The results from the longitudinal evaluation of over 2000 low income students involved in the Direct Instruction Follow Through Project between kindergarten and third grade are reviewed. Of the ten major education approaches evaluated, students in the Direct Instruction model performed highest in all areas of Math: (1) Computations (66% significant); (2) Problem Solving (55% significant); and (3) Concepts (37% significant). Mean performance for 2897 students was at the fifty-fourth percentile for Total Math, whereas entry scores were at approximately the eighteenth percentile. Data for effectiveness for those entering with low IQ's are reviewed. Finally, relationships between this research and other studies of teacher effectiveness are articulated, and implications for improved curriculum in the elementary grades are presented. (Author)