1. The impact of school media specialist on student achievement
Empowering Students

2. When comparing schools with and without librarians, … the presence of a qualified school librarian can make a tremendous difference in reading achievement. This difference ranges from eight percent for high schools to 35 percent for elementary schools. For instance, schools with librarians have 35 percent more fourth graders who score proficient or above than schools without librarians.
Rodney, Marcia J., Keith Curry Lance, and Christine Hamilton-Pennell The Impact of Michigan School Libraries on Academic Achievement: Kids Who Have Libraries Succeed. Lansing, MI: Library of Michigan.

3. As we search for ways to improve the academic achievement of our nation’s children, we must understand the fundamental contribution school libraries make to student learning outcomes. From our perspective, a critical part of the comprehensive and renewed strategy to ensure that students learn to read and are effective users of information and ideas is the requirement that every school have a school library and that school libraries be staffed by highly qualified, state certified library media specialists.
Dr. Beth Fitzsimmons, NCLIS Chairman
at a meeting held on June 4-5, 2007, the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Informational Science addressed the clear link between school library media programs and student achievement.
Quoted in School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

4. Gone are the days of libraries being simply a place to borrow books
Gone are the days of libraries being simply a place to borrow books. There is much more to today’s library media specialists than just story time and reshelving books. Today’s library media specialist “empowers students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information” (Purcell, p.33). A plethora of research has shown student achievement is higher in schools with strong library media programs and certified school library media specialists. Time and time again, the correlation between student achievement and schools with highly qualified library media specialists has been shown. Library media specialists collaborate with classroom teachers to offer support in expanding curriculum offering students opportunities to take learning to new levels. Students are able to explore and learn about things that matter to them. Library media specialists inspire learners of all ages.
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

5. School Libraries Are Much More Than Books!
The Program:
Collaboration with classroom teachers to teach and integrate literature and technology skills into the curriculum.
Partner with classroom teachers on projects that help students use a variety of resources for research and presentation.
Supported fiscally and programmatically by the educational community to achieve the school’s mission statement.
The Program
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

6. School Libraries Are Much More Than Books!
The Place:
Students strive for and achieve success.
Quality selections are provided in multiple formats.
Students develop a love of reading.
Library media specialists help students explore the world through different forms of media.
Students work individually and in small groups to complete research and projects.
The Program
The Place
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

7. School Libraries Are Much More Than Books!
The Professional:
Teach skills and strategies to assist with student achievement.
Partner in students’ education by developing curricula and integrating resources into teaching and learning.
Teach skills to encourage students to become effective users of ideas and information.
Seek, select, evaluate, and utilize electronic resources and tools and instruct teachers and students in how to use them.
The Place
The Program
The Professional
Student Academic Achievement
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

8. Dozens of research studies involving over 8,700 schools and over 2
Dozens of research studies involving over 8,700 schools and over 2.6 million students, has consistently shown schools with a strong library media program score an average of 10-20% higher on reading and achievement test.
Library Media Programs and Student Achievement
Produced by Andy Spinks with Cobb County School District’s Library Media Education Department

9. This research shows a strong library media program has four main categories that impact student achievement.
Library media centers are staffed at higher levels (more positions, more hours).
Library media centers have larger collections of better quality information resources
Library media centers and resources are used more frequently by students and staff.
Library media specialists spend more time collaborating with classroom teachers to teach information literacy curriculum standards.
Library Media Programs and Student Achievement
Produced by Andy Spinks with Cobb County School District’s Library Media Education Department

10. Staffing
Research shows achievement is higher in schools with professionally trained certified library media specialists. Professionally trained library media specialists can enhance the other three categories to maximize the program’s impact on student achievement. Uncertified staff members play an important role when they work under the supervision of certified library media specialists by assisting with clerical and operational tasks. However, research shows media programs led entirely by uncertified staff do not contribute to higher achievement.
Library Media Programs and Student Achievement
Produced by Andy Spinks with Cobb County School District’s Library Media Education Department

11. Quality of Information resources
Student achievement is improved when students have access to accurate and up-to-date information in the media center. This achievement is even greater when students have access to online information. Contributing to the quality of the media center’s resources are:
Funding: Student achievement is higher in schools with greater library media funding when funds are spent on well-selected information resources.
Staffing: Certified library media specialists are specially trained in information resource selection. This helps ensure that funds are spent in the most effective way.
Library Media Programs and Student Achievement
Produced by Andy Spinks with Cobb County School District’s Library Media Education Department

12. Usage of library media facility and resources
When library media resources are used more often student achievement increases. This is evident when used by individual students and by whole classes. Accessibility has a major impact on student use. Accessibility can be increased by:
Library media center open longer hours.
Computer networks make resources available outside the library media center.
Flexible scheduling allows for individual student visits and collaborative information literacy instruction.
Library Media Programs and Student Achievement
Produced by Andy Spinks with Cobb County School District’s Library Media Education Department

13. Collaborative information literacy instruction
Teaching information literacy (the ability to effectively find, evaluate, and apply information) is the most important role of the library media specialist in assisting with student achievement. Factors contributing to instructional effectiveness include:
Integrating library skills when teaching content area standards.
Teachers and library media specialists collaborate to teach information literacy.
Students are given timely, constructive feedback and guidance on formative assessments of their progress.
Library Media Programs and Student Achievement
Produced by Andy Spinks with Cobb County School District’s Library Media Education Department

