The Future of School Librarianship Review of Research & Implications for Practice

1. The Future of School LibrarianshipReview of Research & Implications for Practice

2. Outline • Recently Released Studies • Revitalizing High School Libraries (NY Life, 1/06) • Student Learning Through WI SLMCs (1/06) • Education Reform in MN (SLMR, 3/06) • School Libraries & Student Achievement in ON (4/06) • Flexible Scheduling (SLMR, 4/06) • Studies under Review • Problem with 65% Solution (instructional classification) • Is the Sky Falling? (job market) • Studies in Progress • IN: How Principals & Teachers Benefit … • CO (3rd): How School Librarians Teach CT Skills • Post Script

3. NY Life Foundation’s Adolescents Read!, issue 2, In Their Own Words, 1/06 2003-05 pilot project to update/refurbish 4 HS libraries in Minneapolis, San Francisco, & Tampa Late 2005 survey of 600 students Results: Read more for fun Read more on own time Conduct deeper inquiry into subject areas Improve reading & language skills Revitalizing High School Libraries

4. In Their Own Words • Read more for fun: My LMC “rocks” … new laptop computers, interesting books … [it’s now possible] to relax and learn simultaneously. • Read more on own time: If you come to the library for an assignment, you are bound to check out a book to read on your own. • Conduct deeper inquiry into subject areas: I can learn [what] teachers [didn’t] mention during classes… Just being in there makes you want to study more ... • Improve reading & language skills: I went through 3 books [averaging] about 700 pages each. Since [then], I have learned to use and master several words that were not in my regular vocabulary.

5. Student Learning Through Wisconsin School Library Media Centers • January 2006 report for WI Dept of Public Instruction by Ester G. Smith, author of TX study • 1,043 LM programs • Percent of variation in test scores explained: • Elementary: 3.4% reading, 3.2% language arts • Middle: 9.2% reading, 7.9% language arts • High: 7.9% reading, 19.0% language arts • Notably, at high school level, library variables outperformed socio-economic variables

6. Student Learning Through Wisconsin School Library Media Centers • Library variables • All grade levels: staffing (LMS & total), hours before/after school, volumes & subscriptions, computers in labs, expenditures • Elementary: meetings w/ principal, teachers, other librarians • Middle & High: collaborative planning/teaching, instructing/assisting students • High: library visits, e-subscriptions • Control variables • Teachers’ degrees, experience • Student enrollment, race/ethnicity, English proficiency • Socio-economic status

7. Student Learning Through Wisconsin School Library Media Centers

8. Education Reform in MN: Profile of Learning & Instructional Role of SLMS • Marie E. Kelsey, College of St Scholastica, Duluth • 1998-2003: Profile of Education reform movement generated greater use of HS LMCs & greater instructional role for LMS • Major Findings: • Inquiry, research motivate teachers to send, accompany students to LMC • LMS spent more time on collaboration & instruction • Instruction, its development top list of tasks by time spent

9. School Libraries & Student Achievement in Ontario • 1/06 report from Queen’s U Faculty of Education on 2004-05 study involving 800 public elementary schools with 50k students • Major Findings: • Grade 3 & 6 students in schools w/ trained library staff more likely to report enjoy reading • Schools with trained library staff more likely to have higher % of grade 6 students meet reading standards • Schools w/out trained library staff tend to have lower scores on grade 3 & 6 reading tests • More than 5% of score variation associated w/presence of trained library staff

10. Flexible Scheduling: Implementing an Innovation • Joy McGregor, Charles Sturt U, Australia • Interviews of principals, teachers, and librarians at 6 U.S. schools that had adopted flexible scheduling • Diffusion of change issues: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, observability

11. Flexible Scheduling: Implementing an Innovation • Perceived benefits: • Principal voices: Children … know… [LMC] is working environment … throughout the day, not … just [a place] to check out books. • Teacher voices: I said, “Go on! … and they did. Librarian said, “They were so excited!” Don't think I [could have]capitalize[d] on their excitement if said, “hold onto that idea a few days, and we'll talk about it.” • Librarian voices: [Facilitates] planning sessions, integrated units and research projects, spontaneous info searching, increased reading, and small group & individual activity. [Principal support critical.]

