Standards and Guidelines Survival

1. Standards and Guidelines Survival Susan Ballard for the AASL Standards and Guidelines Implementation Task Force

2. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has launched a national initiative to support states, school systems and individual schools in implementing the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner and the soon-to-be completed Guidelines for the School Library Media Program

3. This Plan is entitled Learning4Life (L4L) and is now available online at http://www.ala.org/aasl/learning4life. The Standards for the 21st-Century Learner can be downloaded at http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards.

4. The Implementation Plan: • Identifies Guiding Principles and an Overarching Position/Branding Statement • Identifies Target Audiences (internal and external) • Identifies Training Opportunities and Resources • Provides a Communication Plan • Provides a Plan for Continuous Feedback, Evaluation and Sustainability • Provides a Plan for Endorsements and Support • Provides Supporting Documents

5. Guiding Principles • One Size Does Not Fit All • Common Vocabulary and Message is Mission Critical

6. Responsibilities • AASL • State Affiliates • SLMS Educators-ELMSS section • District Coordinators - SPV Section • Building-level SLMS

7. Eighteen Objectives • Strategies and Activities • who, what when where and how • Resources and Training • Communications • Evaluation

8. What are we aiming to achieve? • Introduce and build awareness • Create understanding of the standards/guideline and commitment • Develop a “shared” vision

9. Why is it important to achieve it? …and Six Pictures say it all

10. How will we know if we have succeeded? At the completion of the initiative, AASL envisions school library media programs that prepare learners to thrive in a complex information society, seek diverse perspectives, gather and use information ethically and use social tools responsibly and safely.

11. What Can You Do Now?

12. Download the standards fromhttp://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/standards.cfm • Take a deep breath. The new standards were designed to build on and further develop the values and goals set out in the Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning, published in 1998http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/informationpower/InformationLiteracyStandards_final.pdf

13. Start by reading the Common Beliefs statements on pages 2 and 3. These are the beliefs upon which the new standards were built. • Consider convening a book club or discussion group to explore the standards more deeply.

14. If your district already has school library media learning standards, correlate them with the Standards for the 21st Century Learner. Identify areas for professional development. • If your district does not yet have school library media learning standards, consider using these standards as a starting point.

15. Prioritize which areas of the standards you will address first if full implementation is not feasible at this point in time. For example, you might start by addressing the skills only. • Check in frequently at the AASL website http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aasl where strategies and tips will be provided, updated and refreshed regularly as the Implementation plan is rolled out.

16. Feedback/evaluation/sustainability learning4life@ala.org