowners as to what to do, he was lost.He had heard of a coach who hadturned a team around some years ago,Coach Lott. Joe sought out CoachLott. The coach spoke with a melodi-ous voice and glimmering eyes when

ANNE BERCHTOLD, Board Member

Equal Opportunity: A Fairy Tale



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Joe knew he was onto something. IfLott was that good, Joe needed towork with him on his plan.

During this time, Jeff maintained con-tact with his fellow team members.Baltimore and Houston seemed obvi-ous places to find assistance forimproving baseball performance, but

Jeff was in Oregon. Fred and Joe calledhim one night excited with the possi-bility of a unique opportunity. CoachLott and Coach Welchel informedtheir new protges that there lived inOregon a man who had authored thetraining programs which turned theirteams into winners. Wasting no time,

Jeff approached this individual, CoachEngelmann. After working with Engel-mann, Jeff could understand why hisprograms, and those who implementedthem with fidelity, were so successful.

Coach Engelmann had developed theoriginal audacious, simple plan: pre-

testing, a script, intense DirectInstruction and practice, masteringone skill before advancing onto thenext, and continuous monitoring andfeedback. Coach Engelmann wasrelentless with achieving peak per-formance, but remarkably, the out-come was joyous. In fact, a large-scale

government study had found thatCoach Engelmanns Direct InstructionPrograms outperformed and profoundlyimpacted short and long-term studentlearning. Following Engelmanns plan,

Jeff learned to record and track hisprogress and improvement.

The following year, the four baseballplayers returned to the try-outs. Fred,

Jeff and Joe were brimming with confi-dence and the knowledge that theyhad dramatically improved their skillsunder the tutelage of their coaches.

One by one, they approached the bat-ters box, gripped the bat, fixed their

eyes on the ball and zip-powtheycrack, crack, cracked the baseballs outof the park. Pride and excitementfilled them as they were certain thatthis would make an impression on theowners and secure them a place on theteam. However Thomas, although hecould now demonstrate marginal

improvement, was still not able tocrack the ball out of the park. Theowners position was that they wouldpersevere until Thomas was able toachieve this objective.

One would think that the owners, wit-nessing the transformation that Fred,

Joe and Jeff had undergone, wouldinvestigate their methods! What hadthey found that produced suchextraordinary results within a relativelyshort amount of time and small finan-cial investment? Compared to the

time, money and human-power theyhad poured into Thomas education,

The schools and organizations listedbelow are institutional members ofthe Association for Direct Instruction.

We appreciate their continued sup-port of quality education for students.

Alliance Academy of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH

American Preparatory AcademyDraper, UT

Baltimore Curriculum Project Inc.Baltimore, MD

Beacon ServicesMilford, MA

Cash Valley Elementary SchoolLavale, MD

Centennial Public SchoolUtica, NE

Central Linn SD

Brownsville, OR

City Springs SchoolBaltimore, MD

Clarendon School DistrictDistrict Two

Manning, SC

Crazy Horse SchoolQuinn, SD

Criterion Child EnrichmentMilford, MA

David Douglas Arthur AcademyPortland, OR

Dreamcatcher Direct InstructionCenters

Berthoud, CO

Evergreen CenterMilford, MA

Exceptional Learning CentreAjax, Ontario

Foundations for the Future CharterAcademyCalgary, AB

Gering Public SchoolsGering, NE

Gresham Arthur AcademyGresham, OR

Haugland Learning CenterColumbus, OH

Hinckley - Finlayson School DistrictHinckley, MN

Mescalero Apache SchoolMescalero, NM

Morningside AcademySeattle, WA

Mountain View Academy

Greeley, CO

Mystic Valley Regional Charter

Everett, MA

NIFDI

Eugene, OR

Portland Arthur AcademyPortland, OR

Reynolds Arthur Academy

Troutdale, OR

Santee Community School

Niobrara, NE

St. Helens Arthur Academy

St. Helens, OR

The American School in Switzerland

Montagnola, Switzerland

USD #428

Great Bend, KS

Wasilla Middle School

Wasilla, AK

Woodburn Arthur Academy

Woodburn, OR

4 Summer 2011



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proven over the passage of timeand thats nota fairy tale.

ReferencesEngelmann, Kurt. (2003). City Springs sets

the standards Again. Direct InstructionNews. Fall, 2003. pp 12-16.

Fabricant, Micheal B. (2011). Organizing forequity.American Educator. Spring, 2011. pp

36-44.Herbert, Michael. (2006) Academic failure,

dysteachia or curriculum casualty? TheUtah Special Educator. May, 2006. pp 12-14.

Honda, Michael. (2011). Preserving theAmerican dream. American EducatorSpring,

2011 pp 2-4.Welchel, Bernice (1999). Testimonial about

Direct Instruction for the US House ofRepresentatives Committee on Educationand the Workforce. Comprehensive School

Reform. Washington, D.C. July 13, 1999.The Hoover Institution. (1998) No Excuses:

Houston educator Thaddeus Lott puts

failing schools to shame. Policy ReviewNo. 87, January, 1998 http://www.hoover.org/publications/policy-review/article8110

which produced such dramatic change?Politicians, academic fellows, educa-tion secretaries all bleat the hollowdirge of reform and change, but balk atthe prospect of further action. MichaelFabricant (2011) certainly hit the nailon the head (or is that hit a homerun?) when he stated that, When it

comes to public education, our leadersare far too insulated from the conse-quences of their choices.

Policy makers at all levels should seekto replicate success. Instead, whatoccurs with monotonous regularity isthat success is dismissed, ignored ordismantled and quietly swept underthe rug. Various policy makers andeducators have been asked through-out the years as to what they woulddo to improve education. Theresponses should be inspiring, offer-

ing examples of successes and how toimplement these on a larger scale,how to reward success and those whoare dedicated to it.

Instead we are treated to the same oldsagas and renditions of the urbanmyth. The urban myth holds that ifstudents are minority, poor, impover-ished and/or come from disadvantagedbackgrounds, it is imperative toaddress their need regardless of costper pupil (Honda, 2011)! Inevitably,

without the equal opportunity toDirect Instruction, administrators with

vision and determination, and teacherswith zest, these students languish inthe chaotic environments of dismalurban schools.

Bernice Welchel reminds us that, Inno other profession do we expect eachindividual to figure out through trialand error the most effective way ofdoing something But we usuallyexpect our teachers to teach effec-tively without telling them the prac-tices that led to documented successfor others. In the medical model, thiswould be irrational; in the educationalmodel, this is accepted practice!

Direct Instruction provides auniquely equal opportunity for all stu-dents and their teachers. It is anequal opportunity to engage with anaudacious, simple plan that has been

Fred, Jeff and Joe had achieved mete-oric results.

In many fields of endeavor, failures aremet with meticulous analysis. If abaseball team begins losing, fans aredisappointed and a detailed examina-tion ensues. However, in the case ofThaddeus Lott at Wesley Elementary,the outstanding improvement provedan unsightly embarrassment. Thecourse of action was to debase Lottand remove him. Thankfully for thestudents, Lott proved to be a formida-ble opponent and the community ral-lied to support him. Bernice Welchelat City Springs in Baltimore, was dealta similar reward. For opening the doorto an equal opportunity for her stu-dents, Welchel should have been anational hero.

