School library programs are essential for student learning and academic achievement

IMLS Project Supporting Infrastructure Needs of 21st-Century School Library Programs

Philadelphia Site April 18, 2012

• Presented by

•

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What we hope to accomplish together today . . . I’ll highlight: • What today’s school library program is

and what components are needed to make it central to student learning;

• State of school libraries in PA based on 2011 Study conducted by State Board of Education;

• Key research findings about the impact of school library programs on student learning and academic achievement.

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You’ll . . .

• Discuss and clarify which components of the school library program infrastructure you value most given limited funding (i.e., facility, staffing, collaboration on teaching and programs to encourage reading, technology, collections of resources, access).

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We’ll . . .

• Come to consensus on our priorities for what components of the school library infrastructure we value most to create strong strong school library programs that will help students learn and succeed academically.

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We Hope You’ll . . .

• Take what you learned here today back to your constituency.

• Be motivated to support school libraries and help improve the current state of school library programs in PA.

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• When you were in first grade . . . • When you were in seventh grade . . . • When you were a junior in high school . . .

Are your memories

positive, negative, neutral or

don’t you remember your school libraries?

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My Library Memories

• My elementary school had no library--only a shelf of books in each classroom.

• My sixth-grade teacher read Rufus M by Eleanor Estes aloud every Friday afternoon.

• My junior high had a room of books in glass-fronted cases but no librarian, and my English teacher took us occasionally to select books.

• My high school had a real library & librarian. I became a library assistant.

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A Room

with

Rows &

Rows &

Rows

of

Books

The School Library of Yesterday

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What is a school library today?

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To ensure that students & staff

are effective users of ideas

and information.

The Mission of the

School Library

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The Mission of the School Librarian

The school librarian empowers students to be:

critical thinkers,

enthusiastic readers,

skillful researchers and

ethical users of information

(AASL. Empowering Learners, 2009, p. 8)

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The School Library Vision

The process of learning is the focus for the school library program rather than the dissemination of information.

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The School Library Focus

• The focus of school library programs has changed: from resources

to students

to creating a community of learners

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r

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Common Beliefs

• Reading is a window to the world. • Inquiry provides a framework for learning.

• Ethical behavior in the use of information must be taught.

• Technology skills are crucial for future employment needs.

• Equitable access is a key component for education.

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• The definition of information literacy has become more complex as resources & technologies have changed.

• The continuing expansion of information demands

that all individuals acquire the thinking skills that will enable them to learn on their own.

• Learning has a social context.

• School libraries are essential to the development

of learning skills.

Common Beliefs

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Four Standards for 21st-Century Learners

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Learners use skills, resources & tools to:

• Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge.

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Learners use skills, resources & tools to:

Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply

knowledge to new situations, & create new

knowledge.

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Learners use skills, resources & tools to:

Share knowledge & participate ethically &

productively as members of our democratic society.

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Learners use skills, resources & tools to:

Pursue personal & aesthetic growth.

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Purpose: Help Students Learn

Teacher & librarian collaborating to help students learn

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Purpose: Help Students Achieve Academic Success

Creating Their Own Stories

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Purpose: Encourage Life-Long Learning

Finding the Answers

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Purpose: Promoting Information Literacy/Digital Citizenship

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Purpose: Encourage Reading

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How Can We Sustain a School Library Program?

• Infrastructure components must be in place if the school library is to accomplish its purposes.

• Each component requires consistent funding.

• How do we best sustain school library programs with the funding available?

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What do you value? How do you decide what to fund?

• Think about each component, and think about which component(s) you value

• Think about which component provides the most value for the taxpayers’ dollars.

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Necessary Infrastructure Components

Physical Library Staffing (Librarian + Aide) Program: Information Literacy Curriculum & Collaborative Teaching,

Encouragement of Reading Resource Collections Technology Access

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Component: The Library Itself

Component

A library program needs a library.

School Libraries in PA

Almost all schools in PA have a library.

However, in 2011: More than 100+ of 254

schools in Philadelphia had no school libraries. (40%)

10 of 59 schools in Pittsburgh had no school libraries. (17%)

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Component: Staffing

The Two Basics :

Full-time Professional Librarian Certified

as a Teacher in Library Science, K-12

PLUS

Paraprofessional/Clerical Aide

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Why is staffing important?

• Librarians collaborate with teachers to help students learn by integrating the teaching of information literacy skills with academic content and standards.

• Aides perform every-day tasks that allow librarians to collaborate with teachers and teach students.

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Research: Staffing

• Having certified school librarians and aides emerged as the most critical component of the library program at all levels to increase student academic performance.

