“Building evidence of impact through research and professional practice”
Curated by
lyn_hay
Children whose parents frequently read with them in their first year of school are still showing the benefit when they are 15. This PISA study examined the long-term impact of parental support on literacy and found, discounting social differences, children with early support remained ahead in reading, with resuolts showing a strong link between teenage reading skills and early parental help. Analysis of PISA data "based on teenagers in 14 developed countries, found that active parental involvement at the beginning of school was a significant trigger for developing children's reading skills that would carry through until they were teenagers. On average, teenagers whose parents had helped with reading at the beginning of school were six months ahead in reading levels at the age of 15."
The report stated "that parents did not have to be particularly well-educated themselves for this impact to be achieved. What was important was that parents read books regularly with their children - such as several times a week - and that they talked about what they were reading together."
A summary of the results of this study are published in the OECD PISA In Focus 10 newsletter at http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/1/49012097.pdf.
Teacher librarians in primary schools should be utilising results from studies such as these to connect with parents of those students entering Kindergarten in Term 1 of 2012. Such findings can be used to encourage a strong relationship between the TL and school library and Kindy kids (and their parents) at the very beginning of the school year. Consider writing a short column in your school's first newsletter of the year to parents about the importance of reading being reinforced at school and the home and promote the idea of the TL building a strong partnership with parents to support student acheivement.
Scooped on:
Student Learning through School Libraries
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. 
Who Are We? The Independent School Library: A Statistical Profile. This chapter by Susan Williamson presents a statistical picture of a sample of independent school libraries based on a survey in 2004-2005 conducted by the Independent School Section of AASL. The profile compares libraries on the basis of schools' student and faculty sizes, collection sizes, budgets, staffing, hours open, facilities, and access to technology. Data from three main categories of school groups (Independent, Independent Religious, and Religious) and school types (Day, Boarding, and Combined Day and Boarding) are analyzed and then compared with data from the recent AASL longitudinal survey of public and private schools. The ISS sample of libraries which consists largely of NAIS members appears to provide greater resources, more open hours and more access to databases than public schools. In addition, studies from NCES and NAIS comparing public and private school students indicate that independent school students have higher scores both on school tests and SAT tests. The author discusses the possible role that usage of the independent school library contributes to these outcomes. 
Lisa Oldham, Development specialist for school library futures at the National Library of New Zealand, discusses the future of school libraries. Lisa describes how school libraries are a great way to achieve the creation of skilled students who are able to navigate in the knowledge economy. I particularly like the way Lisa details the information specialist and teaching roles of the teacher librarian in schools. An excellent 7 minute video for professional learning in schools regarding the contribution school libraries make to student learning. Highly recommended viewing for educational administrators, principals, classroom teachers and parents. 
This PhD thesis (by Douglas Achterman 2008) examines the strength of the relationship between California school library media programs and student achievement, using data from California criterion-referenced state-wide tests, publically available school and community demographic data, and a state survey of school library programs. Results show statistically significant correlations found between certificated staffing levels and student achievement at each grade... There was a significant positive relationship between a majority of the 21 library services regularly provided and student achievement at all levels... At every level, certificated and total staffing levels were associated with the strength of library program elements. The findings from this study confirm a host of prior research on the relationship between school libraries and student achievement and point to inequitable access to school library services in California. 
This is the first in a three-part series focused on the changing role of the K-12 library.
Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches is an example of how one school library has been re-engineered into an iCommons, which is very similar to my iCentre concept - see http://www.slideshare.net/lhay/rethink-rebuild-rebrand-think-icentre for an overview of the iCentre concept, and two presentations in 2011 where I provide advice to schools on how to build an iCentre http://www.slideshare.net/lhay/hay-build-anicentrept1june2011slides, and http://www.slideshare.net/lhay/hay-buildanicentrept2aug2011. 
This article features a number of TL practitioners in the state of Georgia and explores how school library staff can work with teachers to mix digital literacy into curriculum. “At the end of the day, our emphasis is on learning and providing learning experiences and access to information in as many formats as possible."