14. Collaborative information literacy instruction
Exhibiting increased school leadership increases collaboration with other teachers. Increased interactions with colleagues builds school relationships.
Flexible scheduling encourages collaboration. The worst case scenario is when library media centers are placed in “specials” rotation. This makes collaboration nearly impossible.
Higher levels of staffing allows library media specialists more time for collaboration.
Library Media Programs and Student Achievement
Produced by Andy Spinks with Cobb County School District’s Library Media Education Department

15. 19 states & 1 province can’t be wrong
Substantial research since 1990 shows a positive relationship between school libraries and student achievement. The research shows that school libraries can have a positive impact on student achievement – whether such achievement is measured is terms of reading scores, literacy, or learning more generally. A school library program that is adequately staffed, resourced, and funded can lead to higher student achievement regardless of the socioeconomic or educational levels of the community.
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

16. 19 states & 1 province can’t be wrong
Alaska (Lance, Hamilton-Pennell, and Rodney, 2000) – Students in Alaska’s secondary schools with full-time teacher librarians were almost twice as likely as those without teacher librarians to score average or above average on California Achievement Tests (CAT5).
Colorado (Lance, Et. Al, 1993; Lance, et. Al., 2000) – 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).
Delaware (Todd, ) – 98.2% of students were helped by the school library in their learning process, when the school libraries had state certified, full-time school librarians, flexible schedules, active instructional programs for information literacy development, and a networked information technology infrastructure.
Florida (Baumbach, 2002) – In library programs staffed 60 hours per week or more, there is a 9% improvement in elementary school test scores, a 3.3% improvement in middle school test scores, and a 22.2% improvement in high school test scores over those staffed less than 60 hours per week.
Illinois (Lance, Rodney, and Hamilton-Pennell, 2005) – 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.
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

17. 19 states & 1 province can’t be wrong
Indiana (Callison, 2004) – Sixth grade student scores are typically well above average on all portions of the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) when the school’s library media specialist has been with the same school full-time for at least three years and excels at both information access and administrative services.
Iowa (Rodney, Lance, and Hamilton-Pennell, 2002) – Comparing Iowa elementary schools with the highest and lowest ITBS reading scores, the highest scoring students use more than 2 ½ times as many books and other materials during library visits.
Massachusetts (Baughman, 2002) – At the elementary and middle/junior high school levels, students score higher on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test when there is a school library program.
Michigan (Rodney, Lance, and Hamilton-Pennell, 2003) – Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) reading test scores rise with the extent to which the state’s school library programs are headed by certified library media specialists.
Minnesota (Baxter and Smalley, 2003) – Schools with above-average student scores on the grade 3, 5, and 8 reading tests, 66.8% were schools where the library media specialist worked full-time.
Missouri ( Quantitative Resources, LLC, 2003) – School library services exert a 10.6% statistically significant impact on student achievement.
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

18. 19 states & 1 province can’t be wrong
New Mexico (Lance, Rodney, and Hamilton-Pennell, 2002) – New Mexico achievement test scores rise with the development of school library programs.
North Carolina (Burgin and Bracy, 2003) – School library programs in elementary, middle, and high schools have a significant impact on student achievement – as measured by scores on standardized reading and English tests.
Ohio (Todd, Kuhlthau, and Olema, 2004) – Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries reveals that 99.4% of students in grades 3 to 12 believe school libraries and their services help them become better learners.
Oregon (Lance, Rodney, and Hamilton-Pennell, 2001) – 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.
Pennsylvania (Lance, Rodney, and Hamilton-Pennell, 2000) – Pennsylvania middle schools with the best Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) reading scores spend twice as much on their school libraries as the lowest scoring schools.
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

19. 19 states & 1 province can’t be wrong
Texas (Smith, 2001) – Over 10% more students in schools with librarians than in schools without librarians met minimum Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) expectations in reading.
Wisconsin (Smith, 2006) – Library media program variables explained between 3.2% and 3.4% of the variance in reading and language arts performance on the state assessment exam at the elementary level, 9.2% at the middle school level, and between 7.9% and 19.0% at the high school level.
Ontario, Canada (Klinger, 2006) - Schools with professionally trained school library staff could be expected to have reading achievement scores that were approximately 5.5 percentage points higher than average in grade 6 EQAO results.
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results

20. This is what library school media specialists do. Isn’t is priceless?
School librarians maximize academic learning, share expertise and new ideas with learners and colleagues, utilize performance outcome data to develop learning targets, teach for self-assessment, work cooperatively with appropriate school personnel, help students make real-world connections, differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners, help students learn how to use effective collaboration and communication skills, and develop lessons and strategies to assess learners’ needs.
Literacy skills, knowledge, inspiration, exploration, enjoying and learning for life are tools school librarians instill in every learner. Lifelong learning is paramount as librarians teach students how to explore diverse resources that will enable them to open the door to the vast possibilities globally.
This is what library school media specialists do. Isn’t is priceless?
Foster, V.W., The Price of Not Supporting School Libraries. Library Media Connection, March/April

21. Resources
American Association of School Librarians (AASL),
Library Media Programs and Student Achievement
Produced by Andy Spinks with Cobb County School District’s Library Media Education Department,
Foster, V.W., The Price of Not Supporting School Libraries. Library Media Connection, March/April
Purcell, M., All Librarians Do Is Check Out Books, Right? A Look at the Roles of a School Library Media Specialist. Library Media Connection, November/December
Rodney, Marcia J., Keith Curry Lance, and Christine Hamilton-Pennell The Impact of Michigan School Libraries on Academic Achievement: Kids Who Have Libraries Succeed. Lansing, MI: Library of Michigan.
School Libraries Work Research Foundation Paper, Updated 2008 – Third Edition, Scholastic Research and Results,