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History of Supplemental Instruction
SI was created by
Deanna C. Martin, Ph.D., at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1973. Dr. Martin was assigned the task of decreasing the attrition rate of minority students in the schools of medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry—and given a grant of $7,000 with which to do so. After initially offering SI at the health science professional schools, it was extended throughout the university.
For a more complete history of the program, see:
Widmar, G. E. (1994). Supplemental Instruction: From small beginnings to a national program. In D. C. Martin & Arendale, D. R. (Eds.), Supplemental Instruction: Increasing achievement and retention (pp. 3-10). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
After a rigorous review process in 1981, the SI Program became one of the few postsecondary programs to be designated by the U.S. Department of Education as an Exemplary Educational Program. The National Diffusion Network (NDN), the national dissemination agency for the U.S. Department of Education, provided federal funds for dissemination of SI. Although the NDN was discontinued by the U.S. government, national and international dissemination continues.
Faculty and staff from over 1500 institutions from 29 countries have been trained to implement their own SI programs. Outside the United States, SI operates in Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the West Indies.