Why do those in positions to knowbetter ignore what is clearly front ofthem? If more money were truly theremedy for the dire situation faced ineducation, then pouring in moremoney would be the solution, right?Isnt that what we are continuallyforce-fed; the old urban myth thateducation needs more money?National, state and district levelspending continues to spiral toatmospheric proportions and yet stu-dent performance does not improve

on any comparable scale. It is alarm-ing that those who are in position toknow (like the baseball owners) donot seek out and emulate those indi-

viduals who have bravely broken themold and achieved excellence in stu-dent achievement. On the contrary,what is occurring is a form of inversediscrimination; a disequilibrium ofopportunity.

Equal opportunity for students is afairy tale. It does not exist under cur-rent practices. It is a noxious urban

myth foisted upon a population des-perate for a better way for their chil-dren and ripe for emotional hijacking.Given that there are administratorsand teachers who apply the audacious,simple plan of Direct Instruction andwithin several years present a very dif-ferent academic profile, would it notbe prudent to investigate the course ofaction these individuals followed


Plan now to attend

California DIConferenceSeptember 30October 1,2011, San Jose, California

Effective Programs forLearners with AutismSpectrum DisordersA Direct InstructionConferenceOctober 2022, 2011Hilton Penn Station,Newark, New Jersey

Complete brochure and registra-tion information available at adi-home.org

Southwest DIConferenceDecember 6-8, 2011,Phoenix, Arizona

Online Registration NowAvailable adihome.org



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Its October and your class is running

fairly smoothly, except for one or two

studentsJohnny in the back row

launches intoBlue (Da Ba De) by Eiffel65 every time you turn your back, and

Jeanette by the window chronically

argues whenever you give a direction

or assignment.

Whats going on? Could these students

be engaging in attention-seeking mis-

behavior? Attention-seeking misbehav-

iors are behaviors that a student

engages in to satisfy his or her (often

unconscious) need for attention.

Chronic blurting out, excessive help-

lessness, tattling, and minor disrup-tions are examples of behaviors that

may be attention-seeking in nature.

When a student is seeking attention,

any intervention effort that gives the

student attention when he is misbe-

having is likely to reinforce the inap-

propriate behavior.

Attention-seeking misbehaviors are

cyclical and feed off of each other. Its

time to break the cycle before misbe-

havior escalates any further.

Increasing Positive Interactions

Increasing positive interactions may be

effective with any chronic misbehavior

or problem with self-concept. Any

time the function of a students behav-

ior is attention-seeking, this interven-

tion is especially useful.

You can teach a child who fishes forattention through misbehavior how toget adult attention through responsi-

ble behavior. This can be done bydemonstrating that responsible behav-ior results in more attention than mis-behavior. Though the idea behindincreasing positive interactions isdeceptively simple, in practice it isamong the most powerful interven-tions for changing student behavior.

By reducing thefrequency,duration, andintensity of the attention you pay tostudents misbehavior and focusingmore of your time and attention on

responsible behaviors, you can rebal-ance your ratio of interactions. The ratioof interactions is the number of posi-tive interactions with a student to thenumber of negative interactions. Yourgoal is to make the ratio primarily pos-itive. Redirecting a studentsingrained pattern of behavior throughincreased positive interactionsrequires patience and consistency on

your part, but the results are worth

your effort. Outcomes may includemarkedly improved student behavior

and self-esteem, students who feelvalued and hence more motivated,and an increase in instructional time

vs. time spent on correction.

Follow these implementation steps:

Step 1: Plan more positive interac-tions.

A. Review the problem and overall goal

for the student.

B. Self-assess or have an observer mon-

itor your ratio of interactions.

a. Set up an observation by an

interventionist.

b. Conduct the observation.

c. Analyze interactions.

C. Decide how you will respond to

misbehavior.

a. Brainstorm negative behaviors.

b. Categorize the behaviors.

c. Decide whether to ignore the

misbehavior or impose a conse-quence.

D. Develop a plan to increase positive

interactions.

a. Brainstorm a list of noncontin-

gent positive interactions.

b. Plan to provide contingent posi-

tive feedback.

c. Plan to conference informally

with the student regarding

progress.

d. Involve other staff members in

interacting positively with this

student.

E. Continue to collect objective data

to determine whether the interven-

tion is helping the students behav-

ior improve.

F. Determine who will meet with the

student to discuss and finalize the

plan.

Step 2: Meet with the student.

6 Summer 2011

RANDY SPRICK, Safe and Civil Schools

Hey, Look at Me!

Excerpts from CHAMPS: A Proactive and PositiveApproach to Classroom Managementand Interven-

tions: Evidence-Based Behavioral Strategies for Indi-

vidual Students. Copyright 2009 by PacificNorthwest Publishing. All rights reserved.

Figure 1

Cycle of Misbehavior



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A. Help the student identify and

rehearse the specific actions that

will help him or her reach the goal.

B. Discuss the plan for ignoring some

misbehaviors and providing conse-

quences for others.

C. Review ways you and the student

can engage in positive interactions.

D. Set up a time to meet regularly

with the student to discuss

progress.

E. Review the roles and responsibili-

ties of all participants at the meet-

ing.

F. Conclude the meeting with wordsof encouragement.

Step 3: Follow the plan.

A. Evaluate the impact of the inter-vention, making revisions andadjustments as necessary.

B. When the student demonstratesconsistent success, fade the inter-

vention.

C. Once the intervention has beenfaded, provide continued support,followup, and encouragement.

Teaching students to behave responsi-bly by increasing your ratio of positive

to negative interactions seems almost

too simple to be more than wishful

thinking. But it works, and a moun-

tain of evidence and research litera-

ture back it up. This is a powerful

intervention that is a useful part of all

classroom management and interven-

tion plans.

Improving your ratio of positive to

negative interactions with one student

or a whole class teaches students that

they can get attention through respon-

sible behavior. As their pride in

responsibility grows, small successes

will beget new success.

found ways to teach skills that my stu-dents had always struggled to learn,and I learned to teach them to realmastery (what a concept!) with moreease than I had thought possible. I wasseized with a desire to track down allof my former students and apologize tothem for putting them through suchavoidable strife. Turns out, the wholetime I could have made it so much eas-ier for them to learn and for me toteach if I had known about and had thetools of Direct Instruction!

And, whats more, I had become a con-tributing member of the quirky DIteam, and at a uniquely exciting timeat City Springs. Test scores were up,students were engaged and on-task,parents were happy, and people werecoming from all over the land to visitgritty ol City Springs, including thewife of the Vice President of theUnited States.

It was with great sadness thereforewhen I left City Springs after several

satisfying years to take a position out ofthe classroom at a high school acrosstown. I longed to get back to CitySprings, though, and even bragged toany who would listen about the exem-plary school where I used to work.Finally, one day, I got my wish: I wasasked to return to City Springs, not asa teacher, but first as assistant principaland then, shortly thereafter, as princi-

Many in the DI world are familiar withCity Springs School in Baltimore, MD.The highly-acclaimed documentaryThe Battle of City Springs reached awide audience of educators and non-educators alike when PBS first aired itover a decade ago. The film honestlydocumented the story of a hard-foughtand emotionally uplifting turnaroundat a high-poverty urban school througha whole school implementation ofDirect Instruction. Under the leader-ship of a willful and visionary leader,and directly supported by talented andpassionate specialists from the Balti-more Curriculum Project (BCP) andthe National Institute for DirectInstruction (NIFDI), City Springs cat-apulted from one of the worst ele-mentary schools in Baltimore City(112th out of 114 Baltimore CitySchools in one infamous ranking) to

one of the best over the relativelyshort period of seven years. As nearlyall educators can attest, this dramaticchange in academic status wasachieved through extraordinarilyfocused and intense work, and yet theinspirational turnaround could not besustained without the same level ofurgency, diligence and fidelity ofimplementation.

