Dr. Ken Haycock, Professor University of British Columbia and Executive Editor, TL January, 2004

1. School Libraries and Teacher-librarians: Connecting student achievement, literacy and culture Dr. Ken Haycock, Professor University of British Columbia and Executive Editor, TL January, 2004 The Case for Reform and Re-Investment www.kenhaycock.org

2. What Evidence Says About School Libraries and Teacher-Librarians • The Current Context • What Makes A Difference? An Overview • Impact on Student Learning • Impact on Reading • Best Practice • A Note About Culture • So What? www.kenhaycock.org

3. The Current Context • Myths and beliefs about us and our work… • But these agencies support school library development: • World Bank; East Asia Bank; I.D.A. • Open Society/Soros Foundation • DeWitt-Wallace-Readers’ Digest Foundation • Even the U.S. Congress… • But not your Board? www.kenhaycock.org

4. What Makes A Difference? An Overview “Where libraries are better staffed, better stocked and better funded, academic achievement tends to be higher.” (Lance, 2002) www.kenhaycock.org

5. School Library Collections • Larger collections mean higher achievement. • Networked computers (extensive access) correlates with achievement levels. • Spending on books and other materials, reflecting student interests and needs for curriculum assignments, correlates with reading scores. • Relationships with the public library correlate with reading proficiency; where the teacher-librarian exploits the resources of other libraries, achievement increases. www.kenhaycock.org

6. School Library Staffing • Staffing levels correlate with test scores. • Improvements are more dramatic where TLs are actively involved • in teaching information literacy, • in collaborating with classroom colleagues, and • in technology management and integration; and where • TLs play a leadership role. • Support staff frees the teacher-librarian to plan with teachers outside the library. www.kenhaycock.org

7. School Library Programs • More staffing means more collaborating means more visits means higher reading achievement. • Flexible scheduling is a critical predictor. • TLs provide enrichment to the economically disadvantaged and those who need additional help to succeed. • The support of superintendents, principals and teachers is essential. www.kenhaycock.org

8. School Library Funding • Higher achieving schools are not simply better funded schools where there is more and better of everything; higher achieving schools assign a higher priority to school library funding from the many choices available to them. • Better school library service results in greater gains in reading comprehension; in some studies boys gain most. www.kenhaycock.org

9. How strong is the evidence? • Community socio-economic variables may explain some variance in performance. • Library factors (for example, staffing and collections) explain a significant portion and are more important than other school factors. • Relationships between library variables and student achievement may have been underestimated. • If teacher-librarians affect reading proficiency, their effect on achievement in the content areas can be assumed. www.kenhaycock.org

10. Impact on Student Learning • School libraries and teacher-librarians have a positive effect on student achievement. • Research dates back to the 1930s. • By the 1960s schools with libraries and qualified teacher-librarians were performing better in overall reading proficiency. • And…providing numerous opportunities for thinking did not impair student achievement (Rogus, 1968)! www.kenhaycock.org

11. Examples from the 1960s: • The correlation between the service of TLs and student achievement is the highest of all professional staff (Landerholm, 1960) • Students who attend schools with libraries and certified teacher-librarians demonstrate superior gains (Willson, 1965) • Academic achievement, including scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, improved more for the 12th grade group using library services (Hale, 1969). www.kenhaycock.org

12. From the 1970s: • Students given professional library media services perform at a higher level (McConnaha, 1972). • Tenth grade students with expanded libraries and qualified TLs show greater motivation (Campbell, 1974). • School variables related to achievement are: student-teacher ratio, level of teacher certification and expenditure for library books (Saterfield, 1974). www.kenhaycock.org

13. From the 1980s: • [Information literacy] is related student achievement, performance on standardized tests and grade-point average. The level of service is related to improvement of overall educational achievement (Didier, 1984). • Eighth grade students who receive instruction enhanced by contributions to the subject curriculum by the teacher-librarian perform better on the Metropolitan Achievement Test in eight of eleven sections (Broadway, and Baldridge, 1988). www.kenhaycock.org