12. Flexible Scheduling: Implementing an Innovation • Suggestions to Implement Flex Scheduling • Start with someone … willing to try an experiment. Don't try the whole school. • Tell yourself—and not just for flexible scheduling— … you can't please all the people all of the time. • Go slowly to make sure the principal fully understands … concept … Everybody has to be … cajoled into buying into it and having … ownership of it. • Go and watch it somewhere … • If you're convinced about it, it's going to come out in everything you … do. …If you [are] confident, then it's alright.

13. The Problem with the 65% Solution • First Class Education movement • Reliance on NCES financial definitions • Ambivalence about including librarians in instruction • NCES Financial Survey • Instruction v. Support--& Instructional Support • “Student Body Activities”—”Class of”, chess clubs, proms • NCES Schools and Staffing Surveys • Defines librarians as teachers • Requires state certification as librarian • No Child Left Behind Act • Instructional staff includes librarians

14. The Problem with the 65% Solution

15. The Problem with the 65% Solution

16. Is the Sky Falling?

17. Is the Sky Falling?

18. Is the Sky Falling? • States w/ Consistent Annual Decreases • 2000-04 (4 states): IA (120), MN (102), SD (29), ID (24) • 2002-04 (11 states): CA (178), OR (121), WI (136), AR (78), IN (61), KS (52), OK (47), UT (32), NE (8), CO (7), WV (7) • States w/Consistent Annual Increases • 2000-04 (7 states): NY (227), GA (135), AL (94), NC (89), TN (83), CT (60), DE (10) • 2002-04 (5 states): IL (266), NM (15), SC (12), NH (10), ME (10)

19. How Principals & Teachers Benefit from … School Librarians (IN Study) • Spring 2006: mini-survey of school libraries • Report due in Fall ’06, sneak peak next • Fall 2006: surveys of principals, teachers, and librarians • Assessing principals’ & teachers’ knowledge about, support of, & perceived benefits from library programs • Also, consensus between the 3 educator types • Expect results to lead to professional development for principals & teachers as well as librarians

20. How Principals & Teachers Benefit from … School Librarians (IN Study) Bivariate correlations of staffing, collection, and spending measures with 3rd grade scores not only persist, but are strengthened by controlling for poor students (eligible for free & reduced lunch)

21. How School Librarians Teach Critical Thinking: 3rd Colorado Study • 2005 Colorado survey questions about teaching of 9 info literacy objectives (from CSAP reading & writing standards) • Usually, sometimes, rarely scale for collaboration • Controlled randomized trial model • 2007 training efforts • 2008 analysis & report

22. Read/understand variety of formats Summarize, synthesize, evaluate info Draw inferences Locate, recall info Locate, select, use relevant info Use org features of print Recognize org features of e-info Take notes, outline, i.d. main ideas Sort info Give credit to others Use dictionaries, etc CO Information Literacy Objectives

23. CO, 2005: Usually/Sometimes Teach Collaboratively

24. For More Information • Visit the Library Research Service website’s page on School Library Impact Studies: http://www.LRS.org/impact.php

25. Post Script • Courtesy of Ross Todd, Rutgers • DE: School Library Survey, replication of OH Study • NJ: School Library Impact Measure (SLIM): Tracking and Assessing Student Learning Outcomes (Guided Inquiry) • OH: Enhancing Collaboration Between SLMSs & Teachers (Kent State)

26. DE School Library Survey, Replication of OH Study • Phase 1: survey of 154 public school libraries: staff, budget, resources, Info Lit initiatives • Phase 2: revised version of OH study • 13 exemplary schools, 5700 students, 469 teachers • Building on what works well • Understanding what isn’t working & setting up approaches to continuous improvement

27. NJ: School Library Impact Measure (SLIM) • SLIM Toolkit • Measures changes in knowledge of topic • Identifies info competencies acquired in process • 15+ librarian-teacher teams from all over USA testing SLIM toolkit’s utility in practice • Major anticipated outcomes • Enable librarians & teachers to provide evidence to parents, school boards, administrators, other librarians & teachers • Provide input for design of instructional interventions for effective info seeking & use

28. OH: Enhancing Collaboration Between SLMSs & Teachers (Kent State) • KSU profs Carolyn Brodie & Greg Byerly & Institute for Library & Info Lit Education (ILILE) • Currently collecting data • To understand/model dynamics, processes, outputs of collaborative librarian/teacher partnerships • Sample drawn from 170 partnerships established thru ILILE program, ’02-05 • Survey in progress, series of focus group interviews to follow