My personal experience with thistransformation was as a special educa-tion teacher who had been recruited tothe school by the principal despite mytotal lack of experience in DirectInstruction. I agreed to come to theschool and join the ranks of the quirkygroup of DI teachers who existed in

Baltimore at the time solely out of therespect I had for the principal. Having12 years of experience as a tradi-tional teacher, I was frankly skepticalof DI. This skepticism only grew afterthe first week of training (snapping,clapping, tapping, etc.), but, alas, itwas too late for me to back out.

Well, thank goodness for that, becausemy decision to stay at City Springsturned out to be a truly life-changingevent for me, particularly changing howI viewed the best way to provide chil-

dren with an education for life. Perhapsthe most enlightening thing I learnedwas that throughout my previous yearsof teaching, when I thought my stu-dents difficulties in learning werebecause of their shortcomings, I waswrong; it wasnt the students, it wasme, and my shortcomings! I was quitesimply not teaching them correctly. Inthe Direct Instruction programs, I

RHONDA L. RICHETTA, Principal, City Springs Elementary Middle School

The (Never Ending) Battleof City Springs



8/28

pal. My long-imagined return to CitySprings, however, was not at all what Ihad expected or wanted; it was not thesame school I had known and loved.

I had been gone for four years. In thisshort time, the test scores haddecreased, and morale had plum-meted; students were off-task andfighting, parents were angry, andteachers were not teaching. I foundmyself shaking my head and wonder-ing, What happened? I cannot sayexactly how or why it unraveledbecause I was gone for four years, but Icould certainly see that the all-impor-tant high degree of fidelity of imple-mentation that was the engine ofachievement and the source of pride ofCity Springs at its heyday, was gone,gone, gone.

The schools leadership was at oddswith former staunch ally BCP, andNIFDI had pulled out altogether.NIFDI would not accept sacrificingthe fidelity of the DI implementationto the new strategies that werebeing implemented in the name of abetter alignment with the Marylandhigh-stakes state test, so they left.

It was yet another case of how thepressure of high-stakes testing cancause well-meaning educators to stopdoing what is best for kids. Compro-

mising the integrity of instruction byfocusing on teaching to prepare ourkids for a test, rather than teaching toprepare our kids for their lives, gradu-ally wreaked havoc on City Springs anddismantled the hard-won gains inschool culture and achievement thatbegan in the days chronicled in The

Battle of City Springs. As before inthe bad old days, City Springs chil-dren were once again not learning toread or do basic arithmetic, and noamount of targeted test preparationcan help kids be successful on a testthey cannot read. As was predicted bymany who resisted the changes, testscores declined and kids were nolonger functioning on grade level. By2007 classroom data had revealed thatonly 26% of the students at CitySprings were functioning on gradelevel in reading, its signature subject.Only 4% of the sixth graders hadscored proficient in math on the statetest. Students were exhibiting more

violent behavior, undoubtedly linkedto increased academic frustration. Theschool was failing in its core mission,despite (or perhaps because of) theheavy emphasis on preparing studentsfor the state test. City Springs was stillnominally a DI school, but in manyfundamental ways DI was beingphoned in and City Springs nolonger had the high fidelity implemen-

tation that had brought it to its hard-to-maintain heights of achievement.

When Muriel Berkeley came to me andasked if I wanted to bring NIFDI backto City Springs, I did not hesitate. Iknew that only by bringing back ahigh-fidelity implementation of DirectInstruction could we turn City Springs

back around again. By 2010, 73% ofstudents were functioning on gradelevel, nearly triple the level of three

years earlier! We had completelyreversed the decline at City Springs.City Springs has also shown over thosesame three years strong and steadyprogress on the state exam. Mostimportantly, the children are no longerangry, frustrated and acting out,because they are meaningfully engagedin and finding joy in learning, becausethey are learning, not just preparing

for a test.

It would be misleading to concludethis story with a happily- ever-afterending, because I have just shared thecold, hard truth: this takes incrediblyhard, relentless work and focus. Work-ing in a school where 99% of the stu-dents are on free or reduced lunch andnew students arrive and previous stu-dents depart in large numbersthroughout the year, and from year to

year, the challenges are both enormousand unrelenting.

8 Summer 2011

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9/28


It is, in other words, a never-endingbattle. One thing I know from my up-

and-down-and-currently-back-up-again

experience at my beloved City Springs

is that implementation fidelity iseverything, and a high level of imple-

mentation certainly does not just hap-

pen on its own and, once achieved, a

high level of implementation does notremain in place on its own. Teachersneed ongoing support and training;

keen analysis of student data must

happen continuously and that analysis

must guide all decisions; a strong

atmosphere of genuine and meaningful

encouragement for the students must

be fostered; and academic gains must

be acknowledged and celebrated.

Implementing all of this simultane-

ously, in the face of all of the other

challenges that running a school

entails, and achieving academic andbehavioral success requires a colossal

amount of old-fashioned hard work by

a lot of dedicated people. Maintaining

such hard-won success is, quite liter-

ally, a never-ending battle. When I

stand at the top of the stairs everymorning, greeting 605 young and smil-ing children as they venture forwardinto the start of another day, I thinkwith excitement about the possibilitiesthat await them in their futurebecause we are truly educating them.

My excitement for their future makes

me don my armor and happily join thebattle each and every day for the restof my life.

Because some battles really are worthfighting.

you have taught them. The successof your students is the ultimatepay-off for you. Recognition from

your peers is fine, but what reallyputs the swagger in your walk isthat spark in a childs eye when hegets it. If you are a REALteacher you will keep working tosee that spark and you are lookingfor it all the time. The biggestaward comes after a child has had atough time learning a concept orremembering an answer and theyfinally get it right. People whoarent REAL teachers are justannoyed that it was hard and arent

reinforced by the eventual success.

2. You may be a REAL teacher ifyour students know that youthink their success is important.

You get excited when students aregetting it right the first time andthey feel it. Your students know

Over the years I have seen many peo-ple present Direct Instruction (DI)programs who made me wonder. Imean, they were teachers. They hadthe right clothes, they were in front ofthe class. They were in possession ofthe Teacher Presentation Book. Theywere the only adults in the room,butI couldnt and wouldnt call themREAL teachers. These adults read thescripts, asked the questions, correctedthe student work, and did what wasasked of them without really appearing

to be very interested in the results. Icontinue to see them today. They arepassive when problems are noted, orwhen some students dont learn, ordont pay attention, or dont do theirwork. They just keep reading thescripts and moving onusually blam-ing someone else for too much pres-sure regarding lesson progress ormentioning that Johnny never hasbreakfast or that Susie was just havinga bad day again. The majority do whatis demanded of them, but most of the

time they seem to be on auto pilot.Administrators often have a difficulttime putting their finger on what iswrong, or what these folks shouldchange. Coaches who work with themmake suggestions and these individu-als follow the suggestion for a whileand then stop. Or coaches note thatthese folks are sort of doing whattheyve been told to do, but somehow

it just doesnt work, it isnt effective.Someone will model or do demonstra-tion lessons during which the studentsseem to come to life and demonstratesuccess and mastery, but it doesntseem to help. What is the underlyingproblem? My diagnosis is that thesepeople are just not REAL teachers.Even though they cant seem to do it,when I listen to these adults complainabout the curriculum or the students Iwant to tell these people, Just go inthat room and be a teacher!

