By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

THE implementation of the Direct Instruction Program in Guam public schools has resulted in a dramatic shift in the reading skill levels of middle school students as measured by their placement in the DI Programs, the Guam Public School System announced.
When DI was first introduced to Guam’s middle schools in 2004, most students were reading far below grade level.  Over 45 percent of the students were placed into program levels for students reading at approximately the 3rd/4th grade level or lower. 
This coming year, GPSS said only 4 percent of the students are projected to place into these levels of the program, which represents more than a 10-fold improvement.
In addition, nearly three-fourths of the students will not need the Corrective Reading program for decoding at all.
According to GPSS, over a third of the students will have exited from the Direct Instruction reading programs altogether in contrast to the situation before the DI Program when virtually none of the students were reading at levels more advanced than the DI Program instructional levels. 
GPSS said the improved reading skills of middle school students should lead to better results on reading assessments.
However, GPSS qualified that the reading proficiency of most students was so low before the DI Program that many students still are not reading at grade level, despite marked overall improvement. 
Last month, GPSS Superintendent Luis Reyes ordered all division heads and school principals to ensure that the DI Program is implemented properly in the island’s schools.
In a memorandum, Reyes said the DI Program has been clearly recognized as a research-based program and successes have been documented time and time again.