8/10/2019 School Library Self-Eval Memo
1/3
JCHS
To:Mr. Charles Gibson, Principal
From:Mrs. Beth Wills, Media Specialist & Mr. Kevin Kerr,
Media Specialist Intern
CC:JCHS Leadership Team
Date:14 November 2014
Re:Library Media Program Self-Evaluation
Evaluation Overview:
Using the GA DOE 2013 Library Media Program Evaluation Rubric,
we evaluated the operation of the Jones County High School
media center. That rubric evaluates 5 main categories, with a
total of 19 sub-categories. The JCHS media center was evaluated
at Exemplaryin 9 of those sub-categories, Proficientin 9 of the
sub-categories, and Basic in one category. Overall, we rank our
media center as Proficientand recognize that while we strive for
an exemplary rating in every category, some factors are
beyond the control of the school media specialist. Below, is a
list of those categories, including more specific information
about areas of strength and weakness. We have also made specific
mention of those areas that we would like to see move from
Proficientto Exemplary. In addition, we have supplied an action
plan to move one of the areas from proficiency to exemplary.
Finally, we have included action steps that should be undertaken
to address the one area that received only the score of Basic.
Category 1: Student Achievement and Instruction
The JCHS media program is proficient in the area of integrating
GPS, CCGPS, and AASL standards into content instruction andwhile
the media specialist is excited to collaborate with content area
teachers, restrictions including the availability of
scheduled collaboration time, teacher willingness to
collaborate, and, other obligations and duties for all parties make
it
impossible for one media specialist to collaborate with all
teachers on a regular basis. Teachers and the media specialist
work
to design activities and instructional strategies, but in
reality, it is often the students at both the lower and higher ends
of the
learning spectrum whose needs are not met as successfully as
they should. All too often, too, the media center is not viewed
and used as an extension of the classroom, but as a separate
space relegated for research. The media center is the heart of
the
schools reading program and does an exemplary job of meeting the
needs of the language arts department and acting as the
flagship of the promotion of reading for pleasure. While the
media center is proficient at the selection and offering of
resources for differentiated instruction, teachers lack of
understanding of how to implement such differentiation means
that
we often fall short of the goal of reaching all individuals
needs. The number and variety of rubrics and assessment tools
developed collaboratively by teachers and the media specialist
hinders the goal of reaching an exemplary status in that area.The
media center at JCHS is proficient in the variety of categories
associated with student achievement and instruction but
continues to fall short of reaching exemplary status.
Category 2: Staffing
The JCHS media center has one full-time media specialist who is
available throughout the school day. She is supported by a
full-time paraprofessional who, while on-staff in the media
center for the majority of the day, is used in a school
secretarial
8/10/2019 School Library Self-Eval Memo
2/3
2
role for the last hour of the day. That single hour away from
the library each day constitutes the difference between the
rating
of Proficientthat the media center garners in that category, and
the rating of Exemplaryfor which we strive.
Category 3: Facilities, Access and Resources
In this category, the media center scores Exemplaryin 4 of the 6
sub-categories and Proficientin the other 2. One sub-category
in which the media center falls short of an Exemplaryrating by
only the smallest of margins is the flexibility of scheduling
in
the physical space. While the media center is available before
and after school and flexible scheduling is the norm for the
majority of the time, occasionally the space is restricted to
individual classes: other students are denied access during
those
times. An exemplary sub-category involves the size and
arrangement of the physical space. The JCHS media center
exceeds
the space requirements as dictated by FTE and is arranged in
such a manner as to accommodate presentations and production
while still leaving ample storage space. Electrical wiring,
shelving, and other aspects of the physical arrangement are
more
than adequate. Special need students find easy accommodation and
re active patrons of the library. The library has a large
SMART Board that is used regularly and every classroom has one,
too. Streaming video, to support the curriculum, is used on adaily
basis. The schools wireless network supports media resources,
including a variety of database subscriptions and
supplements print resources. The media centers website allows
access to some databases and other collected resources
outside the school. The media center is broadly used for
extended projects, formal research, and informal access to
information. The OPAC, Destiny, is available via the Internet,
both in school and out of school and is well maintained.
GALILEO
is promoted and instruction on its use is presented at the
beginning of every school year and at the beginning of formal
research projects. There is an annual professional learning
opportunity for all educators on the effective use, and the
features
of, GALILEO. The sub-category associated with GALILEO training
and use, is ranked at a Proficiencylevel, rather than an
Exemplarylevel, only because of the lack of sharing of resources
with other media specialists and because educator usage
should be more widespread throughout academic departments.
Category 4: Administrative Support
It is in this category that the JCHS media center earns its only
Basicranking. This low ranking is found in the sub-category
dealing with distribution of system level funding. Our district
fails, as prompted bystate legislated waivers of expenditure
controls put into place starting in 2011 that allow state funds
for media centers to be redirected locally,to meet the minimum
expenditure test in that 100% of the funds designated for the
library media center are not spent for media center costs. A
Proficientranking, rather than Exemplarywas given for the
sub-category related to school and district administrative
roles,
only because of the districts failure to provide adequate
budgetary support. The performances roles the SMCP and the
media
advisory committee garnered Exemplaryratings, as did the library
media policy.
Category 5: Staff Development
The library media specialist at JCHS takes an active leadership
role in staff development and addresses the needs of the staff
by
developing courses that address those needs as revealed by a
formal needs assessment. She makes good use of local, in-
school, professional resources and of those from around the
district and beyond. She continually tries to hone her own
skills
through professional development opportunities and conference
attendance.
Action Steps to Improve the Area Rated Basic
To raise the area rated Basic, to Proficient, the media
specialist will turn to her colleagues in Media Matters, the Jones
County
media specialist group that meets monthly. She will propose a
united front in which all county media specialists will
increase
