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Great short video interviewing Keith Curry Lance (former Director of the Library research Service, Colorado) about school library impact studies.
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Karen Bonanno rescooped this on School Library Advocacy. (September 9, 2011 12:19 AM) |
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Student Learning through School Libraries
School libraries help students learn... This is what I believe. And my research (and the research of many others!) supports this belief. From 2011 I broadened the content of this blog to include musings on my learning and teaching experiences as a distance educator in the higher education sector, as one who thrives on testing and trialling new technologies to support her students’ learning.
Gary Hartzell presents a powerful Opinion Piece on the school library profession's need to shift their approach to advocacy by targeting ed admin associations and Ed admin professors.
Making the Shift: A School Librarian Considers the Douglas County Ebook Model
Presents a range of approaches to ebook provision for school libraries. 
A new vision for school libraries in Abu Dhabi is reported in the national newspaper of the United Arab Emirates:
"The 'least-visited facilities' in Abu Dhabi's government schools are being converted into Learning Resource Centres, where children will go for classes, activities and research. Each centre will be stocked with more than 3,000 English and Arabic books, magazines and newspapers. They will be made more spacious with comfortable furniture and will include a role-playing area, reading corners, multimedia access, TV and an online catalogue. The makeover, to be complete in three years, is part of Abu Dhabi Education Council's solution to children's diminishing interest in reading." ![Colorado Recognizes 47 Highly Effective School Libraries [Gateway News] | Student Learning through School Libraries | Scoop.it](http://img.scoop.it/mVNLvpCe5_98hXhIbFnY7Tl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVaiQDB_Rd1H6kmuBWtceBJ)
This is an excellent example of how a state-based education system recognises and showcases(!!) the value of quality school library programs in supporting student learning. "Each library selected for this honor submitted school-aligned goals, an action plan, a letter of recommendation, and a three minute multimedia presentation showcasing various aspects of the competencies required for program excellence. Applications included a number of innovative components which research shows improves student achievement, such as collaborative planning between the school librarian and staff and integrating 21st century skills into content. Librarians also demonstrated evidence of personal leadership locally and nationally and of being a lifelong learner. Each school librarian self-assessed library programs with the building principal, using the newly developed “Highly Effective School Library Program Competencies.” This assessment tool, developed by the State Library at CDE, provides guidelines for how a quality school library program should look. Meeting the competencies ensure Colorado schools have highly effective school librarians who help fulfill the state’s educational priority of having students who are college- and career- ready."
Further details available at http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/HighlyEffective/index.htm 
Article in 'Teacher Librarian' February 2012 issue on the results of Donna Shannon's study on - "The aims of the study reponed here were (1) to identify the source of school administrators' knowledge and understanding of school library programs, (2) to determine what school administrators should learn about the role of the school librarians as part of their preparation program, (3) to learn how they support the library programs in their schools and districts, and (4) to learn what school librarians can do to garner the support of thcir principals.
A recommended read for all practising TLs and TLs-in-training.
Also check out: School Libraries Worldwide, Volume 15, Issue 2, 2009, pages 1-22. http://www.iasl-online.org/pubs/slw/july09.htm (http://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1010&context=libsci_facpub) which reports findings from this study. Leslie Brantley's research paper (submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Science (Library Science) degree:
"The research of this study provides guidance and direction on how a PLC functions and how the library media specialist becomes a PLC leader, why PLC leadership is vital to further the work of the library media specialist in a school district, and how the work of the library media specialist in the PLC affects student learning."
An interesting read. "It appears that struggling readers in middle school understand that engagement is needed for reading success, and 21st-century technology may hold a key to that, says the co-author of a new middle-school reading study."
"Study findings were published in the International Journal of Applied Science and Technology as "Reluctant Readers in Middle School: Successful Engagement with Text Using the E-Reader," authored by Williams-Rossi with three other researchers, all from Fort Worth, Texas: Twyla Miranda, Texas Wesleyan University; Kary A. Johnson, The Reading Connection; and Nancy McKenzie, Tarrant Community College. A link to the study is at http://tinyurl.com/d3b6avw. "It's inevitable that e-reader technology will enter school classrooms," said the authors. "Our study presents reasons e-readers may be beneficial, in particular, to reluctant readers in middle grades." Previous research in the field has shown that upper elementary and middle school students tend to read less than younger students because of time spent with their friends and in other activities. Also, these same students, particularly boys, may not value reading as much as they did when they were younger. One study found that most students indicated reading is a "boring way to spend time." Among those students, research has shown that low-skilled readers have trouble starting, continuing and finishing a book, and that they are stymied by vocabulary and reading comprehension challenges. Skilled readers, on the other hand, enjoy books. Researchers have suggested that technological gadgets, enlarged text and a more favorable environment might encourage reluctant readers. For those reasons the authors pursued a study to see how reluctant readers would respond to e-readers."
What I do know is students with well-equipped school libraries and qualified teacher librarians perform better on achievement tests for reading comprehension and basic research skills. (CASL, 2003.) What I do know is that ...
"School libraries not just a room with books anymore." An excellent photostory of how school libraries have changed since the early 1970s.
Early literacy skills need to be developed in students long before they reach primary school. This article presents the work of public libraries in supporting literacy needsin early childhood. The Center for Digital Literacy at Syracuse University presents 3 of its academic staff talking about the importance of school libraries in supporting student learning and helping teachers teach the common core curriculum standards in the US. This Pew Internet report strengthens the case for information and learning specialists (aka TLs) in schools.
