Comments on: Iowa rejects independent charter schools

By: anon

anon — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:19:20 +0000

What’s that? A charter school run by a public school district that isn’t very innovative? As Gomer Plye would say, “Surprise, surprise.”

By: Tracy W

Tracy W — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:10:01 +0000

Project Followthrough was scientifically-valid, even though it didn’t meet the WWC standards for random assignment. The test of scientific-validness is whether a hypothesis could be falsified. Project Followthrough wasn’t randomised, but it’s more than anecdotal.

I will not that if we talk about scientific validity fully, we never have proof of a theory, at best we have theories that have not yet been disproved despite the toughest tests we’ve thrown at them.

I agree that it would be good if the DI people with the money did the work of a randomised assignment.

By: Ray

Ray — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:29:06 +0000

This story may seem compelling, but it’s anecdotal evidence, not real proof of effectiveness. In over forty years the curriculum called Direct Instruction has not been able to produce a single scientifically based research study that shows it’s effective. A check on the What Works Clearinghouse will confirm this. When DI promoters are called on this, they always give the same reply. There are lots of “studies” that purport to show the Direct Instruction program works, just not any scientifically based research that meets the rigorous Clearinghouse standards. Such studies are too difficult, the Clearinghouse is too demanding, for DI to bother with. I say that after forty years it’s time for Direct Instruction proponents to stop complaining and actually produce a research study that passes valid scientific standards. Other reading programs that haven’t been around nearly as long as Direct Instruction have been able to produce scientifically valid studies that are cited in the What Works Clearinghouse. This includes highly scripted programs such as Success for All.

It is important not to confuse the reading curriculum named Direct Instruction with direct instruction as a teaching approach. Success for All uses a direct instruction approach in its reading program.