Principal’s PowerPoint Vickie Holmes 6466 MEDT

Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation. Broadcaster Walter Cronkite

A Review of Relevant Research in Support of a Strong and Vibrant Library Media Program

As principal, you’re charged with overseeing the total educational program, with balancing competing needs and weighing relative merit. Today’s economy makes decisions relevant to those assessments all the more challenging. The information included in this power point is designed to make you aware of the many ways a strong library media program contributes to the total school mission and its various programs – and to solicit your support in keeping our school’s program a vibrant one.

“A substantial body of research since 1990 shows a positive relationship between school libraries and student achievement” (NCLIS, 2008).

Keith Lance, one of the nation’s preeminent library researchers, has conducted three studies over the course of 16 years in Colorado. He has also participated in at least eight additional studies in as many different states. Other researchers, including James Baughman, have also sought to identify the relationship between library programs and student achievement. The results...

Keith Lance completed his first two studies in Colorado showing a direct relationship between strong media centers and student achievement. According to these studies, teachers that take advantage of media centers can expect to see the following:  A rise in test scores  Capable and avid readers  Students that are information literate  Teachers that are committed to creating a learning partnership with their students  (Lance, K. 2006)

This study provides evidence that a strong school library program led by a certified and endorsed school librarian can reduce the achievement gap and address the needs of struggling students. When school librarians collaboratively plan and co-teach with classroom teachers, teachers have said about this experience, “students were excited and engaged,” “all students were successful,” and “for my struggling students, this allowed them to do a large project along with the rest of the class and still work at their own level.” Collaborating with the school librarian helps create powerful learning opportunities for kids! Nancy White, 21st Century Learning & Innovation Specialist Academy School District 20 (Francis, B. 2010)

 The findings of the third study are consistent with those of the two previous studies in several areas. Students tend to perform better on achievement tests where school libraries have:  More full-time equivalents (FTEs) of staffing;  Larger collections of periodicals and instructional videos;  Better-networked online resources made accessible via computers in the library as well as in classrooms, labs, and offices;  Higher total library expenditures; and  Heavier use, as indicated by both library visits and circulation. (Francis, B. 2010)

Between 2000 and 2009, similar findings have been generated by studies in 17 other states (Alaska, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin) as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. Many of these studies also present evidence that the relationships between library programs and test performance cannot be explained away by other school or community conditions. More recent studies in Indiana and Idaho suggest some of the day-to-day dynamics of school life that may account for these relationships. In Idaho (the latest of these studies), higher test scores tended to be earned by students whose principals felt that their schools did an excellent job of teaching information, communication, and technology (ICT) literacy. (Francis, B. 2010)

From Alaska to North Carolina, more than 60 studies, spanning twenty years, 19 states and one province, have shown a clear relationship between strong library media programs and student achievement (U.S. NCLIS, 2008).

The success of the media program in promoting student achievement was dependent on adequate staffing. Schools that had adequately staffed media centers showed an increase in test scores for grade levels 5, 8, and 11 by 4%, 5%, and 8%, respectively. Media programs that were staffed sufficiently allowed for more instructional time from the media specialist.

The Alaska study showed that in elementary schools with well-developed library media programs, 86% of the students scored proficient or above on state reading tests, compared with 73% of the students in schools with less-developed library media programs. These findings showed: – Schools had a full time media specialist – Library staff spent time teaching information literacy to students, planning instructional units with teachers, and providing in-service training to teachers – Library media center was open longer hours – Library media center had a cooperative relationship with the public library – The library had a collection development policy

This study showed that for the 4 th and 7 th grades, student-reading scores on the Colorado State Assessment correlated with the quality of the library media programs and the involvement of the library media specialist in instructional and leadership activities. Students scored 15% higher than their counterparts in schools with the weakest programs.

Baughman and Mary Eldringhoff conducted a statewide survey of Massachusetts public school libraries in They used the survey data and data from student performance on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (ACAS) to examine the relationship between library media programs and student achievement. “School libraries and student achievement are strongly related. The results of the Simmons Study of school libraries, based on a statewide survey, confirm the value of school libraries. The findings from the Simmons Study can be summarized as follows: 1. At each grade level, schools with library programs have higher MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) scores. 2. At each grade level, students score higher on MCAS tests when there is a higher per pupil book count.

3. At each grade level, schools with increased student use have higher MCAS scores. 4. At each grade level, school libraries with more open hours score higher on the MCAS tests. 5. At the elementary and middle/junior high school levels, students score higher on the MCAS tests when there is a library instruction program. 6. At the elementary and middle/junior high school levels, average MCAS scores are higher in schools with larger per pupil expenditures for school library materials.

7. At the elementary and high school levels, students who are served by a fulltime school librarian have higher MCAS scores than those in schools without a full-time librarian. 8. At the elementary and high school levels, library staff assistance (nonprofessional help) makes a positive difference in average MCAS scores. 9. At the elementary level, students score higher on the MCAS tests when the library is aligned with the state curriculum frameworks. (This fact is especially true in schools that have a high percentage of free school lunches.) 10. At the high school level, schools with automated collections have higher average MCAS scores” (2).