Children whose parents frequently read with them in their first year of school are still showing the benefit when they are 15. This PISA study examined the long-term impact of parental support on literacy and found, discounting social differences, children with early support remained ahead in reading, with resuolts showing a strong link between teenage reading skills and early parental help. Analysis of PISA data "based on teenagers in 14 developed countries, found that active parental involvement at the beginning of school was a significant trigger for developing children's reading skills that would carry through until they were teenagers. On average, teenagers whose parents had helped with reading at the beginning of school were six months ahead in reading levels at the age of 15." 
This article reports on a study by Joanne de Groot and Jennifer Branch that explored what the core competencies required by teacher librarians for developing exemplary school library programs in 21st centurt schools based on the experiences and attitudes of graduates from the TL Masters program at the University of Alberta. Key findings from this study indicate that technology and leadership issues are the most pressing needs of TLs. These graduates also indicated that their “traditional roles and responsibilities” are changing as they are responsible for promoting new literacies and evaluating, selecting, organizing, and managing diverse learning resources. The best way of getting your hands on this article is via EBSCOhost's Education Research Complete unless your organisation subscribes directly to the Alberta Journal of Educational Research (AJER). New Free eBook: School Libraries: What’s Now, What’s Next, What’s Yet to Come – Stephen's Lighthouse
Buffy Hamilton and Kristin Fontichiaro have lead the creation of a crowdsourced FREE e-book on the future of school librarianship. It includes a great pile articles based on research and best practice in school libraries. Particularly useful for CSU students enrolled in the foundation subject ETL401 Teacher Librarianship. 
Last week we saw a Washington TL receive his state-based teaching excellence award, and this week Australian teacher librarians are shouting from the rooftop the accolades of Jo Sherrin, a teacher librarian from the Northern Territory who has been announced the winner of the AITSL Primary Teacher of the Year. AISTL is the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. Each year a primary teacher, secondary teacher, primary school principal and secondary school principal are awarded in recognition of their work as an outstanding teacher and leader within their school. Jo has been recognised as "a highly accomplished and innovative teacher-librarian who consistently creates learning opportunities to meet the diverse learning needs of the Bradshaw Primary School community, of which 50 percent are Indigenous students. Jo’s outstanding teaching, particularly in foundational literacy skills, is based on sound educational research, a thorough knowledge of her students and the use of cultural and geographical experiences which connect students with their heritage and history and nurture a love of literature and learning". This is a powerful example of the teaching role of the TL in a school. To receive such recognition of excellence at the national level is an outstanding achievement. 
"Despite severe budget constraints, the number of school libraries offering ebooks is on the rise-and a majority of media specialists plan to add digital books to their collections over the next two years, says a new study by School Library Journal and Library Journal. The 90-page report, "Ebooks the New Normal: Ebook Penetration & Use in U.S. School (K-12) Libraries" follows last year's findings that school libraries still lagged behind public and academic libraries in terms of ebook purchases-but that's slowly beginning to change. A little less than half (44 percent) of our nation's school libraries offer ebooks, up from 33 percent last year. And the higher the grade, the more likely students found digital books in their libraries, with 71 percent of high school libraries, 55 percent of middle schools, and 35 percent of elementary schools currently offering them." This report also identifies some challenges such as "Getting the word out about ebook collections is key... Shockingly, the top obstacles to ebook consumption are a lack of awareness that they're available, followed by limited access to ereading devices, and a lack of training on how to use them." 
Another article featuring Mark Ray, the TL recently named Washington's 2012 Teacher of the Year. "The fact that Washington state has chosen a teacher-librarian sends a message that libraries are important in schools, and that teacher-librarians can play an important role in a child's education, even in the 21st century," Ray said. |
"Bowker survey also finds ebooks are growing in favor among teens, but with barriers to adoption.
When it comes to finding out about good books for children and teens, there’s more to it than Amazon.com. “Bookstores and libraries are still very important in discovery,” says Kelly Gallagher, VP of Publishing Services at RR Bowker, who presented key findings from the survey “Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer in the Digital Age” at last month’s Digital Book World.