So whats a REAL teacher you ask?Well, it is not primarily the credentialor license. Plenty of people withteaching credentials or licenses arenot, to my way of thinking, REALteachers. On the other hand, manypeople learn to be REAL teachers asthey are going through educationclassesand when they discover DIthey take to it like a Paula Deen tobutter! And there are a few peoplewho are REAL teachers having learnedhow to teach utilizing DI curriculum,without taking any education classes.

Who are the REAL teachers? Here areten signs you may be a REAL teacher.

1. You may be a real teacher ifyou are motivated by seeingyour students learn. Using DIcurriculum makes you happybecause you can see that your stu-dents are learning new things that

DON CRAWFORD and RANDI SAULTER

You may be a real teacher if

Help us out!Contribute your story of success

with DI! We want to hear from

you!

You all have stories and it is time

to share them. This isyourjour-

nallet it reflect your stories!

See the directions on page 2 on

how to make a contribution. Youll

be glad you did.



10/28

that learning the lesson is thepoint of the activity and that youcare about whether or not theylearn. They are motivated to give ittheir best because learning isimportant. Your students know that

you are impressed by students whoare listening, participating andlearning. You walk like learning isimportant. You talk like learning isimportant and you do the happydance when your students arelearning. Together as a group, yourfocus is on learning and gettingsmarter rather than just getting thework done. People who arentREAL teachers cant motivatethemselves or their students to domore than just go through themotions.

3. You may be a REAL teacher if

you check for understandingmore than is written in thescript. REAL teachers care if theirstudents are learning. If youre aREAL teacher the main focusthroughout your lessons is to dis-cover whether students havelearned what you just (think) youtaught. You like DI curriculumbecause it includes lots of opportu-nities for students to respond anddemonstrate that they havelearned. REAL teachers are notcontent with group unison

responses that sound good. Theyare watching to see ifeveryoneisanswering. They are listening hard

to hear if there are any errors.REAL teachers are alert to signsthat any of their students are notanswering con gusto like theyare still somewhat unsure. A REALteacher asks a question to see ifstudents need more help to learnsomething, even when there is no

scripted question. People whoarent REAL teachers cant imaginewhy someone would ask morequestions than are in the script.

4. You may be a REAL teacher ifyou give individual turns evenwhen the script doesnt requireit. REAL teachers want to be surethat ALL of their students havelearned. When they find them-selves unsure that ALL of theirstudents have mastery of a con-cept, they gather more data. So

REAL teachers spontaneously givesome individual turns wheneverthey have any doubt about mastery.REAL teachers are sure to askquestions of the students aboutwhom they are unsure. People whoarent REAL teachers (not you!)dont give individual turns unlessthe script tells them to and some-times not even then.

5. You may be a REAL teacher ifyou are curious about whetheryour students are getting the

right answers.After you havetaught a lesson and started stu-dents on their independent work,

you cant help but be curious aboutwhether or not students can dowhat you just taught. I mean comeon people. We just HAVE TOKNOW! So when your kiddosbegin working, you want to go lookat their answers to see if they arecorrect. You dont want to wait

until the next dayyou want toknow right nowso you circulatein the classroom looking over theshoulders of your students to seewhat they are writing. You mighteven take the answer key with youto be sure, but you are very curiousabout what is being written. AREAL teacher cant help but showsome pride and joy when the stu-dents are getting it rightand toshow disappointment when theyarent. People who arent realteachers can be found at theirdesks answering emails and shop-ping for tulip bulbs online.

6. You may be a REAL teacher ifyou want to analyze studenttests and work for error pat-terns.A REAL teacher is disap-pointed when students dont getit and wants to find out why. Noteveryone gets training in analyzingtests in the most efficient manner,but REAL teachers begin trying tofind patterns even before they

have a systematic method to do so.

10 Summer 2011

Now available from ADI

Managing the Cycle of Acting-OutBehavior in the Classroom

Geoff Colvin

This text is based on Dr. Colvins 25 years of experience and research in workingwith the full range of problem behavior. He presents a model for describing acting-

out behavior in terms of seven phases.

A graph is used to illustrate these phases of escalating conflict. The informationwill enable the teacher or staff member to place the student in the acting-outsequence and respond appropriately. Well-tested, effective, and practicalstrategies are described in detail for managing student behavior during eachphase of the cycle. The book also contains many helpful references as well as anextensive set of reproducible forms.

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11/28


If youre a REAL teacher you wantto know when several students in

your class miss a certain objectivebecause you are going to try toteach it to them again. You want tofind out which objectives need re-teaching because youre not aboutto give up. Additionally, as a REALteacher you want to know if stu-dents are not being careful and arerushing through their work,because you want to do somethingto teach them better work habits.People who arent REAL teachers

just put the scores into the com-puter and blame the students forthe low scores.

7. You may be a REAL teacher ifyou brag about your students toother adults. If you are a REALteacher you are invested in the

accomplishments of your students.When they work hard and do wellyou are excited and impressed. Youwant to tell other teachers, admin-istrators, parentspretty muchanyone who walks bywhat greatthings your students are doing. AREAL teacher thinks the achieve-ment of his/her students is veryimportant and exciting. If you just

have to tell someone (or bust!)about what your students can dothen you may be a REAL teacher.

8. You may be a REAL teacher ifyou want to display the bestwork your students do.Again, aREAL teacher is working hard tohelp students learn, and when they

do good work, well, everyoneshould see it! Because learning andimprovement are the name of yourgame, you only want to celebratethe best work your students aredoing. You want to put up the stu-dent papers of which you and thestudents are proud. It matters, so

you dont pretend to be proud ofwork that wasnt a good effort.However, when someone doesexceptionally good work it goes upfor everyone to seebecause this

is important to you.

9. You may be a REAL teacher ifyour students want to showtheir work to you. REAL teach-ers cant help but be excited aboutstudent learning and success. Thisis what keeps them in the businessof education. As a result, REALteachers show real excitement and

enthusiasm for student achieve-ment that cant help but affectchildren. Then the students wantto do well and want the teacher tosee that. They bring their bestpapers to you and their best effortsto you because they know you care.

You can be counted on to be inter-ested in their achievementsothey share it with you.

10.You are a REAL teacher whenyour students have pride intheir work and want to do theirbest.All of the above communicateto your students that their learningand accomplishments are impor-tant to you. Students are moti-

vated to do things that adults andothers think are important andimpressive. A REAL teachersREAL attitudes cant help but

motivate students. A REALteacher thinks, This is a big dealand thats why Ive devoted my lifeto doing it. Students respond tothat attitude and come to thinkthat achievement is a good thing.

When your students are motivatedto learn, then you know you are aREAL teacher, in fact, a reallygreat teacher!

dents will still make the connectionand be able to successfully read thatword.

(Consider the sound YOU makewhen you see ph within a word.

You know that p and h next toeach other say fff . Similarly, yourstudents will know that s, a, iand d next to each other saysaid.) This strategy works if you

use itconsistently!

