What is the Real Value of a Media Center Program? Q & A Session A Candid Report for My Principal by Leigh Anne Smith, Ed.D.

What Do We Believe as a School? Each student is unique and can learn more at higher levels. Students give their attention and commitment when provided engaging experiences. Literacy is fundamental for success in all pursuits and necessary for lifelong learning. Together, we achieve more. Each individual is a learner, teacher, designer, and leader. Education is essential to the well-being of each individual, the economy and our democratic way of life.

What Do We Value as a School? We value learning that leads to excellence and continuous improvement in everything we do.

How Does the Media Center Program Support What We Value? Many years of studies, including those conducted by Keith C. Lance show a positive correlation between student test scores and the presence of well-staffed, well-stocked, well-supported school libraries. The better the library, the higher student achievement on standardized tests.

What About the Role of a Media Specialist? School library media specialists play a wide range of roles from helping students select materials to meet their learning needs to presenting collaborative curriculum initiatives to the school board. Their leadership activities include building enthusiasm, setting and striving for realistic goals, embracing change, being proactive, and taking the first step.

What is the Value of Collaboration Between the Media Specialist & Staff? Achievement gains are linked to: Cooperative teaching with teachers who recognize the instructional role of the media specialist. Media specialists serving on curriculum and leadership committees. Technology and literacy information instruction facilitated collaboratively between the media specialist and classroom teachers.

What Does Information Technology Have to Do With Our Media Program and Student Achievement? Media centers provide opportunities for: Students to gain confidence in information exploration and acquisition. Students to learn to evaluate information. Student achievement gains when students are more confident about learning and demonstrating knowledge.

Research Supporting Information Technology Ohio Study (2004) 39 effective school libraries serving grades 3 -12 in Ohio described how school librarians are effective agents of student learning and achievement in 9 dimensions that include information literacy development, and technology.

Why Should The Media Program Endure? One goal of our school is to educate all students at an exceptional level. Exceptional media programs promote, support, and enhance all areas of student learning and teacher teaching. More information is available for a greater number of students at one time in the media center. Media centers are central to information, and information is central to learning,

What About Budget Cuts? Strive to Thrive: Reaching higher goals is never cheap or easy. 2004 – Minnesota. Baxter and Smalley (2004) found that schools with above average reading scores spend more money on their media programs and have school librarians who work more hours.

If We Have Books Everywhere, Why Fund Another Collection in the Media Center? Economics: Central location available for the entire school rather than individual classroom sets. Quality & Quantity: No classroom set or grade level book room can offer all that a media center collection can.

Why Commit to Maintain Even In Lean Times Why Commit to Maintain Even In Lean Times? Student Perspective of a Media Specialist (St. Bernard's School in Gladstone, NJ,) One student said the Media Specialist helped him weed out bad information, while another said she could better formulate her own views after getting help. Other students said the media lessons helped them become independent researchers and taught them to stay focused on the questions being asked. (Ross J. Todd -- School Library Journal, 04/01/2003)

Can We Support What We Say? Yes, with research, research, and more research! Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas studies have all shown higher academic achievement with well supported and well funded libraries, just to mention a few.

Supporting Research State-wide studies that link school libraries to student achievement (Allred, 2010)

Flexible or Fixed Schedule? Media Specialists with flexible schedules are able to devote more time to planning and working with teachers to design experiences that enhance learning and support teacher & student needs. When media specialists are used to provide time for grade levels to plan together opportunities for the media specialist to contribute are minimized.

Flexible Scheduling Supporting Research MICHIGAN (2003): At elementary schools with the highest Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) reading scores, teachers and students are 4 times as likely to be able to visit the library on a flexibly scheduled basis, compared to their counterparts at the lowest scoring schools. (Lance Studies)

One More Thing: What About a Strong & Adequate Support Staff? Strong support staff eases the huge clerical load, freeing the media specialist to work directly with students and teachers. An adequate and expert support staff is a major factor in building and sustaining a strong media program that fosters and supports achievement gains.

