I had read it earlier when the original string was going. I hope all teachers have a chance to study it. In terms of being level 3 research, I think it means that it has been applied and tested in school settings.
Direct instruction does have a long history of success.
The problem with ed research, in general, is that it is incomplete. DI really does not have anything to do with the information age. In DI, the teacher makes the decision as to how the students will get information. They could get it from the internet, from a video, from books, whatever. Direct instruction is also not in conflict with DA practices.