Be sure your students are trackingduring story reading! To encouragetracking while students take turnsreading the story aloud or while theteacher rereads part of the story,institute a new policy: Lose your

place, lose your turn, and it counts as an

error. Call on another reader, thenbe sure to help the first reader findthe place then return to that

For more tips see www.myconquest-

consulting.com

A tip for those usingDecoding B1andB2(and the first lessons of

Decoding C):

During the Board Work exercises(Internal Vowel Conversions, End-ings Buildup, Consonant Conver-

sions), write only the first list ofwords. After the students have readthe words (as per the scripted pres-entation),change only the part of theword that the format calls for in order to

make the new word. Do not write awhole new word, and do not list allthe words covered in this part ofthe lesson in columns on the board.This exercise is not about reading a

bunch of words; rather, it is aboutstrengthening word attack skills asstudents learn to notice changeswithin a word that result in a newword.

In the first level ofReading Mastery,when working with irregular (orfunny) words, always follow theprescribed wording and format

found in the lesson! When asked tosound out an irregular word, besure students are saying the soundscorrectly. Example: When soundingout the word said, studentsshould say sssaaaiiiid, notsssseeeed. (You should hear eachsound as it would be made if itappeared in isolation.) Even though

you cannot say-it-fast. the stu-

DONNA DRESSMAN, Conquest Consulting

A Dose of DI from Donna



12/28

reader next to read. Also, occasion-ally look up at the group and pro-

vide positive feedback to thosestudents who are tracking withtheir fingers at that instant. Track-ing increases student comprehen-sion, as every student reads everysentence of the story.

In the first two levels ofReadingMastery (RM Classic Iand IIor RMSignature Kand 1), when studentsare to sound out a word that beginswith a fast sound (i.e., d, t, k,p...), be sure that theyblendthesounds together, without stopping

after that first fast sound. Tohelp them do this, start the taskwith your finger under the first sound,rather than on the Get Ready ball.Then, after saying, Get ready...,loop your finger to the secondsound as the students blend thefirst two sounds together.

As you complete the group presen-tation for each page of the teacherpresentation book, be sure toimmediately present individualturns to the group. During thischeck of mastery, the goal is to have

allstudents participating in every

taskbut only one responding outloud. Follow this format:

Say, Time for individual turns. Listenfor your name

In an unpredictable order, point to thefirst sound/wordand pause. (This isstudent think time!)

Next, say, Get ready + studentname and signal for the response. Besure to also call upon the students inan unpredictable order; this keeps allstudents focused, thinking, and ready

to respond.

12 Summer 2011

1. There are six features of reality thathumans can learn aboutgiven ourlearning mechanism (Engelmannand Carnine, 1992): Facts, Lists,Sensory Concepts, Higher-OrderConcepts, Rules, and Routines

2. There are six kinds of knowledgewe can store and communicate(teach) through sculpture, painting,music, and language: Facts, Lists,Sensory Concepts, Higher-OrderConcepts, Rules, and Routines

3. There are six kinds of simpledeclarative STATEMENTSofFacts, Lists, Sensory Concepts,Higher-Order Concepts, Rules, andRoutinesthat represent realityand communicate our representa-

tions.

4. Some knowledge can be stored andcommunicated with ONE declara-tive statemente.g., facts, shortlists, concept definitions, and rules.

5. Other knowledge takes a sequenceof declarative statementse.g.,long lists and routines such asdescriptions, logical arguments,

explanations, problem solutions,tasks within lessons, and whole les-sons.

Note well. You almost NEVER teach afact, list, concept, rule, or routine by

itself. You would teach one of these ina TASK that is part of a LESSON. Forexample, you might teach a list of factsabout nuclear power before you pres-ent a list of advantages and risks. Youmight teach a set of concepts (such asmetaphor, symbolism, onomatopoeia)before you teach students to analyzepoems that use metaphor, symbolism,and onomatopoeia. You might teachseveral rules about solving equationsbefore you teach the routine for solv-ing equations. So, the proceduresbelow for teaching the six kinds of

knowledge would be used as a SMALLpart of the lesson. You have to BEGINplanning with the terminal objectivefor the lesson. What do you want stu-dents to DO? Then work backwards.

You want to end up with a sequence oftasks that USE what was taught earlierand also teach what is needed later.Each task would teach one or two ofthe KINDS of knowledge. Lets look

at each kind of knowledge = eachkind of declarative statement for stor-

ing and communicating knowledge.Ready?

Fact knowledge.A subject that is a par-ticular thing has a feature.

a. The main export of Saudi Ara-bia (subject: a thing that is par-ticular) is oil (predicate: tellsmore about the subject).

b. The U.S. Constitution (subject:a document that is particularnot all constitutions, only the

U.S. Constitution) was writtenin 1787 (predicate tells a featureof the U.S. constitution).

c. The Communist leaders Leninand Stalin (USSR) and MAO(China PRC) (subject: a groupthat is particular) killed at least150 million of their own citizens(predicate: tells a feature of thegroup).

Teach directly by stating the fact and havingstudents memorize it.

1. Boys and girls. New fact. Get readyto (hear it, read it, listen for it).[Gain attention and frame instruc-tion.]

2. The Battle at Thermopylae, whichwas between several thousandGreeks and at least 100,000 Per-sians, was in 480 BCE. [model]

3. Say that fact with me [lead]

MARTIN KOZLOFF, University of North Carolina

Procedures for Teachingthe Six Kinds of Knowledge



13/28


14/28

14 Summer 2011

activity; (8) Golgi bodies stores

and releases chemicals; (9) Lyso-

some digestion center; (10)

Microtubule hollow cylinder that

supports and shapes cell; (11)

Mitochondria powerhouse of

cell; (12) Nuclear membrane

holds nucleus together; (13)

Nucleolus spherical body withinnucleus; (14) Nucleus chromo-

somes are found here; (15) Plas-

tid stores food or contains

pigment; (16) Ribosomes where

proteins are made; (17) Vacuole

contains water and dissolved

mineral. [This would be gone

OVER in one task and then

repeated in the next lessons. By

repetition, it will be learned.]

http://education.sdsc.edu/

download/enrich/cellstudy.pdf

When you want students simply to learn a list

by memorization, teach directly by stating

several items on the list and having students

memorize them. Repeat until students can say

the whole list. A long list may take several

days to firm up.

1. Class. Heres the list of main bat-

tles in the Greco-Persian War. Get

ready to write them down. [Gain

attention and focus. Frame the

task.] Marathon, Thermopylae,

Salamis, Plataea.

2. Here we go. Marathon, Thermopy-

lae. [model] Point to map loca-

tions.

3. Say those two with me. [lead]

4. Say those two by yourselves.[test/check]

5. Yes, Marathon, Thermopylae.[verification]

6. Next, Salamis and Plataea.[model]

7. Say those two with me. [lead]

8. Now by yourself. [test/check]

9. Yes, Salamis and Plataea. [verifi-cation]

10. Now Ill say all four. Marathon,Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea.

11. Say all four with me. [lead]

12. Your turn. Say all four.[test/check]

13. Yes, Marathon, Thermopylae,Salamis, Plataea. You are sosmart. [verification]

Now that students can SAY the list,you might continue with the nexttaskidentify the location of eachbattle. This is Marathon. What bat-tle?... This is Thermopylae. What bat-tle?... This is Salamis. What battle?...This is Plataea. What battle?... Now,Ill say a name and you point to thelocation.

Practice.

Write a script for teaching one of theabove listsa, b, c, d

Heres the second kind of list: itemsembedded in a document. Instead of

YOU teaching the list by rote, as above(telling students the items), the objec-tive is for students to FIND andORGANIZE items found in text, asone part of comprehending text.