(School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 15)

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Staffing in PA School Libraries

Full-time Library Science K-12 Certified Librarians 89% of schools had librarians; but only 44% were full time.

Full-time Aides 66% of schools had at least some hours of an aide’s time.

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Component: Integrated Approach to Information Literacy Teaching, K-12

• For school library programs to be successful agents of academic achievement, information literacy must be an integral part of the school’s approach to both academic standards and curriculum.

(Pa Lance Study, 2000)

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Research: Information Literacy Curriculum

• The more often students receive information literacy instruction from librarians, the higher their test scores.

(School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 10)

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Teaching Information Literacy in Pa School Libraries

• Only half of school libraries have a Board-approved, K-12 information literacy curriculum written within the past 5 years and taught by the librarian.

• 2/3 of librarians did not have a designated time to meet with teachers to collaborate.

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Component: Encouraging Reading

• Reading is a foundational skill for learning, personal growth and enjoyment.

• The degree to which students can read and understand text in all formats (e.g., picture, video, print) and all contexts is a key indicator of success in school and in life.

(Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, p. 2)

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How do librarians encourage reading?

• Book talks, book trailers, book posters, book clubs, book blogs, tweets about books, book fairs, summer reading programs, readers’ theater, school announcements, student podcasts, book displays, book give-aways, e-books, reading competitions, magazines, newspapers, iPads, apps!

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Research on Encouraging Reading

• Reading enjoyment is strongly and positively linked to student achievement.

• (School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 16)

• Contact with adults who read regularly and widely and who serve as positive role models help students become life-long readers.

• Students score better on the PSSA Reading test if they have a full-time librarian & disadvantages students benefit proportionally better. (Lance Study, 2012)

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PA School Librarians Encouraging Reading

How much time per week do PA librarians spend encouraging students to read?

60% of librarians spend between 1-10 hours per week.

25% of librarians spend between 11-20 hours per week.

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Component: Resources

• The extent to which books are borrowed shows a strong relationship with reading achievement.

(School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 12)

Collections must: Represent different media formats Represent a range of information &

perspectives Appeal to diverse learners Meet needs of differently abled students Be current & appealing

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Research on Resources

• Student achievement is higher in schools with larger collections of print and online resources. (PA Lance Study, 2000)

• The lower the socioeconomic status of the school’s population, the fewer books in the collection. (New Jersey Study, 2010)

• Schools with newer collections had higher test scores. (Illinois Study, 2005)

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Resources in PA School Libraries

• 83% of book collections are between 5,000 and 20,000 volumes.

• 76% have no eBooks. • 54% have between 16 and 30 books per student.

• 1/3 have 10 or fewer magazine subscriptions; 14% have none.

• 66% of collections have an average age of to 12 to 21 years.

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Component: Information Technology

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Components of Information Technology

Networking infrastructure

Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC)

Adaptive technologies for students with special needs

Networked computers

One-to-one laptop programs

Students and teachers learning to use technology productively

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Research on the Effect of Information Technology

• At every grade level, students in schools

with more library computers average higher test scores in reading and writing and on the ACT.

• (School Libraries Work!, 2008, p.20.)

• Where networked computers link school libraries with classrooms, labs and other instructional sites, students earn higher PSSA Reading test scores. (Lance, 2000)

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Building Technology Skills Begins Early Teaching 3rd Graders PowerPoint

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Smart Board Technology: 5th graders learn to blog

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Access to technology

isn’t always equal

Have Nots: Limited, older computers

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Technology Haves

Using a Smart Board & Laptops

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Info Tech in PA School Libraries

• 3/4 of librarians did not believe the libraries

have adequate adaptive technology to help students with visual disabilities.

• 3/4 have purchased Internet-connected computers in past 5 years.

• Only 3% have one-to-one laptop programs

for students.

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What’s Ahead in Technology?

School Libraries 2.0 Students and teachers move from being

consumers of information to being producers of information

School librarians move to being technology leaders in their schools Teaching teachers to integrate technology

into their instruction Teaching students to use technology to

produce information

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Component: Access

• Students need access to a library staffed by a librarian throughout the school day.

• In many elementary schools, students visit the library on a fixed schedule each week and not when it is most relevant to what they are learning in class.

• Flexible scheduling allows for teachers and librarians to work more collaboratively.

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Research on Access

• Students in elementary schools with the most collaborative librarians scored 21% higher on Colorado Student Assessment Program tests than students with the least collaborative librarians.

(School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 10)

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Access in PA School Libraries

• Only 55% are open and staffed with a certified librarian 35+ hours per week.

• Only 28% offer flexible scheduling; most teachers do not accompany their classes to the library so the teacher and librarian are not able to collaborate.

