The National CSR Program

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) oversees The Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) program. The CSR program is designed to increase student achievement by assisting public schools across the country with implementing comprehensive reforms that are grounded in scientifically based research and effective practices.

The CSR program targets high-poverty and low-achieving schools, especially those receiving Title I funds, by helping them to increase the quality and accelerate the pace of their reform efforts. The eleven components of the Comprehensive School Reform Program provide an organizing framework that encourages schools to build upon and leverage state and local school initiatives into a comprehensive plan for school improvement.

The National CSR Quality Initiatives Program

The purpose of the Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) Quality Initiatives Program is 1) to support technical assistance in making informed decisions—by private organizations in cooperation with states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools; and 2) to support model development and capacity building—to foster the development of comprehensive school reform models, and to provide effective capacity building for comprehensive school reform providers to expand their work in more schools, assure quality, and promote financial stability.

The NIFDI CSRQ Project

The National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) and the Center for Applied Research in Education (CARE) are collaborating with research partners at the University of Florida, University of Texas, and Eastern Washington University to expand the highly successful comprehensive Direct Instruction (DI) school wide reform model.

Direct Instruction (DI), an instructional approach with a wealth of empirical validation, serves as the core of our school reform model. Using this effective instructional technology, underserved students, especially students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency can achieve excellent achievement growth.

This project will result in a well-documented, scalable model, with ample implementation support. Please visit this web site for project updates.

"This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the U.S. Department of Education."