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 were more hours of professional library media specialist staffing –The library media specialist spent more time collaborating with teachers to build exciting units of instruction –The library collection was larger

Eight Major Studies Over 3,300 Schools Since 2000 n Alaska schools, grades 4, 8, 11 n Pennsylvania schools, grades 5, 8, 11 n Colorado schools, grades 4, 7 n Massachusetts schools, grades 4, 8, 10 n Oregon schools, grades 5, 8, 10 n Texas schools, grades 4, 8, 10 n Iowa schools, grades 4, 8, 11 n New Mexico schools, grades 4, 8, 10

Two Other Study Findings: n Done by Krashen (1993), McQuillan (1998) –Strong library media programs make a difference in academic achievement. n Impact made by learners who read more from large library media center collections

Step One: n Create a quality information-rich and technology-rich environment easily accessible by students and teachers.

Step Two: n Employ professional and support personnel in the library media center who provide leadership and tireless partnering.

Results: n Learners and teachers who take advantage of the strong library media center can expect: –Capable and avid readers –Learners who are information literate –Teachers who are partnering to create high-quality learning experiences

Impact: 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)