1 / 25

School Librarians and Student Performance

School Librarians and Student Performance . Elizabeth Lee Queen’s University adapted from Keith Curry Lance Library Research Service Colorado State Library & University of Denver. Outline. A school librarian’s job description

jaden
Download Presentation

School Librarians and Student Performance

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. School Librarians and Student Performance Elizabeth Lee Queen’s University adapted from Keith Curry Lance Library Research Service Colorado State Library & University of Denver

  2. Outline • A school librarian’s job description • Research on the impact of school librarians on academic achievement • What we know from this research, or 5 roles for empowering school librarians • Uses of the 5 roles

  3. A Librarian’s Job Description (from a recent e-mail) I … • Order and catalog books • Check books in and out • Re-shelve books • Tend library computers • Teach keyboarding • Chair the book fair

  4. Is Anything Missing? • What activities that you associate with a school librarian were not on that list? • What activities that are on that list do you not associate with a school librarian?

  5. An empowered and empowering school librarian is a school leader a program administrator an information navigator a technology facilitator a collaborative teacher and learner

  6. The Research That Backs It Up • Since 2000 • At least 5 teams of researchers • More than 12 U.S. states • Data on over 4,000 schools—all levels, all sizes—and their communities • Building-level summary test scores representing over 1 million students

  7. Key Research Findings • Links between • Academic achievement (represented by scores on standards-based state tests of reading/ language arts skills) and • library staffing levels, librarian activities, collection size, technology integration, library usage • Schools with stronger school library programs average 10-20% higher test scores

  8. More Findings … • Controlling for key school and community differences, library still explains 3-8% of test score variation • Poverty explains away other school and community differences—like the teacher-pupil ratio, per pupil spending, and parents’ education—but not the impact of school libraries

  9. What Works: Research about Teaching and Learning through the School's Library Resource Centre, Ken Haycock 1993 • Development of research and study skills is most effective when integrated with classroom instruction and partnered by teacher and teacher-librarian. • Students learn best when units of study emphasize both subject matter and information seeking and use together. • Units are best when co-planned and co-implemented with teacher-librarian and teacher.

  10. The Power of Reading, S. Krashen, 2004 • Voluntary reading is the best predictor of reading comprehension, vocabulary growth, spelling, grammar, and writing style. • Access to school libraries results in more voluntary reading. • Teacher-librarian makes a difference in amount of voluntary reading. • Larger collection and long hours increase circulation and amount read.

  11. Keith Curry Lance,Research 1993-2003 • Reading scores increase when: information literacy (IL) integrated with curriculum; IL taught by teacher-librarian; networked computers with databases and Internet in library and classroom. • Students perform better when library staff actively involved with curriculum. • Students with higher standardized test scores come from well-staffed libraries with larger collections, regardless of socio-economic factors.

  12. Donna BaumbachThe Florida Study: Making the Grade, 2003 • Students performed 20% higher or better on state reading tests where schools had: • a teacher-librarian • existing IL curriculum • school website • large book collection and many magazines. • See http://www.sunlink.ucf.edu/makingthegrade/ for the complete study.

  13. Ross Todd and Carol KuhlthauOhio Study: Student Learning Through Ohio School Libraries, 2004 • 99.4% of students in grades 3 - 12 believe school libraries and their services help them become better learners. • 88.5% of those surveyed said the library helps them get better grades on assignments and projects • Students and educators alike believe that school libraries are key to learning. • See http://www.oelma.org/studentlearning/ for the complete study.

  14. Secret to a Strong School Library Program • An Empowered—and Empowering—School Librarian What does that mean? … • Let’s talk about the 5 roles of a school librarian…

  15. A school librarian is a school leader • Someone who has the education, training and credentials required to be a leader in the job • Someone who regularly… • meets with the principal, • attends faculty meetings, • serves on key committees, and • meets with other library staff

  16. A school librarian is a program administrator • An effective manager of a school library program that is adequately staffed, stocked, and funded • Requires planning, budgeting, reporting, and evaluation • Someone who works with students and teachers on a flexible schedule • Requires support staff

  17. A school librarian is an information navigator • A selector of print, non-print, and electronic resources that support the school’s curriculum and the provincial standards • Someone who teaches others how to be information literate—i.e., to recognize an information need and to locate, evaluate, and apply information in critical thinking to solve a problem

  18. A school librarian is a technology facilitator • Someone who selects licensed databases and identifies authoritative free websites • Someone who bridges gaps between students and teachers, online information, and curriculum and instruction

  19. A school librarian is a collaborativeteacher and learner • A teacher of students who collaborates with classroom teachers in design and delivery of instruction • A teacher of other teachers who creates more self-reliant users of information resources and technology • A colleague who attends local library staff meetings and provincial and national conferences regularly

  20. Once more …An empowered and empowering school librarian is … • a school leader • a program administrator • an information navigator • a technology facilitator • a collaborative teacher and learner

  21. How Does Your School Stack Up? • Is your school librarian empowered by the administration to perform these 5 roles? • Does your school librarian empower other teachers and students to succeed? • What more can your school do to enable its librarian to perform all 5 roles?

  22. Uses of 5 Roles for Empowering School Librarians • Setting school goals • Establishing a teaching-learning environment (a climate of collaboration, the value of information literacy skills) • Writing the librarian’s job description • Hiring a new librarian

  23. “Growing your own” librarian, or cultivating leadership and excellence • Planning and budgeting for the library program • Establishing performance expectations of the librarian • Evaluating the library and librarian (if it’s broken, don’t throw it away; fix it!) • Continuing education for current library staff • In-service training for all school staff

  24. For more information… • Toronto District School Board. (2004). Improving Student Achievement@your library: School library handbook for Administrators. Toronto: Toronto District School Board. (Canadian) • Ken Haycock. What Works: Research about Teaching and Learning through the School's Library Resource Centre, 1993. (Canadian) • Visit http://www.LRS.org/impact.asp

  25. Michele Lonsdale. 2004. Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement: A Review of the Research, 2003 School Libraries Work! Scholastic Library Publishing, See http://www.scholasticlibrary.com/download/slw_04.pdf

More Related