BCP’s History with Direct Instruction and NIFDI

When I was a graduate student in Special Education and Rehabilitation at the University of Oregon, the direction of my life changed when I met Jerry Silbert, one of the leaders and program authors of the four-decade Direct Instruction (DI) movement with the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI). 

In 1996, BCP, in partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools, piloted Direct Instruction curriculum at six elementary schools: Arundel, Robert Coleman, General Wolfe, Roland Park, Hampstead Hill, and City Springs. In 2005 we converted two of these schools into charter schools when we launched our neighborhood conversion charter school network, the largest and oldest charter school network in Maryland. 

We’ve worked closely with NIFDI on our DI program for almost 30 years. Last August, I wrote about the research-backed DI program and the “reading wars” that were making headlines. DI works, especially as all schools grapple with how to teach students to learn to read and to close post-pandemic learning gaps. 

Fifty years ago, DI paved the way for the science of reading, and its methods and pedagogy – based on brain science– have been validated by 500-plus reports on its effectiveness. No other program even comes close to this level of scrutiny and success. 

Jerry trained me on Reading Mastery K and arranged for me to tutor a kindergarten student. I learned from Jerry that we can teach virtually all students to read and that using the right instructional tool matters. Jerry, a NIFDI board member, trained with DI co-founders Siegfried Engelmann and Wesley Becker and spent over a decade teaching in underserved schools and field testing DI programs and innovations. He’s co-authored Direct Instruction Reading with Dr. Douglas Carnine, the text for DI teachers. 

I subsequently met Gary Davis with whom I worked closely for many years and who helped me learn what it takes to successfully implement DI in schools. He was part of the original NIFDI team that implemented the DI Follow Through model, later serving as national coordinator of the Direct Instruction Follow Through Model. BCP has used this model for nearly 30 years. 

The impact of DI on generations of learners at BCP cannot be overstated. BCP students continue to thrive in the classroom. BCP schools consistently achieve impressive standardized test scores, which is a testament to the DI curriculum and our educators’ skill and devotion to their students and DI. 

NIFDI’s Recognition of BCP

Last month, nearly 50 BCP principals, teachers, and administrative staff traveled to Eugene, Oregon for NIFDI’s 50th anniversary and its annual conference. It was wonderful to have such a large BCP contingent on hand to celebrate this NIFDI milestone. 

Each year, NIFDI presents three Excellence in Education awards, and I am delighted and honored to announce that BCP received two of the three awards. 

2024 Winner of NIFDI’s Wesley Becker Excellent School Award: Hampstead Hill Academy

Hampstead Hill Academy (HHA) is an anchor in its South Baltimore, serving 900 students. HHA is Baltimore City’s most racially and ethnically diverse elementary/middle school with 27-55% are eligible for free and reduced lunch. For 40% of students, English is a second language, and hundreds are first-generation U.S. citizens.

HHA has used DI since 1997. Principal Matt Hornbeck, who accepted the award on behalf of his colleagues, has led HHA for over twenty years. Twenty of HHA’s staff traveled to Eugene for the ceremony. This was fitting, as these incredible educators continue, along with their 90 other colleagues, expand their DI tools year after year. 

Every year, HHA is in the “high achievement high growth” quadrant on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment of student growth in reading, math, and language usage created by The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). 

Of note, HHA:

• Was awarded an eight-year charter renewal contract, the most years available, after demonstrating continual growth and high achievement since 2005, the year HHA joined the BCP family
• Is the highest-performing K-8 school in Baltimore City according to the Maryland State Department of Education STAR rating system
• Is among the best schools in the state

• Is an undersized facility with class sizes of 30-plus, yet manages to get all their kids reading on grade level and usually 2/3 are at least a year above
• Has one of the richest set of school-based enrichment offerings I’ve ever seen with an orchestra, drama, a librarian, media arts, physical education, food and nutrition, a nationally ranked chess team, art, many clubs, and environmental science teachers

At HHA, instructional coaches and administrators meet weekly to review and discuss the qualitative and quantitative student data and to guide individual teachers with customized weekly plans and suggestions to enhance DI instruction. This cycle of continuous improvement helps identify students who need to be accelerated in a particular content area or need more time to master skills before advancing. It helps supervisors and instructional support staff to monitor student progress and mastery and aids in communication with parents. HHA also sets rigorous, attainable schoolwide growth goals for content areas and cohorts. 

