Jackie Pierson Director of Library Media Services

 One media coordinator in all schools  One full-time media assistant in all high schools except smallest ones (under 800 students) they have 3 or 4 days a week assistant.  Part-time media assistants in all other schools according to a formula  One shared media coordinator and media assistant in a newly created position at an alternative middle/high and a lottery elem/middle school

 I have 74 media coordinators and 42 media assistants.  I hire and assign at Central Office level.  students 1 day a week  students 2 days a week  students 3 days a week  students 4 days a week  1,000 students 5 days a week  A few buy extra days with local or PTA money or Title 1 money.

 15 (?) NTBS media coordinators;  Several members are active at NCSLMA level as committee chairs and officers;  Active MTAC Committees (policies support) in most schools;  Media Assistants still exist and are viewed as instructional as well as clerical assistants;  Makerspaces are beginning to appear—Three schools work with a UNCG STEM grant; (Visit school websites for East Forsyth High, Kernersville Middle, Mt. Tabor High, SE Middle, Diggs-Latham Elem, )  BOB and EBOB supported by District;  Great partnership with Bookmarks Foundation—provide author visits all year long.  Have worked on Central Office Committees for K-12 Literacy Plan, School Improvement Plans Review Team, Future Ready Classroom Committee (Media Services is represented in Technology, Digital Teaching and Learning, and Instructional Services departments.  Received a Federal Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant

Innovative Approaches to Literacy Federal Grant Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Public Schools October 2014-September 2016 Project Director: Jackie Pierson Director of Library Media Services

WS/FCS received one of 32 grants in the country in the 2014 round of IAL Federal Grants. Reading Railroad is the only grant that focuses on the role of the school librarian to build early literacy skills. Reading Railroad was chosen as the first grant to be presented to the Dept. of Education in this wave of sharing sessions. Diggs-Latham North Hills Old Town Petree Librarians Preschool Teachers Kindergarten Teachers IAL Grant recipients are LEAs and nonprofits. We were awarded $719,000 over two years. WS/FCS will be using ideas and results of RR in other grant applications.

 Need to increase awareness of the importance of the role of the school librarian in building literacy;  Research showing that surrounding children with print experiences grows readers;  Research showing that “the more you read, the more accomplished reader you become”;  Reading “for fun” increases curiosity and strengthens lifelong learning habits;

 Stephen Krashen’s research (2011) on free voluntary reading indicates that self selected reading choices and allowing time to read increases student reading achievement scores.  Reading for enjoyment increases student reading achievement scores.  Reading to children in their first language lays down a firm foundation for reading in their second language.  Surrounding children of poverty with print rich experiences increases student achievement and offsets some of the effects of poverty.

 Research on school libraries (Lance, 2004) and others as compiled in School Libraries Work! (2008) indicates strong relationship between the impact of the school library program and school librarian and student achievement.

 Elementary schedule mainly fixed/flex or fixed;  Funding still rests with PTA or Book Fairs;  Just starting training in Haiku/LMS;  Need to find time in school day for collaboration and working with PLT’s;  No regular meetings with media coordinators (we have after school PLT’s but are poorly attended); we have three Central Office Prof. Development Training Days a year;  Building program / bond package may include every media center in furniture focus;

For more information, contact:  Jackie Pierson  Director of Library Media Services  Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools   Clipart used with license from Microsoft Office

Family Reading Depot E-Read Express  Parent literacy events to discuss reading in the home with children and to celebrate reading;  Books given to preschool child to establish a home library collection of print books;  Ereader loaded with ebooks loaned to each family;  Magazines for preschoolers, siblings and parents. Preschoolers will see others in their family reading for pleasure.

Fast Track : Professional Development Classroom Teachers and Librarians participate in PLT’s surrounding literacy and the grant activities.  School librarians normally do not serve preschool classes. As part of the grant, they are providing “storytimes” in preschool classrooms or in the library.  Author visits to schools Karma Wilson --May 2015 Carmen Agra Deedy – October 2015 Angela Johnson--May African-American illustrator/author—September 2016 Authors will give whole school assemblies … “lunch with the author” and parent session afterschool.

Just the Ticket: Summer Express Pack It and Take It  School libraries will be open once a week for storytime and book circulation.  Public librarians will present their summer reading programs and encourage parents to bring their children to summer reading program events at the public library branches.  Literacy bags will be distributed to each preschooler with books, literacy games, and online links.

 Free books will be distributed several times to all students (pre-K– grade 5). Students will select their own books.  The grant provides $15,000 per year for the school librarians to buy print and ebooks for the school library collection. Picture books, fiction and informational books are included as well as bilingual and audio books.

 Preschoolers will score higher on preschool and kindergarten readiness assessments than similar students not participating in RR grant. (LAP3 screening assessments)  Kindergarten students will score higher at the end of kindergarten in reading literacy foundational skills. (DIBELS/TRC assessments)

 Will provide opportunities to celebrate the joy of reading and learning while preparing preschoolers for academic success;  Will engage families in literacy experiences to support the academic success of their children and to model the love of learning and reading;  Will highlight the role of the school librarian in the school’s learning community;

To grow readers…. Have Fun with books…. Develop a culture of literacy in our schools…..

For more information, contact:  Jackie Pierson  Director of Library Media Services  Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools   Clipart used with license from Microsoft Office