Impacting Student Achievement

1. Impacting Student Achievement Earning higher scores is easier than you may think.

2. Most Common Factors Affecting Student Test Scores Numerous studies have been done over the past 30 years. They point to a correlation between media centers and student achievement. Improving in these areas can improve test scores (Lance, 1994): • Number of hours open • Number of books per student • Amount of money spent for media materials per student • Ratio of Professional media specialists to students • Number of hours spent collaborating with teachers

3. Increase Hours of Service • In his study, School Libraries and MCAS Scores, James Baughman discovered a correlation between the number of hours open and State test scores.(Baughman, 2000) • More hours for access led to higher scores on the state standardized test (MCAS). (Baughman, 2000)

4. Increase ratio of Books to Students! “…students score higher… when there is a higher per pupil book count.” (Baughman, 2000) “Program Development: Test scores increased in direct proportion to the ratio of students to library media center staff and library media center resources.” (Starr, 2000) http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2012/04/nys-educators-agree-flawed-confusing.html

5. Allow more money budgeted for media materials. • The media center is the only chance students from some socioeconomic communities have to use media materials. (Baughman, 2000) • This budget allows librarians to increase the number of books per student.

6. Make sure the media center is properly staffed. • Schools…that had more trained staff, had more instances of collaboration. Collaboration leads to higher test scores. (Lance, 1994) • “… survey data suggest that children from a lower socioeconomic stratum who have a school library obtain a higher mean [standardized test] score than do similar children from schools that do not have such a program. (Baughman, 2000) • “In schools that had an endorsed librarian or hired a new one, researchers found that students in grades three through 10 increased their performance on the Colorado Student Assessment Program…” (Barack, 2012)

7. Get media specialists and teachers to collaborate on lessons. • “Test score increases were directly related to the degree to which library media specialists and teachers worked together and to the amount of time media specialists spent training teachers to use information technology.” (Starr, 2000) • Having more library staff allows collaboration with teachers to occur more frequently, which enhances student performance. (ukn, 2001) Glonic, M. (Photographer). (2011). Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/web-teaching-tool-0622.html

8. For addtitional information, visit theses research reports: • Barack, L. (2012, March 6). full-time school librarians linked to higher student reading scores School Library Journal, Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/893803-312/full-time_school_librarians_linked_to.html.csp • Baughman, J. (2000, October 26). School libraries and mcas scores. Retrieved from http://web.simmons.edu/~baughman/mcas-school-libraries/Baughman Paper.pdf

9. Additional sources • Lance, K. C. (1994). The impact of school library media centers on student achievement. School library media quarterly, 22(3), Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/editorschoiceb/infopower/slctlancehtml • Starr, L. (2000, July 11). Strong libraries improve student achievement. Education World, Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin178.shtml