Effective library media specialists are leaders. They  provide leadership in the school for achieving school mission and objectives,  meet regularly with the principal,  serve on key school committees, and  function as instructional partners or consultants. Who Matters – The LMS as Educational Leader

In order to become a leader, leadership skills must be developed. Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus (2003) indicate that leadership is like love…everyone knows it exists but people have trouble defining it. Our responsibility as library media specialists is to develop our leadership skills so the members of the learning community will recognize us as leaders (Howard & Echardt, 2005). Action research allows an issue to be identified and leads to improvement to the program and higher student achievement.

Keith Lance focused a research study of media centers in New Mexico. His findings showed that no matter how poor the media program was, improvements could be made incrementally. There were significant rises of students’ reading scores once these changes had been made. There was a specific correlation between longer media hours and test scores of the students. David Loertscher, a professor of library and information science at San Jose State University stated, “If you were preparing breakfast for children, the school library would be the milk on the cereal or the butter on the bread. They’re an integral part of education.”

Ross Todd, author of Irrefutable Evidence states that most educators don’t recognize a direct link between the daily activities of school librarians and improved student achievement. Media specialists need to apply evidence-based practice to the media program. At the end of every lesson, have students fill out a quick survey of what they have learned and how the lesson improved their research skills.

To ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information, the mission is accomplished by:  By providing intellectual and physical access to materials in all formats  By providing instruction to foster competence and stimulate interest in reading, viewing, and using information and ideas  By working with other educators to design learning strategies to meet the needs of individual students -- Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (1988), p1 (as in Information power, building, 1998)

Information Literacy is defined as “the ability to find and use information” (Information power, building, 1998) School library media specialist can create and preserve a program for all of the learning community – students, teachers, parents, administrators- that will continue to achieve a love for lifelong learning.

 Outermost ring – the learning community – the large group of various community members (students, teachers, administrators, local and state communities, etc.) that are interconnected to help meet the needs of all students.  Intersecting circles – learning and teaching, information access, and program administration – Roles that the library media specialist plays in support of student achievement and learning. These roles are essential parts of a school library media program.  Dark ring – Collaboration, leadership, and technology – the three main ideas that are inherent to the library media specialist’s role  Center (the heart of the media program) – Student Learning

Image from: “It [Information Power] stresses the importance of making connections to the learning community of the twenty-first century as the school library media program develops the fundamentals of lifelong learning in students.” (Information power, building, 1998)

Research clearly supports the importance of the principal in developing and maintaining a strong library media program. Students achievement increases when the principal  supports the media program,  meets regularly with the media specialist,  involves the media specialist in key committees. Who Matters - You

A recent study conducted by the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (2011) identifies eleven characteristics of school culture and library concept that contribute to student success. Five of the eleven directly reference the school principal as integral to this success. This study found principals critical in terms of having the vision and leadership, the understanding and commitment, and the relationship/rapport to build, support and sustain a library media program that serves the educational needs and interests of the students. Who Matters - You

Together, we can build and sustain a strong and vibrant library media program that supports and enhances the educational opportunities of all of our learners. Teachers, Administrators, Media Specialists

“What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it thinks about education.” Harold Howe Former U.S. Commissioner of Education

Achterman, D. L. (2008, December). Haves, Halves, and Have-Nots: School libraries and student achievement in California. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from tion.pdf tion.pdf American Library Association, & Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (1998). Information power: Building partnerships for learning. Chicago, Il: Author. Baughman, J. C. (2000, October). School libraries and MCAS scores: Paper presented at a symposium sponsored by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts. Retrieved from libraries/Baughman%20Paper.pdf libraries/Baughman%20Paper.pdf Francis, B.H., Lance, K. C., Lietzau, Z. (2010). School librarians continue to help students achieve standards: The third Colorado study. (Closer Look Report). Denver, CO: Colorado State Library, Library Research Service. Retrieved from Hamilton, C. & Lance, K. & Rodney, M. & Hainer, E. (2000) Dick and Jane Go to the Head of the Class. School Library Journal (44). Retrieved from:

Howard, J. & Eckhardt, S. (2005). The Leadership Role of the Library Media Specialist. Library Media Connection (32-34). Retrieved from: Lance, K.C. (1994). The impact of school library media centers on academic achievement. School Library Media Quarterly, 22(3). Retrieved from: aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/editorschoiceb/infopower/slctlancehtml Lance, K.C. (2006). Analyzing Relationships Between School Libraries and Academic Achievement. ( LRS School Library Impact Studies). Retrieved from: Whelan, D. (2003). Libraries Boost Student Learning. School Library Journal (24). Retrieved from: ehost/detail?: ehost/detail? Todd, R. (2003). Irrefutable Evidence. School Library Journal (52). Retrieved from: U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. (2008). School libraries work! (3 rd ed.). [Research Foundation Paper]. Scholastic Library Publishing. Retrieved from: