The Principal and the School Media Specialist: A Powerful Team in Driving Student Achievement

“A healthy, dynamic library will do more for the academic success of a school and community than any other stand-alone curricular program that money can buy.” Edward Gonzalez, Principal & Winner of School Library Journal’s Principal of the Year Award, 2003 (Wheelen, 2003)

“Regardless of how rich or poor a community is, students tend to perform better on reading tests where and when their library programs are in the hands of endorsed librarians.” (Lance & Hofschire, 2012)

“New library media specialists need to be technology gurus, learning consultants, and collaborative partners focused on making a difference in learning.” (Champlin & Loertscher, 2003)

Why support the library and media specialist? A strong collection that is well circulated drives literacy! A talented LMS is a teacher of students, and a teacher of teachers. Your LMS wants to help your school meet SSP goals.

What will the LMS do that has proven to impact student achievement? Keep the library open longer hours Build a diverse, challenging, relevant collection of print and non-print resources. Provide more and better teacher in-service Collaborate with teachers instructionally Deliver more information literacy instruction to students. Promote the media center & encourage students to visit more often. Build a strong relationship with the public library. (Information Empowered)

All of those capacities of the school’s media center and specialist result in….. (Information Empowered) Higher test scores!

The following factors of Library Media (LM) programs were linked to increased student performance across grade levels in a Colorado study. COLLABORATION Planning with and Identifying materials for teachers Teaching information literacy to students Providing teacher in-service Management of technology LEADERSHIP Serving on curriculum and Standards committees. Meeting with principal regularly. Participating in faculty meetings. Media Program Development (Lance & Rodney, 2000)

What role does the principal play in the success of the school Library Media Program? (Information Empowered) The principal promotes the Media Specialist as a central resource and instructional teammate to all teachers in the buildings and encourages teachers to use her frequently. The principal makes important funding decisions for the Media Center to maintain a top-rate collection and remain appropriately staffed. The principal promotes the Media Center outside of the local school and may be able to obtain additional funding and community support for the LM program. The principal sees the Media Specialist as a central figure in attaining the school’s goals and communicates with the LMS about ways in which he/she can aide in these goals.

Hartzell further calls to principals to… * Educate themselves to library and librarian potential. * Reconfigure the librarian's job to maximize realization of that potential. * Hire high-quality, forward-looking, energetic, innovative librarians. * Provide budget resources adequate to new roles and demands. * Effectively and accurately evaluate both the program and the librarian on jointly developed criteria recognizing library media work as simultaneously integral to instructional quality but distinct from classroom teaching itself.

References Chaplin, C. and Loertscher, D. (2003). Reinvent your school’s library and watch student achievement increase. Principal Leadership. Retrieved 21 October 2012 from Hartzell, G. (2002). Why should principals support school libraries? ERIC Digest. Retrieved 23 October 2012 from

References Lance, K. and Hofschire, L. (2012). A closer look: school librarian staffing linked with CSAP reading performance, 2005 to Library Research Service. Retrieved 20 October 2012 from ook_Report.pdf ook_Report.pdf Lance, K. and Rodney, M. and Hamilton-Pennell, C. (2000). How school librarians help kids achieve standards. Retrieved 21 October 2012 from /documents/closer_look/CO4_2012_Closer_Look_Report.pdf.

School libraries work! Scholastic Library Publishing. (2004). Retrieved 25 October 2012 from blishing.scholastic.com/content/stores/LibraryStore/pages/ima ges/slw_04.pdf. Starr, L. (2010). Strong libraries improve student achievement. Education World. Retrieved 25 October 2012 from tml. References

Want higher test scores? A school librarian can make a difference! Information Empowered. (1998). Whelan, D. (2003). Ultimate Advocate. School Library Journal, 49(11), 44. References