22 sponsors of different approaches took part in the study. Direct Instruction was one of the sponsors. The project’s only objective was to determine which interventions worked best.
The results of the project were evaluated nine years later. They were loud and clear. Students in DI had placed first in reading, writing, language, math and spelling. No other model came even close. As a bonus, DI students also placed first in self-esteem. Apparently, students who have mastered reading, writing, spelling and math felt better about themselves than those who did not.
Some other studies followed and confirmed the results – Direct Instruction works, bringing gains, gains that stay and persist.