When you want students to find items in a

text and then to organize them in a list, teachby:

(1) Model how to find items, and have stu-dents say the item.

(2) Make a running list of the items, andhave students do this with you.

(3) Say the whole list, and then have stu-dents say it.

ADI maintains a listserv discussion group called DI. This free service allows

you to send a message out to all subscribers to the list just by sending one

message. By subscribing to the DI list, you will be able to participate indiscussions of topics of interest to DI users around the world. There are

currently 500+ subscribers. You will automatically receive in your email box

all messages that are sent to the list. This is a great place to ask for technicalassistance, opinions on curricula, and hear about successes and pitfalls related

to DI.

To subscribe to the list, send the following message from youremail account:

To: [email protected]

In the message portion of the email simply type:

subscribe di

(Dont add Pleaseor any other words to your message. It will only cause errors.

majordomo is a computer, not a person. No one reads your subscription

request.)

You send your news and views out to the list subscribers, like this:

To: [email protected]

Subject: Whatever describes your topic.

Message: Whatever you want to say.

The list is retro-moderated, which means that some messages may not beposted if they are inappropriate. For the most part inappropriate messages are

ones that contain offensive language or are off-topic solicitations.

Everyone likes getting mail



15/28


(4) Show students new text and help themto find and list the items. For example,

What is the subject of THIS text?

What is the thing the text is telling

about?... That is the subject. Okay, now

find a sentence that tells SOME-

THING about the subject. Number it

number 1 (and maybe underline it).

Now find the next sentence that tellssomething about the subject. Number it

number 2 [Repeat until done.] Now

say the subject and read the whole num-

bered list of items that tell about the

subject.

Heres part of a speech given byPatrick Henry (1736-1799) whowanted strong state governments and aweak central government, which hefeared would eventually become atyranny. He is presenting his caseagainst the Constitution just written

that it would not prevent tyranny. Heuses powerful language, but basicallyhe LISTS weaknesses of the Constitu-tion. I have added comments and havenumbered what I think are items onthe list.

This Constitution is said tohave beautiful features; butwhen I come to examine thesefeatures, sir, they [SUBJECT!]appear to me horribly frightful.

Among other deformities, (1) it

has an awful squinting; it squintstoward monarchy, and does thisnot raise indignation in thebreast of every true American?

Your president may easilybecome king. (2) Your Senate is soimperfectly constructedthat yourdearest rights may be sacrificedto what may be a small minority;and a very small minority maycontinue for ever unchangeablythis government, altho horridlydefective. (3) Where are your

checks in this government?Your

strongholds will be in the handsof your enemies. (4) It is on asupposition that your Americangovernors shall be honest that allthe good qualities of this govern-ment are founded; but its defec-tive and imperfect construction

puts it in their power to perpetrate the

worst of mischiefs should they be bad

men; and, sir, would not all the

world, from the Eastern to theWestern Hemisphere, blame ourdistracted folly in resting ourrights upon the contingency ofour rulers being good or bad?...(5) Away with your president!

We shall have a king:the army willsalute him monarch; your militia

will leave you, and assist in mak-ing him king, and fight againstyou: and what have you to opposethis force? What then will becomeof you and your rights? Will notabsolute despotism ensue?[Patrick Henry, anti-federalist,speech against ratifying Consti-tution. 1788]

Practice.

Write a script teaching students tofind and make a list of items. Use the

procedure above.

Sensory concept knowledge. Particu-lar things that have certain common features

are grouped into classes. The features are

tangible; you can see, hear, feel, smell, taste

them. Any example shows all the defining fea-

tures.

This is straight. This is blue.This is a triangle. (Figure 1)

Teach directly by

1. Present/model a range of examples that

differ in irrelevant features (features thatdo not define the concept), but all the

examples are the same in the defining fea-

ture (e.g. color)to allow comparison,

and therefore to identify sameness.

2. Juxtapose (put next to each other) exam-ples and nonexamples that are the same in

the irrelevant features, but are different

in the defining featureto show contrast,

so students identify differences in the fea-

tures (the defining features) that make the

difference.

3. Test with all examples and nonexamples(delayed acquisition test).

4. Use new examples and nonexamples totest generalization.

Practice.

Write a procedure for teaching two ofthe following: on, straight, triangle,steeper.

Higher-order, or abstract conceptknowledge. Particular things that have

certain common features are grouped into

classesjustice, trust, economy, family,

galaxy, republic. Some of the features of

examples are not tangibleyou cant see,

hear, touch, smell, or taste them. Also, the

features may be spread out in time and place.

Therefore, unlike sensory conceptssuch astriangle and redyou cant easily show

examples.

You can teach higher-order conceptstwo ways: (1) with synonyms (as longas the concept has FEW features andstudents KNOW the synonyms); and(2) with verbal definitions followed byexamples and nonexamples (when theconcept has many features that mustbe identified).

Teach directly by

a. Teaching concepts with synonyms.

1. Say the new wordhuge.

2. Say the synonym for the new word.Huge means very big.

3. Check to see that students get the con-nection. Whats another way to say

very big? Huge. Whats another way

to say huge? Very big.

4. Have students use the new word (andits synonymous meaning) to answer

questions. Jim put a toy in his pocket.Was the toy huge or not huge? How

do you know?

5. Have students replace the synonymwith the new word. Listen. My dog is

very big. Say that sentence with our

new word. My dog is huge.

Sometimes youll teach concepts with syn-

onyms BEFORE you and students work on

a text with the new concepts.

Figure 1Sensory concept knowledge

This is straight.

This is black.

This is a triangle.



16/28


17/28


larger categoriesXsare things that are

necessary evils and things that are intolerable

evils.)

The qualifications for self-govern-ment in society are not innate. Theyare the result of habit and long train-ing. [Jefferson. 1824, March 27. ToEdward Everett]

Two categorical propositions. Restate in the

form, No X is Y. And All X is Y. (hint.

They refers to qualifications for self-gov-

ernment.)

Causal/hypothetical rules. Oneclass predicts, causes, or changesalong with another class.

The more a ruling class usescoercive force on citizens, thelower its legitimacy rate to thecitizens.

The more a ruling class usescoercive force on citizens, thelower its legitimacy to the citi-zens. The lower the legitimacyof a ruling class, the more citi-zens oppose rule. The more citi-zens oppose rule, the morecoercive forces the ruling classuses. The more coercive forcesthe ruling class uses, the lowerits legitimacy [Reciprocal]

If and only if there is sufficientoxygen will there be ignition.

You can teach causal rules twoways.

a. Directly or deductively. Use thismethod when KNOWING the ruleright now is important.

For example, students will use therule to interpret text.

(1) Say the rule and have students repeat

it.

(2) Present examples that reveal andconfirm the rule. Point out how.

(3) Contrast with nonexamples that donot conform to the rule. Point out

how.

(4) Give more examples and nonexamplesand ask, Does this fit the rule?...

How do you know? Students USE

the rule to justify their answer.

b. Indirectly or inductively. Use thismethod when FIGURING OUTthe rule is one of the objectives.

(1) Pre-teach students to examine exam-ples such as graphs and verbal

descriptions.

(2) Pre-teach students to compare andcontrast examples, to identify what

things change together. When the

number of orders for gold was higher,

the price was higher. When the num-

ber of orders for motor scooters was

higher, the price was higher.