Conducted by Bowker Market Research, the survey of 2,000 parents of kids ages 0–12 and 1,000 teens ages 13–17 also revealed some interesting stats regarding ebooks. While most parents (75 percent) have not yet bought an ebook, the rate for teens reading digital titles tripled from 2010 to 2011. Additionally, the survey underscored a potential discrepancy in what parents report about kids’ desire for print over digital books versus children’s actual preferences. 
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), in collaboration with SchoolTube, announces the launch of the School Library Month 2012 student video contest You Belong @ Your School Library. Beginning Feb. 7, video submissions will be accepted that illustrate why the school library is (either physically or virtually) the place to be. More information can be found at www.ala.org/aasl/slmvideocontest.Submissions for the video contest will be accepted through March 29 and winners will be announced during School Library Month on April 17. Contest judges will select one student entry from an elementary, middle, and high school each. School librarians are encouraged to share this contest with students in their school community. Student collaboration and educator support is encouraged; however, school librarians are asked to limit their help in the production of videos. “This year’s School Library Month theme – You Belong @ your library – is perfect for a student video contest,” said Carl Harvey, AASL president. “The great thing about today’s school libraries is that there’s not just one way to belong. The school library is a welcoming environment where students can explore and learn at their own pace, engage in great programming and collaborative projects with their peers, and be challenged and introduced to new information and technologies. I look forward to watching the students’ submissions!”
Winning entries will also be featured on the AASL and SchoolTube websites and social networking platforms.
I think this is an excellent strategy on the part of AASL collect and publish 'student voice' pieces as further evidence of the impact of school libraries on student learning. 
Some of my Student Learning project findings are featured on the National Library of New Zealand's Services to Schools website.
"Listening to our students and incorporating learner voices into the many layers of data that informs our practice, ensures that we are delivering the best possible service. Tuning in to learner voices ensures that the school library is responsive and relevant to student needs... What are students telling us about school libraries? ...over 99% of students reported that their school libraries had helped them with their learning in some way. In analysing the qualitative data in the Australian research, Hay found the following were key factors:
* seamless integration of ICT between home and school * access to databases and production software * access to the library before, after and during school hours
The top three areas that students identified as most helpful in the closed question area of the study were:
* help defining a topic * planning their research * finding resources"
Via L2_S2S Research has shown that more access to books results in more reading and more reading leads to better literacy development. A new study on the impact of libraries on reading achievement by Stephen Krashen and colleagues using NAEP reading scores and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) data. Three multivariate analyses, all controlling for the effects of poverty, confirm the importance of the library. The researchers conclude: "In all of the multivariate studies considered here the library emerges as a consistent predictor of reading scores... Of course, providing access is only the first step: Even with access, some children (but surprisingly few) will not read. The research literature consistently indicates that rewards for reading are not effective (McQuillan, 1997; Krashen, 2003; 2004), but that read-alouds and conferencing do help. But in order for these approaches to work, the books need to be there. But what is clear is that libraries definitely matter and they matter a lot. Inspection of the betas in the tables reveals that access to books in some cases had a larger impact on reading achievement test scores than poverty (tables 1,3, 4), and in other cases had nearly as strong an impact (tables 2,5). This suggests that providing more access to books can mitigate the effect of poverty on reading achievement, a conclusion consistent with other recent results (Achterman, 2008; Evans, Kelley, Sikora, and Treiman, 2010; Schubert and Becker, 2010). This result is of enormous practical importance: Children of poverty typically have little access to books (Krashen, 2004). It seems that libraries can provide this access." 
While this article claims Cushing Academy "has replaced its traditional library with a collaborative, all-digital facility", the 40,000 print collection was down-sized to 10,000 items which demonstrates school libraries still need to provide a multi-format collection to best meet the range of needs of the curriculum as well as the recreational needs of students. The school library's collection policy articulates a preference for purchasing e-formats, with print books purchased if an electronic version is not available. Includes a lot of great advice regarding the issues with ebook purchasing, licensing and compatibility with a range of e-device. 
