Excellent Results Kalamazoo Advantage Academy's differences are apparent from the moment you walk in the door. Uniforms, a school day that is an hour longer than most, and a schedule that extends 20 days beyond the traditional academic year all set Kalamazoo Advantage apart from other schools. And those distinctions have helped the vast majority of its mostly minority student body develop advanced skill levels. But what differentiates the Academy even further is its educational methodology, known as Direct Instruction. Designed by education theorist Siegfried Engleman more than 30 years ago, the method calls for scripted lessons that are presented to small groups of students.
Teachers drill their pupils with questions and commands, and the students respond in unison.
Schools began using Direct Instruction as part of a federally funded research project in the 1970s, with high praise from many education experts. The method, says Principal Frank Sebastian, is designed to teach sophisticated strategies in reading, math, language, and other core subjects. Its scripted format, he says, allows each class to build upon what they learned the year before. In a large system, it's easy for teachers to walk into a classroom, shut the door, and do as they please, says Sebastian, who came to Kalamazoo Advantage after serving as an administrator in the Grand Rapids Public School District. The method used at Kalamazoo Advantage, he says, ensures that each student gets the same solid education.