(3) Teach students to summarize theircomparison and contrasts of exam-

ples with a simple declarative rule

statement. When orders increase,

price increases.

(4) When students have acquired thesepre-skills, present examples that

clearly reveal the rules; have them

describe examples; have them com-

pare and contrast examples; have

them state the rule that connects

change in one variable to change in

the other variable.

Table 1 shows data that reveals a

causal rule.

Routine knowledge. Routines are

sequences that have an outcome. The

sequences might be in nature or in human

action. Examples include the process of rise

and decline of civilizations, solving problems,

writing essays, describing an event, delivering

a logical argument. In each case, a person

performs a set of steps.

Here are some common kinds of rou-

tines.

1. A task routine IN a lesson A

sequence of declarative statements.

For example, it might take five or

Figure 3

Categorical relationships and rules

The class of things that become corrupt.

All mass democracies

No beings with pure hearts

Some foods left in the fridge

Table 1

Does the rate of suicide vary with the cohesiveness and extensivenessof doctrine? [From Emile Durkheim. Suicide.]

Average of Suicides perMillion Inhabitants

Religions are arrangedfrom least to most cohesive and

extensive in doctrine

190 Protestant States

96Mixed States

(Protestant and Catholic)

58 Catholic States

40 Greek Catholic States



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six statements to teach the soundthat goes with a letter.

Here (subject) is a new sound(predicate).

When I touch under the sound(subject) Ill say the sound (predi-cate).

fff.

You (subject) say it with me (pred-icate).fff

What (subject) is the sound (pred-icate)?fff

Yes, the sound (subject) is fff(predicate).

2. Description routines A sequence ofdeclarative statements that list fea-tures of a subject. (Figure 4)

The M1 Garand rifle fires 30.06ammunition.

The M1 Garand rifle is gas oper-ated and semi-automatic.

The M1 Garand rifle is clip fed.

The M1 Garand rifle is disassem-bled into three main groups: triggerhousing, stock, receiver.

The M1 Garand rifle can inflictcasualty at 875 yards or more.

The M1 Garand rifle was inventedby John Garand.

The M1 Garand rifle was used pri-marily in WW II and the Korean

War.

The M1 Garand rifle can be pur-chased by civilians.

3. Argument routines that make a casefor a conclusion For instance, asequence of declarative statementsthat (1) tell evidence that MavisTramp dispatched Sir ReginaldTwat Twattington in the billiardroom, and (2) end with a conclusiondrawn from the evidence.

Prosecuting Attorney MelvinNed Schnavely. Closing argu-ment.

Ladies and gentlemen of thejury, Mavis Tramp hated SirReginald. Hed made fun of herhairdo on three occasions, sayingshe looked like a parrot that hadbeen dragged backward througha bush. Second, Mavis Trampwas holding a recently fired .38caliber revolver when police

arrived at the scene of the crime.Third, Sir Reginald had beenshot BY THAT .38 caliberrevolver. Fourth, forensic testsshowed conclusively that both ofMavis Tramps hands were cov-ered with residue of burnt gunpowder. Fifth, no one else was inthe Twattington mansion for twohours prior and three hours afterSir Reginald was shot. And sixth,Sir Reginald had taken a photo ofhis assassination with a digitalcamera purchased from Mel and

Neds Electronics and HairdoWorld. The photo showed MavisTramp pointing a .38 caliberrevolverthe same revolverfound on her personat SirReginald! Ladies and gentlemenof the jury, the facts point to oneperson and one person only. That

tramp, Mavis Tramp. Your onlyverdict can be GUILTY!

4. Explanation routines For example, aseries of declarative statements (1)tell a theory of cultural, economic,and political decay; followed by (2)facts about Rome that MAP onto

the theorythe theory says that Wkinds of events happen, leading toX kinds of events, leading to Ykinds of events, and ending with Zkinds of events; and (3) thatdescribes Rome. Therefore, thedecline of Rome is seen as anEXAMPLE of (and therefore isexplained by) the theory. Heres anexcerpt from Gibbon.

It was scarcely possible that theeyes of contemporaries shoulddiscover in the public felicity the

latent causes of decay and cor-ruption. This long peace, and theuniform government of theRomans, introduced a slow andsecret poison into the vitals ofthe empire. The minds of menwere gradually reduced to thesame level, the fire of genius wasextinguished, and even the mili-tary spirit evaporated. Thenatives of Europe were brave androbust. Spain, Gaul, Britain, andIllyricum supplied the legionswith excellent soldiers, and con-stituted the real strength of themonarchy. Their personal valorremained, but they no longerpossessed that public couragewhich is nourished by the love ofindependence, the sense ofnational honor, the presence ofdanger, and the habit of com-mand. They received laws andgovernors from the will of theirsovereign, and trusted for theirdefence to a mercenary army.The posterity of their boldest

leaders was contented with therank of citizens and subjects.The most aspiring spiritsresorted to the court or standardof the emperors; and thedeserted provinces, deprived ofpolitical strength or union, insen-sibly sunk into the languid indif-ference of private life. 61[History of the Decline and Fall

18 Summer 2011

Figure 4

Routine knowledge



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of the Roman Empire, Vol. 1,Edward Gibbon, 1782]

Hard to make sense of written thatway, isnt it? Okay, heres the sameexcerpt. This time Ive (1) addedcomments and synonyms; and (2)numbered the main statements that

explain the decline of Rome.It was scarcely possible that theeyes of contemporaries shoulddiscover in the public felicity[ease of life] the latent causes ofdecay and corruption. [1] Thislong peace, and the [2] uniformgovernment of the Romans[same from year to year acrossthe empire], introduced a slowand secret poison into the vitalsof the empire. [3] The minds ofmen were gradually reduced to

the same level [less distinctionin terms of intelligence andskill], [4] the fire of genius wasextinguished, and [5] even themilitary spirit evaporated. Thenatives of Europe were brave androbust. Spain, Gaul, Britain, and

Illyricum supplied the legions

with excellent soldiers, and con-

stituted the real strength of the

monarchy. Their personal valor

remained, but [6] they no longer

possessed that public courage

which is nourished by the love of

independence, the sense of

national honor, the presence ofdanger, and the habit of com-

mand. [7] They received laws

and governors from the will of

their sovereign, and [8] trusted

for their defence to a mercenary

army. [9] The posterity of their

boldest leaders was contented

with the rank of citizens and

subjects. [10] The most aspiring

spirits resorted to the court or

standard of the emperors; and

[11] the deserted provinces,deprived of political strength or

union, insensibly sunk into the

languid indifference of private

life. 61 [History of the Decline and

Fall of the Roman Empire,Vol. 1,

Edward Gibbon, 1782]

This time, I restate the above sen-tences as simple declarative state-ments, and I rearrange them one afterthe other in the CASUAL sequencestated by Gibbon. Now, you can seehow Gibbon is explaining the declineof Rome with a theory that SUG-GESTS rules about how one set of

events leads to another.

1. When public life becomes easy, itsets in motion the decline of civi-lization. [Main rule]

2. Peace and stable government fosterchanges that are hard to notice.

3. Peace and stable government[require less critical thinking =implied rule]

4. Peace and stable government fostera taken-for-granted attitude.

5. The more critical thinkingdecreases, the more the level ofintellect decreases.

6. The decrease in critical thinkingand intellect affects all socialclasses.

Now available from ADI

Rubric for Identifying AuthenticDirect Instruction ProgramsSiegfried Engelmann & Geoff Colvin

The purpose of this document is to articulate and illustrate most of the

major principles or axioms that are followed in the development of Direct

Instruction programs. This information is useful for the following reasons:

1. It permits a critic to look at material and judge whether it is true Direct

Instruction or some form of imitation that does not adhere to the full

set of axioms that characterize true DI.