It was rewarding to listen to Matt’s heartfelt thanks for the Wesley Becker Excellent School Award and to his talented staff:

Congratulations, HHA, on all you have achieved and this wonderful recognition!

The 2024 Siegfried Engelmann Excellence in Education Award winner: Kate Walsh-Little, Teacher and Librarian, Govans Elementary School

It was wonderful to have one of our BCP teachers recognized by NIFDI with this prestigious award named for the Father of DI, Siegfried “Zig” Engelmann. Kate Walsh-Little is well-deserving of this honor, as she truly embodies the spirit and innovation of Zig Engelmann.

I have known Kate for 20 years, first as the mother of my daughter’s best friend, then as an outstanding educator at Govans. It’s hard to know what to praise first – the joy she brings to her teaching, her work ethic, or her fierce determination to have all her students succeed. 

She’s worked with students at all performance levels and brings all three of those qualities to every situation. Kate has successfully accelerated the performance of students with learning disabilities and of students who perform above grade level. Kate has taught DI reading, language, and math programs, and has produced terrific results with every program she touches. 

Kate has an impressive history with BCP and Govans:

• Joined Govans in 2014 as para educator, the first year Govans joined the BCP network and used DI
• For first two years with Govans, also taught DI for 2nd grade Language program and helped to teach Core Knowledge program 
• In 2016, became a full-time 2nd grade teacher, then moved to 3rd and 4th grades
• Became part-time librarian in 2023 with teaching DI reading groups, particularly students reading two to three grade levels below where they should be reading – many have shown tremendous growth on the NWEA test.
• Currently taking classes to become a full-time librarian

Kate’s initiative is unparalleled. She had the daunting task of filing, labeling, and recording all the books that have not been shelved in years, working overtime and enlisting and championing a group of volunteers to help. Now, students can check out and return books weekly using her tightly organized rotation and system. She enlisted and trained the help of a group of fifth-grade students on the circulation system.

To share her love of reading, Kate created a schoolwide book challenge every quarter where students must read for 30 minutes every night and record what they read. Kate also has organized a monthly book club for teachers and parents and a 5th grade book club that competes in Baltimore’s “Battle of the Books” with other schools. 

Govans Assistant Principal Victoria Jennings praised Kate for her hard work, exceptional organization, and her inspirational passion for reading. “The balance of being a reading interventionist in the morning and librarian  in the afternoon has allowed Kate to apply her skills as a reading instructor and provide students access to books in our library and elevate the circulation of those books,” Victoria says.

Kate’s acceptance speech at NIFDI was short and sweet – she’s as humble as she is passionate about DI and reading –but it encapsulated her love of community:

Congratulations, Kate, on your achievement!

Other BCP educators who attended NIFDI share their reflections on the conference’s impact below:

From Heidi Weiss-Beedie, Wolfe Street Community School Coordinator with Elev8 Baltimore: 

“I arrived at the NIFDI Conference concerned that there weren’t many sessions for me as I am not a teacher. I enrolled in the courses on CHAMPS and on Students with Low Incidence Disabilities as they seemed most relevant to my work. The content was not only appropriate but essential to embracing the Direct Instruction strategy employed at Wolfe Street Academy. I quickly understood that my new skills will allow me to effectively collaborate with Wolfe’s staff to deliver a unified experience for students and families. I look forward to using my new skills in my work as Community School Coordinator and to attending the conference next year.” 

From Valentina Duran, Substitute Teacher, Hampstead Hill Academy:

“NIFDI was valuable to meet many new people who work with the same programs and interact with my HHA colleagues outside of work. One significant takeaway, beyond the excellent training, is a quote by Haim Ginott shared by trainer Randi Saulters: ‘I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool for torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”

Enjoy these photos of BCP’s NIFDI 50th celebration. We remain so excited to share the power of DI with our students so that they may embrace their potential.

Thank you, NIFDI, for supporting BCP and our schools.