14. From the 1990s: The first Colorado study (Lance, Welborn & Hamilton-Pennell, 1993): • academic achievement is higher where libraries are better funded; • the size of the staff and collection is second only to the absence of at risk conditions; • academic achievement is higher where teacher-librarians participate in the instructional process. www.kenhaycock.org

15. More… • There is a significant increase in the scores of students who are taught through curriculum-integrated teaching methods in the library over those who are not (Bingham, 1994). • Evaluation of the achievement levels of students in the top 50 and bottom 50 Ohio school districts indicates a positive correlation between commitment to the library through funding and student achievement levels (Bruning, 1994) and overall critical thinking (Lewanski, 1998). www.kenhaycock.org

16. And today: More of the same…positive connections… • Colorado Student Assessment Program • Pennsylvania System of School Assessment • Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment • Alaska, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon… • Texas: higher academic performance at all educational levels in schools with TLs than in schools without them www.kenhaycock.org

17. More? • School libraries and teacher-librarians have a positive impact on student achievement in English, Language Arts and Social Studies. • School libraries and teacher-librarians have a positive impact on student achievement in Mathematics and Science • School libraries and teacher-librarians have a positive impact on student proficiency in information skills and research strategies. www.kenhaycock.org

18. Technology alone is not the answer. Kids have more problems using these than we think… • About the Web • About Databases • About Library Catalogues Positive implications for success in college and university (but declining abilities of first year students due to high school cuts) www.kenhaycock.org

19. Impact on Reading • The positive correlation—ability to read, motivation to read, quantity read, results on reading assessments—has been true across grade levels, socio-economic class, urban/rural areas, and for several decades. • school library; qualified teacher-librarian; • access; time for free voluntary reading; • reading environment, including comfort and quiet, as well as larger library collections. www.kenhaycock.org

20. Culture • Effect on self-concept • Effect on achievement • Effect on democracy • All with connections to qualified teacher-librarians… www.kenhaycock.org

21. Best Practice • Clarify and Promote the Role of the TL • Encourage Collaboration • Insist on Flexible Scheduling • Engage Exemplary Teacher-librarians (“mirror plus”) • Encourage Staff Development/TL as Staff Developer • Ensure Relevant Education for TLs • classroom experience • education at the graduate level • all agree on what should be taught • emphasis on collaboration: what gets taught gets done • provide continuing education www.kenhaycock.org

22. But Who Cares? • Are school libraries and teacher-librarians valued more than before? No. • Has the level of support increased with these results? No. • Are there lessons from the great improvements of the 1960s? Yes. • Are there lessons from research and experience? Yes. www.kenhaycock.org

23. Issues and Dilemmas • Role Clarification (full-time mixed schedule vs. part-time flexible schedule) • Resource Management (classroom collections: deja vu) (IT: lead, follow, get out of the way?) (access vs. control) • School Priorities and Support (attitudes > economics) www.kenhaycock.org

24. Issues and Dilemmas • District’s Role (refusal to acknowledge realities) • Parents’ Attitudes (most important of non-essentials) • Policy and Practice (seeming lack of relationship) www.kenhaycock.org

25. Keeping Up To Date Begin by knowing the evidence… the main studies (see, e.g., LMC Source site and LRS site), plus… • Journals: School Library Media Research Teacher-Librarian www.teacherlibrarian.com “What Works” • Research Fora: AASL IASL • Treasure Mountain Research Retreats www.kenhaycock.org

26. Suggestions for Further Research • Roles and Relationships • Achievement/Replication • Dissemination Issues • Action Research and… • why this has no effect… www.kenhaycock.org

27. Conclusions • School libraries and qualified teacher-librarians affect reading proficiency and achievement in the subject content areas. • The effect is greater with an emphasis on collaboration and TLs not covering teacher preparation periods. • In spite of the evidence, school boards cut libraries, book budgets and teacher-librarians while promoting literacy… www.kenhaycock.org

28. Feel free to contact me for information, advice or training… Dr. Ken Haycock voice: 604.925.0266 ken@kenhaycock.com To Your Success… www.kenhaycock.org

29. Now in our 31st year… www.teacherlibrarian.com www.kenhaycock.org