What’s the Bottom Line? Media Specialists support the entire school environment by being instructional partners. Media Specialists make a difference in: Student achievement Student confidence Providing classroom teachers with expertise in information gathering, collaborative teaching, and collaborative lesson planning Community perceptions Parent support

Supporting Research: Value of a Media Specialist ALASKA (1999): Students in Alaska’s secondary schools with full-time teacher-librarians (media specialists) were almost twice as likely as those without teacher-librarians to score average or above-average on California-Achievement Tests (CATS).

How Should We Sum It All Up? Research-Based Best Practices for Media Programs Include: Adequate staffing Media specialist & support personnel Large and varied collections High quality & designed to support curriculum & individual learning needs Flexible access/schedules Best for the wide range of needs of classrooms & individual students (Continued)

Research-Based Best Practices for Media Programs Include: (Continued) Research-Based Best Practices for Media Programs Include: Collaboration with teachers Building Partnerships for learning Communication with principals Reports, formal and informal meetings, share information, discuss needs Leadership roles outside of library Participating in curriculum or standards committees and grade/team level meetings is an excellent way for school librarians to show leadership (Allred, 2010)

What Makes a Media Specialist “Special”? In-depth specialized training Works to support all other areas of the school environment Helps work toward school goals of meeting standards Collaborates with teachers: Makes teachers better teachers Teaches students the value of reading and information acquisition: Makes students better students Enhances classroom activities Works with parents and the community

What Makes Me “The Best Choice” For Our Media Specialist Role? I won’t be just a keeper of the books. I don’t know everything, but I take joy in and love the challenge of learning and doing. I enjoy teaching/helping others to do the same. I will center my media center around student learning. …..continued

…..continued I thrive on innovation and technology, and will infuse it into the media program. I see the value of a hard-working media specialist from a variety of perspectives: parent, teacher, administrator, student motivator, community supporter, and leader of new ideas. I believe in evidence-based practice -demonstrating the vitality of our contributions to learning.

The library is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated more people than all the wars in history. Carl Rowan I do not remember books of my own as a child, yet I remember being held by my godmother as she read her children’s school books to me after they arrived home from school. I will never forget the day I entered the Eton Elementary library when I began school as a first grader and the feeling I had when I realized I could borrow and read them all. Leigh Anne Smith

References ALA, & AEC&T, . (1998). Information power: building partnerships for learning. Chicago & London: American Library Association. Allred, K., (2010). Effective School Library Media Programs and Their Impact on Student Achievement. Retrieved March 16 from http://www.ncslma.org/2010Conference/Handouts/ClosingtheGap.pdf Francis, B.H., Lance, K.C, & Lietzau, Z. (2010). School Librarians Continue to Help Students Achieve Standards: The Third Colorado Study. Retrieved March 13, 2011 from http://www.lrs.org/documents/closer_look/CO3_2010_Closer_Look_Report.pdf

Hamilton-Pennell, C. , Lance, K. C. , Rodney, M. J. , & Hainer, E Hamilton-Pennell, C., Lance, K.C., Rodney, M.J., & Hainer, E. Dick and Jane Go to the Head of the Class. School Library Journal 4/1/2000. Retrieved March 6, 2011 from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=art Lance, Keith Curry. (2002). How school librarians leave no child behind: The impact of school library media programs on academic achievement of U.S. public school students. School Libraries in Canada 2002. Vol 22. Retrieved March 6, 2011 from https://aklibraryhandbook.pbworks.com/w/page/1659533/Reading-Instruction-and-the-Role-of-the-Librarian Scholastic Research & Results, (2008). School libraries work. Retrieved from http://www2. scholastic.com/content/collateralresources/pdf/s/slw3_2008.pdf

Todd, R.J. (2003). Irrefutable Evidence: How to Prove You Boost Student Achievement. School Library Journal. Retrieved March 6, 2011 from http://schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA287119.html Todd, R.J. (2003). Student Learning Through Ohio School Libraries. Retrieved March 7, 2011 from http://www.oelma.org/StudentLearning/documents/OELMAResearchStudy8page.pdf Weise, L.B. (2006) Canada Links Libraries with Achievement. School Library Journal. Retrieved Jan. 22, 2011 from http://schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6331515.html