• Half are not open beyond the school day for students; more than 1/3 are open only 1-4 hours.

• 70% provide access to OPAC in school & remotely.

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What’s the Best Use of Funding?

Given limited funding, • Which component(s) of the infrastructure of the school library program do you value most?

• Which component(s) do you think will make the greatest impact on student learning and academic achievement?

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Funding for School Library Resources

2011 Guidelines for PA School Libraries recommend funding of library resources at:

$41 per elementary student

$45 per middle school student

$50 per high school student

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Research on Impact of Funding

• Schools that spent more money—twice as much or more—on their school libraries were associated with higher student scores on the PSSA Reading Test. (PA Lance Study, 2000)

• Students in elementary and middle

schools that spend more on libraries have higher writing performance and levels. (Illinois Study, 2005)

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Funding of PA School Libraries

• 60% of PA schools spend between $1 and $15 per student on library resources.

• Most libraries do not receive any outside funding (e.g., grants, fundraisers, contributions from community groups)

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Bumps in the Road with Funding

With several years of sustained poor economic conditions, some districts have made significant reductions to their library programs.

But--hey, we have the Internet-- Why do we need a school librarian?

Or a school library?

Why? 63 4/26/2012

Summary of Evidence of the Value of School Libraries

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Research Studies

Research to measure the impact of school libraries on student learning and student achievement has been conducted by Keith Curry Lance and many other researchers in 22 states across the country, including Pennsylvania

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Key Research Findings

• Teaching cooperatively with teachers

• Teaching information literacy to students K-12

• Providing in-service training to teachers

•Serving on standards committees •Serving on curriculum committees •Managing information technology (i.e., school library-classroom network)

Student test scores increase as school librarians spend more time:

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Key Research Findings Student PSSA Test scores are higher when:

1. School libraries are staffed by a librarian plus support staff.

2. Where budgets permit higher library

expenditures. 3. When students can access better library

collections (e.g., books, periodicals, Access PA, other databases).

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Student PSSA Test scores are higher when:

4. Students have access to networked

electronic resources and databases throughout the school & remotely.

5. Information literacy is integrated with

academic standards & curriculum (i.e., when school librarians teach students and teachers how to access and use information resources).

Key Research Findings

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Why? To help K-12 students learn and succeed academically

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What do you most value?

• Given budget reductions, every component needed for an effective school library program can’t be the most important.

• What should our priorities be in using existing funding to provide the most effective library program to help every student learn in every public school in PA? 70 4/26/2012

Which of the components do you value most?

• After hearing about all the components needed for a successful and effective school library program and hearing examples of each component and given budget restrictions, which specific component do you value most?

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Generating Ideas

Each of you has post-it notes:

Take 3 minutes and print each component you value on a single sheet.

Share your sheets (post on the wall) with members of your team.

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Generating Priorities

• In small teams,

discuss each of the posted components,

clarify what the component means to you,

think of examples, and

debate the importance of each component.

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Expressing Individual Valuing: Voting

• Each of you has 3 stickers to express your valuing: Blue, Red, & Green

• In three rounds of voting, you will choose the component you value most, given current budget restrictions.

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Gathering Consensus

• Round One: Blue Sticker: Your first choice

• Round Two: Red Sticker: Your next first choice

• Round Three: Green Sticker: Your next first choice

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Reading the Voting

• Now that everyone has expressed his or her top three valued components, let’s discuss what the voting patterns mean.

• Is it the total number of votes?

• Is it the highest numeric score?

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What are the most valued components?

• Do we need to vote again?

• What can we take off the table?

• Do we have consensus?

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What is the best investment?

• Is what the group values most the best investment of funding?

• What is the best use of the taxpayers’ dollars?

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A Fundamental Question of Funding

Who is responsible for funding school library programs?

• The Local Board of Education

• The Commonwealth

• The Federal Government

• Parents of Students in Each School

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Next Steps

• Where do we go from here?

• What will we (the project staff) be doing?

• What can you be doing?

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What Can You Do?

• What can you do to help improve PA school libraries for all student in Pennsylvania public schools?

• How can we achieve adequacy for all students?

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Thank You

We appreciate your giving of

your time and

your ideas. 82 4/26/2012

Citations

Lance, Keith Curry, Marcia J. Rodney, and Christine Pennell-Hamilton. Measuring Up to Standards. Greensburg, PA: PA Citizens for Better Libraries, 2000.

School Libraries Work! Scholastic Library Publishing, 2008.

Todd, Ross J.., Carol Gordon, and Ya-Ling Lu. One Common Goal: Student Learning. New Brunswick, NJ: NJ Assn. of School Librarians, 2010.

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