Strong School Library Media Programs Make a Difference in Academic Achievement

Gaver Study, 1963: n Academic achievement is higher when: –There is a centralized library in the school. –The library collection is large and easily accessible.

Lance Study Finding, 1993: n Academic Achievement was higher in Colorado schools when: –There was a professional library media specialist –The library media specialist collaborated with teachers to build exciting units of instruction –The library collection was very large

Four Major Studies: 933 Schools, published 2000 n Alaska 211 schools, grades 4, 8, 11 n Pennsylvania 435 schools, grades 5, 8, 11 n Colorado 200 schools, grades 4, 7 n Massachusetts 519 schools, grades 4,8,10

Two Major Studies in 2001 n Oregon513 schools, grades 5,8, 10 n Texas 600 schools, grades 4, 8, 10

Two Major Studies, 2002 n Iowa506 schools, grades 4, 8, 11 n New Mexico380 schools, grades 4, 8, 10

The 21st Century Library Media Center n Consists of a quality information-rich environment: –Books –Multimedia resources –Databases –Electronic periodical collections –Quality Internet sites

The New Library Media Center: n Is available not only in the LMC, but n In the classroom, and n On beyond into the Home. n And, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Library Media Center Programs: n Build capable and avid readers n Teach every learner to become effective users of ideas and information n Partner with teachers to create exciting learning experiences n Prepare learners to compete in the information age

First, Invest in People Strong Library Media Programs have: n A competent library media professional –The human interface n Paraprofessional staff –Organization/service functions n Technical staff –Technology support for the school

Strong Library Media Specialists: n Collaborate with teachers to build quality learning experiences n Teach information literacy (finding, using, and communicating information effectively) n Promote reading

Findings from 5 States  Colorado (2000)200 schools  Oregon (2001)513 schools  Texas (2001)600 schools  Iowa (2002)506 schools  New Mexico (2002)380 schools

Comparison of Top & Lowest 25 Scoring Schools in 5 States n Library media specialist hours per week per 100 students Elementary: 8.97 vs % difference Middle: 9.88 vs % difference High:10.22 vs % difference

Conclusion n The level of professional library media specialist staffing is a key difference between strong and weak library media programs n … and between higher and lower scoring students on achievement tests.

Comparison of 25 Highest & Lowest Scoring PA Schools n Professional staff hours/week –5th grade34.31 vs % difference –8th grade38.40 vs % difference –11th grade45.06 vs % difference n Support staff hours/week –5th grade25.92 vs % difference –8th grade30.30 vs % difference –11th grade49.57 vs % difference

Conclusion for Pennsylvania n Support staff was the key difference between strong and weak library media programs in PA. n That is, professionals alone cannot make a major difference because of the load of clerical and technical work.

Conclusion: n The total LMC staff size contributes to academic achievement.

Second, Invest in Materials and Technology n Create a quality information-rich and technology-rich environment easily accessible by students and teachers.

Large School Library Collections Supply: n Large rotating classroom collections n Large bedside collections for teachers and students

Research Findings: n Rich curriculum-centered collections boost learning. n Information technology delivering information to the desktop of the learner enhances learning.

Today’s LMC Collections are accessible through a library web page including: n Quality Internet sites n Electronic periodicals n Databases n Attractive information books n Multimedia collections n Materials meeting special needs n Materials of high quality

Conclusion: n Quality collections are expensive, but they earn their way by boosting achievement.

Results of the total investment: n Scores can be expected to be 10-20% higher than in schools without this emphasis.

Results are not explained by: n Teacher/pupil ratio n Teacher characteristics (education, experience, salaries) n Student characteristics (poverty, race/ethnicity) n Community demographics (educational attainment, poverty, ethnicity)