Teachers and Librarians? Why?

Elementary school students with the most collaborative teacher librarians scored 21% higher on Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) reading scores than students with the least collaborative teacher-librarians. (2000) - From School Libraries Work 2008

This means that..………………. Teachers and librarians working together made a difference in test scores in Colorado!

"In Illinois high schools, 11th grade ACT scores are highest when there is a high degree of true collaboration between library media specialists and classroom teachers in a wide spectrum of activities." - From School Libraries Work 2008

In other words…………… In Illinois, high school kids whose teachers and librarians worked together had better test scores to get into college.

"A recent study conducted by Colorado's Library Research Service (LRS) found that state achievement test scores...averaged 8 percent higher in elementary schools and 18 to 21 percent higher in middle schools when library media specialists collaborated with classroom teachers."Library Research Service Education World, 2010

What they are saying here is that……………. Middle school students fare even better than elementary school students when librarians and teachers collaborate!

"Teacher-librarians from high schools with the best Oregon Statewide Assessment reading/language scores are twice as likely as their colleagues from the lowest scoring schools to plan collaboratively with classroom teachers, and their students are more than three times as likely to visit the library as part of a class or other group.“ - From School Libraries Work 2008

Are we making this clear? The schools with the best test scores have teachers who plan and work with librarians!

Asselin and Lee (2002, 10) began their article on the need for library instruction for teacher education candidates by quoting a student who stated, “I wish someone had taught me how to develop my library information literacy skills through resource-based learning … in school [pre-K—12]. I might not have had such a horrendous time of it when I came to the university.”

The problem is apparent; students on university campuses lack basic research and information literacy skills, and do not have a clear understanding of how to use the resources of their campus library. Students also lack the ability to synthesize knowledge gained from the academic classroom, the library, and information technology for the betterment of academic scholarship. -Educational Forum, March 2004

Is it any surprise that…… Even students understand that they need the teachers and librarians to work together to give them the best chance for success in college and in life!

"Desire (D) and Action. (A)-Recognizing Values and Taking Action Desire leads to action. Responses from the field tests showed that teachers initially did not desire to participate in a collaboration project with the student librarians. Only two teachers responded directly to the advertisement. The cash incentive of $200 seemed to have played only a small role in encouraging teachers to engage in collaboration within the context of this study. Nevertheless, once the field tests were completed, teachers (with one exception) found the experience rewarding. All teacher collaborators indicated that they would be willing to collaborate with their school librarian in the future. The focus groups indicated the same willingness to collaborate with librarians, with the teachers stating that they and their students would benefit from collaboration.“ AASL: #findings

Still skeptical? The experience of working with a librarian made teachers want to work with the librarian in the future. Even a cash incentive was not as motivating as was the actual experience of collaboration!

Librarian Teacher We Go Together!