Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) is the very proud recipient of the inaugural Silver Star School Award, presented by The National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI).
The award, presented at the 51st National Direct Instruction conference on July 24, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon, recognizes schools or networks that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to utilizing Direct Instruction programs with fidelity. Nearly 50 BCP teachers and administrators attended the week-long conference for intensive training to strengthen instructional practices and deepen our long-standing commitment to Direct Instruction (DI). At the annual conference, BCP teachers collaborate with national DI experts to learn tools they can immediately use in the BCP classroom.
BCP is one of three national charter school organizations honored, including Mystic Valley Regional Charter School (Malden, MA) and North Carolina’s Classical Charter Schools/Roger Bacon Academy. In announcing this prestigious award, NIFDI stated, “These campuses have utilized Direct Instruction programs as their core academic instruction and have shown remarkable results.”
Laura Doherty, BCP President and CEO, accepted the award, noting in her remarks, “Thirty years ago, the incomparable Dr. Muriel Berkeley started BCP and was tasked with bringing the best reading program to Baltimore. She did her research, and it led her inevitably to DI, and we’ve been going strong ever since.
NIFDI has been a big part of our success over the past three decades, of course. Another big piece is our extraordinary teachers who are now principals, assistant principals, and instructional coaches who recognize what a gift DI is to our teachers and students – and who are developing the next generation of educational leaders. People see the power of DI for their children. Teaching our students is the best work there is, the most fun, and the most important.”
Thank you, NIFDI, for your wonderful, enduring support of BCP over the past three decades! DI’s structured, research-backed approach continues to prove effective, especially in light of the national conversation around the “science of reading” and ongoing efforts to address post-pandemic learning gaps. DI has long been ahead of the curve. Its methods, rooted in brain science, have been validated by over 500 studies, more than any other instructional program.
We are honored to receive this national recognition and remain deeply committed to ensuring that every child learns to read with confidence and mastery. We thank our teachers for their commitment and enthusiasm and look forward to another year of growth and impact through Direct Instruction.
Learn more about how DI works:
Watch this video of DI in action at Wolfe Street Academy.
Read BCP President and CEO Laura Doherty’s blog on the power of DI.
