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Dr. Ken Haycock, ProfessorUniversity of British
Columbiaand Executive Editor, TLJanuary, 2004
School Libraries and Teacher-librarians: Connecting student achievement, literacy and culture
The Case for Reform and Re-Investment
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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?
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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?But not your Board?
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What Makes A Difference? An Overview
“Where libraries are better staffed, better stocked and better funded, academic achievement tends to be higher.”
(Lance, 2002)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)!
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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).
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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).
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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).
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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.
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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).
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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
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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.
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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)
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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.
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Culture
Effect on self-concept Effect on achievement Effect on democracy
All with connections to qualified teacher-librarians…
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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
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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.
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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)
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Issues and Dilemmas
District’s Role (refusal to acknowledge realities)
Parents’ Attitudes(most important of non-essentials)
Policy and Practice(seeming lack of relationship)
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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 ResearchTeacher-Librarian www.teacherlibrarian.com “What
Works” Research Fora:
AASLIASL
Treasure Mountain Research Retreats
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Suggestions for Further Research
Roles and Relationships Achievement/Replication Dissemination Issues Action Research
and… why this has no effect…
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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…
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To Your Success…
Feel free to contact me for information, advice or training…
Dr. Ken Haycock voice: 604.925.0266
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Now in our 31st year…
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