jackie pierson director of library media services jpierson@wsfcs.k12.nc.us

Winston-Salem / Forsyth County

SchoolsJackie Pierson

Director of Library Media Servicesjpierson@wsfcs.k12.nc.us

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

Media Staffing

I have 74 media coordinators and 42 media assistants.

I hire and assign at Central Office level. 1-449 students 1 day a week 450-649 students 2 days a week 650-799 students 3 days a week 800-999 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.

Media Assistant Formula

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

Great Things in WSFCS!

READING RAILROAD

Innovative Approaches to Literacy Federal GrantWinston-Salem / Forsyth County Public Schools

October 2014-September 2016Project 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-LathamNorth HillsOld TownPetreeLibrarians Preschool TeachersKindergarten 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;

SEEDS for the Grant

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.

Supporting Research

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.

Supporting Research

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;

Opportunities for Growth

For more information, contact:

Jackie Pierson Director of Library Media Services Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools jpierson@wsfcs.k12.nc.us 336-399-6819

Questions?

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.

Reading Railroad Activities

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 2015Carmen Agra Deedy – October 2015Angela Johnson--May 2016. African-American illustrator/author—September 2016

Authors will give whole school assemblies … “lunch with the author” and parent session afterschool.

Extending Literacy Experiences

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.

Summer Reading

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.

BOOKS! BOOKS! 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)

GOALS for Reading Railroad

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;

Reading Railroad

To grow readers….

Have Fun with books….

Develop a culture of literacy in our schools…..

Reading Railroad Goals

For more information, contact:

Jackie Pierson Director of Library Media Services Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools jpierson@wsfcs.k12.nc.us 336-399-6819

Questions?

Clipart used with license from Microsoft Office