This report was written by Janna Quitney Anderson, Elon University and Lee Rainie, Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Report release date: February 29, 2012 |
"School libraries today feel increasing pressure to reinvent themselves in the face of increasing financial pressures, new media technologies, and a progressively media-savvy population. Their transformation from information reserve to knowledge center has been fast underway. This paper builds on that evolution to develop an argument for media literacy education as the pedagogical foundation for the learning commons model for school libraries. This would position the school library as a dynamic media literacy learning hub, anchoring entire schools around knowledge, expression, collaboration, and creation in both virtual and physical spaces. The paper will highlight the case of Chelmsford High School Learning Commons in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, as a vibrant central space in a school for just this type of integrated learning." 
Excellent article by Dianne Oberg presents research evidence that school libraries do make a difference and highlights the importance placed on mandating school library provision in a number of countries throughout the world.
A must-read for those studying TLship and those school communities or districts without a qualified teacher librarian as part of the school staffing formula. 
An effective school library impacts more than student achievement—it also lifts a school's entire educational climate, says a recent two-phase study by Rutgers University's Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL) on behalf of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL).
Researchers note that effective school libraries reflect strong cooperation, collaboration, and communication among classroom teachers, administrators and school librarians. "Collaboration is really the key with an effective school library," says Pat Massey, a former NJASL president and the high school library media specialist at South Plainfield High School in New Jersey. Useful brief to use as a basis for discussion between a TL and their Principal. 
School Library Research (ISSN: 2165-1019) is the scholarly refereed research journal of the American Association of School Librarians. It is the successor to School Library Media Research (ISSN: 1523-4320) and School Library Media Quarterly Online.
The purpose of School Library Research is to promote and publish high quality original research concerning the management, implementation, and evaluation of school library programs. The journal will also emphasize research on instructional theory, teaching methods, and critical issues relevant to school libraries and school librarians. SLR seeks to distribute major research findings worldwide through both electronic publication and linkages to substantive documents on the Internet. The primary audience for SLR includes academic scholars, school librarians, instructional specialists and other educators who strive to provide a constructive learning environment for all students and teachers. Along with the new look and feel of this new publication, School Library Research will see a revamp to its manuscript format and to its website, www.ala.org/aasl/slr, beginning with the publication of Volume 15 manuscripts in April 2012. 
The organisation Communities in Schools presents a powerful message on their blog for National Library Week highlighting the important role of libraries in supporting student learning, particualrly literacy development. Keith Curry Lance slideshare presentation 'How Administrators & Teachers Benefit from Strong School Library Programs' based on results from recent school library impact studies conducted in Indiana, Idaho and Pennsylvania. (10 April 2012) 
The results of this analysis are being released over the next several weeks in a series of PowerPoint presentations. First up are findings about the relationship between school library staffing and test scores. Consistently with previous school library impact studies, this analysis found that test scores tend to be significantly higher for schools that have full-time certified school librarians as well as for those that have such a librarian with support staff.
Good example of a school library responding to students' needs based on survey data that is collected annually. 
"When a few Hughes Middle School parents learned that next year's budget cuts would include cutting the school library and librarian's hours by half next year, they decided to do something."
Isn't it amazing that these parents and kids realise the contribution the school library and library media specialist makes, and the educational administrators don't see this, or value this!
A smart collaborative public-school program to provide space and services for young people in regional Norway. An excellent model for regional/remote conmunities in other countries.
This is a fabulous service provided by a professional library association...
"Educational researchers can now request access to data from the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) School Libraries Count! (SLC) longitudinal survey. The yearly survey gathers data on school library programs to track the state of programs nationally. More information about School Libraries Count! can be found on the AASL website at www.ala.org/aasl/slcsurvey.AASL recognizes the value of access to selected data from these surveys by qualified educational researchers. AASL will therefore consider requests to license the data for non-commercial uses that contribute to the knowledge of the field. Available data runs from the SLC survey’s inception in 2007 through 2011, and researchers can request access by completing the form located at www.ala.org/aasl/slcrequest. All submissions will be reviewed and AASL retains the right to select or deny any requests of School Libraries Count! data. The School Libraries Count! National Longitudinal Survey of School Library Programs aims to gather data on changes in the field to gain understanding of the state of school library programs nationally. Data on this and previous School Libraries Count! longitudinal studies can be found at www.ala.org/aasl/slcsurvey."
A steady murmur of voices emanated from the Cedar Creek High School library. But as librarian Christine Finn walked toward a table of students, it wasn’t to quiet them down, but to assist in their history project creating a wiki on the Great Plains.
This is a great article in the mainstream media articulating the positive impact of school libraries and teacher librarians on student learning, particularly within the digital information/learning environment. 
This year’s spending survey covers the 2010–2011 academic year. In November 2011, School Library Journal emailed its online survey to 6,500 school librarians. In total, 602 school libraries answered the survey; their representation by student enrollment or grade level doesn’t differ significantly from the 2011 survey by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). Presents findings on the status of school library budgets and staffing, the main tasks undertaken by library media specialists, status of collections, including digital collections and introduction of ebooks/ereaders, and the role of the SLM in digital citizenship education. This article also presents a call for stronger advocacy within the school library profession to ensure school libraries are not compromised with increasing budgetary pressures of school districts. |
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