"A high school in Connecticut is developing and honing a hybrid library that incorporates both traditional books and new digital technologies." * Be ready to tweak floor plans, move furniture, and take other steps once the facility is open and in use. * Accept the fact that adults will expect the library to look and feel like the one they used in high school and college. * Create a space that integrates media and information literacy with classroom lesson plans. * Serve as a model for those who may need a little extra "push" when it comes to accepting the new digital role that school libraries play. 
This interview with a Principal of a school in Sweden demonstrates the critical role of the principal in supporting school libraries that can play a significant role in supporting student learning. (Note the term Head Teacher is used for school principals in a number of Eurpoean countries).
The Concord Review publishes exemplary history essays by high school students. What a fabulous vehicle for students to publish what they have learned as a result of their guided inquiry projects! The Concord Review has been, since 1987, the only journal in the world for the history research papers of secondary students. So far, it has published 978 essays (average 6,000 words) by students from 39 countries and locations all over the world, including Australia Tasmania Singapore Indonesia Hong Kong Japan Sri Lanka United States Canada and South Korea (special issue Summer 2011).
School librarians play such an important role in developing student research and writing skills. I encourage school librarians to support this journal by subscribing (it's only $40 per year to subscribe) and/or bringing it to the attention of your history and social studies teachers as a way to inspire their students and enhance collaboration with you!" 
Congratulations to Joyce Valenza, a leading TL practitioner in the United States and renowned international leader in integrating new and emerging technologies into the curriculum. Joyce has been 'walking the walk' for years now, an inspiration to practising TLs and TLs-in-training, as well as classroom teachers and school administrators. The fact that Joyce has been granted this lifetime award in competition with teaching peers worldwide is great evidence of the contribution TLs can make to school education. 
In the words of leading teacher librarian, Joyce Valenza, "In the past few years many of us have re-imagined school library for learners using the array of new tools and abilities in front of us today. And in my humble opinion some aspects of emerging practice are non-negotiable. You know you are a 21st century school librarian if..." This manifesto provides a powerful summary of key aspects of TL practice that individual practitioners should use as a professional learning and professional development roadmap. Particularly useful for CSU students enrolled in the foundation subject ETL401 Teacher Librarianship. 
Results from the United States Library Journal's annual Placements & Salaries Survey of 1,789 library information science (LIS) graduates (37.3 percent of the approximately 4,790 graduates from 38 LIS programs in 2010) found that school libraries hired 15.3 percent of new LIS graduates in 2010, with the average annual income of $45,420. While that number is slightly up from 14.9 percent in 2009, graduates also spoke of their frustration in trying to break in to school systems, particularly if they didn't have a teaching background before entering an LIS program. People for Education's 2011 Annual School Survey report presents findings about the status and state of school libraries in Ontario, Canada. This report recommends: that the province support a leadership role for teacher-librarians, who can workwith classroom teachers to develop feasible information literacy programs for allstudents; and that the province ensure that all teachers receive appropriate information andtechnology education in faculties of education and through ongoing professionaldevelopment. 
The 2010 data collected as part of School Library Journal's annual survey of school expenditures and collections for 2009–2010 shows that "librarians have used a variety of coping techniques to weather this economic storm, whether it’s servicing more than one school, using additional volunteers, taking on more tasks, or seeking outside funding." Researcher and author, Lesley farmer also presents some interesting insights into the way our work in school libraries is changing as per these final concluding comments: "We discovered that technology is an integral part of most libraries in terms of collection development and retrieval, teaching and instruction, and program administration. Increasingly, collection development didn’t seem to quibble between access and ownership. Nor is the book format sacred: rather, the ideas are what are central, and the format accommodates learners. Technology acquisition decisions seemed to be site-based and student-centered. Both site and districts shared in resources and administrative functions relative to technology. Multiple teaching strategies incorporated technology, and facilitated student generation of knowledge products... Furthermore, school libraries are having to address schoolwide technology efforts such as one-to-one laptop programs and open textbook initiatives, which can impact access to information." |
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