2. It shows the level of detail associated with what students are told, how

they are tested, what kind of practice is provided, and how the material

is reviewed and expanded from one lesson to the next.

Direct Instruction programs have an impressive track record for producing significant

gains in student achievement for all children. This book provides the reader with an

understanding of the critical details involved in developing these effective and efficient

programs. Doug Carine, Ph.D., Professor, University of Oregon

Cost:

$15.00 list

$12.00 member price

To order, see page 26.



20/28

7. Critical thinking and intellectdecrease to the point that all socialclasses think at the same low level.

8. As critical thinking and intellectdecrease, the drive for ingenuityand excellence decreases.

9. As citizens take peace and stable

government for granted, the mili-tary spirit decreases.

10. As citizens take peace and stablegovernment for granted, nationalhonor, love of independence, con-cern for the presence of danger,and the sense of obligation to obeyauthority decreases.

11. As critical thinking, intellect, thedrive for ingenuity and excellence,love of independence, and a senseof obligation to obey authority

decrease, citizens become morelikely to choose stable and securelives, such as working for the gov-ernment and not serving in thelegions.

12. These changes in Rome are dupli-

cated in its provinces.

Teach directly by:

1. Briefly modeling or giving an overview of

the routine or sequence.

2. Model each step; lead students through it;

and then have students do it.

3. Model several steps in a row and have

students repeat them.

4. Continue until students perform the rou-

tine independently.

5. Correct any errors by modeling the cor-

rect response and/or firming weak ele-

ments. Then have students back up several

steps and start over.

Practice.

Write a procedure for teaching theFOIL routine. What are the elements?

Make sure you teach them.

More practice.

Write a procedure for teaching kids to

say (not read) words slowly (seg-

ment) sam sssaaammm and then to

say them fast (blend) rrrruuunnn

run. Use five examples in your acqui-

sition set.

20 Summer 2011

Help us out!Contribute your story of suc-

cess with DI! We want to hear

from you!

You all have stories and it is

time to share them. This is

your journallet it reflect

your stories!

See the directions on page 2

on how to make a contribu-

tion. Youll be glad you did.



21/28

Keynotes From the 2011 NationalDirect Instruction Conference AvailableCouldnt make it the National Direct Instruction Conference in July, or were you there and want to share part of

your experience with others?

Copies of the opening remarks by Zig Engelmann, the opening keynote by Cary Andrews, and Zigs closing keynote

are available from ADI on DVD.

Cary Andrews is the Associate Superintendent for Curriculum Implementation and Development in Reading and

Language Arts at the Roger Bacon Academy, an Educational Management Company based in North Carolina. He

has worked as a National Educational Consultant for many years as well as taught at all levels in general and special

education. His presentation is lively, informative and inspiring.

To order, fill out the form below or order online.

Please charge my qVisa q Mastercard q Discover in the amount of $___________________________

Card #__________________________________________________________Exp Date ______________________

Signed_________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________________State:______________Zip: ___________________

Phone: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Title Price Quantity Total

National Direct InstructionConference Keynotes

$30.00

Make payment or purchase orders payable to the

Association for Direct Instruction.

Subtotal

Postage & Handling ($3.50)

Total (U.S. Funds)

Association for Direct InstructionP.O. Box 10252, Eugene, Oregon 97440 www.adihome.org541.485.1293 (voice) 541.868.1397 (fax)

Now Available from ADI




22/28

22 Summer 2011

These useful pre-printed Post-It notes are used to help convey important teaching skills to users of the Direct Instruc-tion Reading programs. Instead of having to write out the proper presentation of the correction or procedure, one simplypeels a sheet off the pad and puts it in the next lesson or two where the correction/procedure would be used.

The primary set, for use primarily withReading Mastery IandIIandDecoding A containscorrection procedures for

Reading Vocabulary/Sounding Out (Words in Columns)

Individual Turns

Comprehension Questions

Reading Vocabulary (Sound Identification Errors)

Looping for Sound-It-Out Words Word Identification Errors (Group Reading)

The upper level set, for use primarily withReading Mastery IIIVIand Corrective Readingcontains correction procedures for

Individual Turns

Comprehension Questions

Word Identification Errors (Word Attack)

Word Identification Errors (Group Reading)

The two come together as a kit and are priced at $30.00 per kit ($24.00 for ADI members). ContactADI for quantity pricing.

Association for Direct InstructionP.O. Box 10252, Eugene, Oregon 97440 www.adihome.org 541.485.1293 (voice) 541.868.1397 (fax)

Now Available from ADI

COACHES TOOL KIT

Please charge my __ Visa ___ Mastercard ___ Discover in the amount of $______________

Card # _________________________________________________________Exp Date___________________________________

Signed ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

City: ________________________________________State: _______________________Zip: _____________________________

Phone: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Title Member Price List Price Quantity Total

Coaches Tool Kit $24.00 $30.00

Make payment or purchase orders payable to theAssociation for Direct Instruction.

Subtotal

Postage & Handling ($3.50 per kit)

Total (U.S. Funds)



23/28

Videotapes on the Direct Instruction Model

ADI has an extensive collection of videos on Direct Instruction. These videos are categorized as informational, training, ormotivational in nature. The informational tapes are either of historical interest or were produced to describe Direct Instruc-tion. The training tapes have been designed to be either stand-alone training or used to supplement and reinforce live train-

ing. The motivational tapes are keynote presentations from past years of the National Direct Instruction Conference.

Informational Tapes

Where It All Started45 minutes. Zig teaching kindergarten children for the Engelmann-Bereiter pre-school in the 60s.These minority children demonstrate mathematical understanding far beyond normal developmental expectations. Thisacceleration came through expert teaching from the man who is now regarded as the Father of Direct Instruction, ZigEngelmann. Price: $10.00 (includes copying costs only).

Challenge of the 90s: Higher-Order thinking45 minutes, 1990. Overview and rationale for Direct Instruction strate-gies. Includes home-video footage and Follow Through. Price: $10.00 (includes copying costs only).

Follow Through: A Bridge to the Future22 minutes, 1992. Direct Instruction Dissemination Center, Wesley Elemen-tary School in Houston, Texas, demonstrates approach. Principal, Thaddeus Lott, and teachers are interviewed and class-room footage is shown. Created by Houston Independent School District in collaborative partnership with Project Follow

Through. Price: $10.00 (includes copying costs only).Direct Instructionblack and white, 1 hour, 1978. Overview and rationale for Direct Instruction compiled by Haddox for

University of Oregon College of Education from footage of Project Follow Through and Eugene Classrooms. Price: $10.00(includes copying costs only).

Training DVDs

The Elements of Effective Coaching3 hours, 1998. Content in The Elements of Effective Coaching was developed by EdSchaefer and Molly Blakely. The video includes scenarios showing 27 common teaching problems, with demonstrations ofcoaching interventions for each problem. A common intervention format is utilized in all scenarios. Print material thatdetails each teaching problem and the rationale for correcting the problem is provided. This product should be to used to

Documents

Adi Summer 2011 News ADI