Media specialists are seeking data to demonstrate the effectiveness of the school library media program. Over the past several decades, a number of state studies have stated that there is a strong correlation between school media programs and student achievement. However Daniel Callison and others are encouraging members of our profession to examine the research more closely. For example, Callison suggests that although many of the studies provide useful information, most do not show a direct cause and effect relationship. He points out that there is a lack of controlled experimental research.
A new wave of research is trying to address some of these concerns. For example, the Wisconsin Study uses cases studies to show how a school media specialists who plays an extensive instructional role can make a difference in resource use and curriculum.
When sharing our findings with administrators and school board members, it's important to report the data accurately.
Read Enough Already?: Blazing New Trails for School Library Research: An Interview with Keith Curry Lance, Director, Library Research Service, Colorado State Library & University of Denver, Interview questions and discussion by Daniel Callison, School Library Media Research. The interview was conducted electronically July-Oct. 2005.
The following
document provides the Dept of Education's Standards for Evidence Based Research:
Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported By Rigorous Evidence A User Friendly Guide from the U.S. Dept. of Education.
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/rigorousevid/index.html
Guide seeks to provide educational practitioners with user-friendly tools to distinguish practices supported by rigorous evidence from those that are not.
Use the following websites to learn more about investigations of school library media programs:
Selected State Studies
Indiana
School Data from the Indiana Accountability System
for Academic Progress
http://doe.state.in.us/asap/data.html
Nearby States
Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries : The Ohio Research Study (2004)
http://www.oelma.org/StudentLearning/default.asp
Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners (2005)
http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/illinoisstudy/
Student Learning Through Wisconsin School Library Media Centers (2006)
http://www.dpi.wi.gov/imt/lmsstudy.html
Other Data
School Library
Media Centers: Selected Results From the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005302
This library media center survey, primarily administered to school librarians, examined various aspects of school libraries—their space, organization, collections, resources, staffing, and use. In addition, 10th-graders provided information on their use of and opinions about their school libraries. The NCES study found a significant correlation between student test scores and their use of the school library -- students with higher test scores reported higher use of library resources for assignments, in-school projects and
research papers, than those students whose composite test scores were in the lower range.
Statistical Studies of School Libraries
http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/statistics.html#top
Links to many studies of school libraries.
General Education
Education Vital Signs: US Schools in Facts and Figures
http://www.asbj.com/evs/index.html
Research on Impact of School Libraries on Student Learning
AASL Resource Guide for School Library Media Program Development
http://www.ala.org/aasl...
American Libraries: Some Basic Facts and Figures
https://cs.ala.org/@yourlibrary/factsandfigures.cfm
Information about all types of libraries.
AMTR (Annual Media and Technology Report) from North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
http://tps.dpi.state.nc.us/amtr2004/default.html
Reports on last 6 years of technology in schools.
Baughman, J.C.. School Libraries and MCAS
Scores, Massachusetts, Oct 2000 (PDF document)
http://web.simmons.edu/~baughman/...
Baumbach, D. Making the Grade: The Status of School Library Media Centers in the Sunshine State and How They Contribute to Student Achievement, Oct 2003. (Florida)
www.sunlink.ucf.edu/makingthegrade
Baxter, S.J. & Smalley, A.W. Check
It Out! The Results of the School Library Media Program Census: Minnesota
School Library Media Programs. St. Paul, Minn.: Metronet,
2003.
http://metronet.lib.mn.us/survey/index.cfm
Between the Lions: Research
http://pbskids.org/lions/parentsteachers/program/research/
Two research projects support the use of this television program.
Burgin, R.& Bracy, P.B. An
Essential Connection: How Quality School Library Media Programs Improve
Student Achievement in North Carolina, June 2003
www.rburgin.com/NCschools2003
Findings from the Evaluation of the National Library Power Program: An initiative of the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund (PDF document)
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/...
Hamilton-Pennell, C., Lance, K.C., Rodney, M.J. & Hainer,
E. Dick and Jane Go to the Head of
the Class. School Library Journal, April 2000; 46(4).
http://search.epnet.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct
. . . (Access requires login)
What do students
need in order to succeed? The latest research insists they need
strong library media programs.
Grover, R., and S.G. Fowler. Recent
Trends in School Library Media Research. School Library
Media Quarterly. 21:4, 241–49, Summer 1993.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aasl...
Haycock, K. The Crisis in Canada's School Libraries: The Case for Reform and Re-Investment. Association of Canadian Publishers and the Department of Canadian Heritage. (PDF document)
http://www.peopleforeducation.com/librarycoalition/Report03.pdf
Haycock, K. Research in Teacher-Librarianship and the Institutionalization of Change. School Library Media Quarterly. 23:4, 227–33, Summer 1995.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aasl...
Hartzel, G. Capitalizing on the School Library's Potential to Positively Affect Student Achievement. Address to White House Conference on School Libraries, 2001. (PDF document)
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/DIT/,,,
Lance, K.C. The Impact of School Library
Media Centers on Academic Achievement. School Library Media
Research, 22(3), Spring 1994.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aasl,,,
Research examines the relationship between strong library media programs and academic achievement - - highlights the major findings and their importance to school library media practitioners, researchers and advocates of the original "Colorado study."
Lance, K.C., and others (1999). Information
Empowered: The School Librarian as an Agent of Academic Achievement
in Alaska Schools. Juneau: Alaska State Library, 1999.
www.library.state.ak.us/dev/infoemp.html
Lance, K.C., Rodney, M.J. & Hamilton-Pennell, C. Measuring
Up to Standards: The Impact of School Libraries & Information Literacy
in Pennsylvania Schools. Greensburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Citizens
for Better Libraries, 2000.
www.statelibrary.state.pa.us/libraries/lib/libraries/measuringup.pdf
Lance, K.C., Rodney, M.J. & Hamilton-Pennell, C. How
School Librarians Help Kids Achieve Standards. Denver: Library
Research Service, 2000. (PDF document)
www.lrs.org/documents/lmcstudies/CO/execsumm.pdf
Executive summary of the second "Colorado Study" conducted by Keith Curry Lance and the Library Research Service.
Lance, K.C.. Proof of the Power: Recent
Research on the Impact of School Library Media Programs on the Academic
Achievement of U.S. Public School Students. ERIC Digest: ED456861
from ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology Syracuse, NY,
2001.
http://www.ericdigests.org/2002-2/proof.htm
By mid 2001, researchers affiliated with the Library Research Service of the Colorado State Library and the University of Denver had completed four statewide studies on the impact of school library media programs on the academic achievement of U.S. public school students.
Lance, K.C., Rodney, M.J. & Hamilton-Pennell, C. Good
Schools Have School Librarians: Oregon School Librarians Collaborate
to Improve Academic Achievement. Oregon Educational Media Association,
2001.
www.oema.net/Oregon_Study/OR_Study.htm
Lance, K.C. What Research Tells Us About
the Importance of School Libraries. An address to the White
House Conference on School Libraries, June 2002.
http://www.imls.gov/pubs/whitehouse0602/keithlance.htm
Lance, K.C., Rodney, M.J. & Hamilton-Pennell, C. Make
the Connection: Quality School Library Media Programs Impact Academic
Achievement in Iowa. Bettendorf, Iowa: Mississippi
Bend Area Education Agency, 2002. (PDF document)
http://www.aea9.k12.ia.us/download/04/aea_statewide_study.pdf
Lance, K.C. & Loertsher, D.V. Powering
Achievement: School Library media Programs Make a Difference (2nd
Ed.) Hi Willow Research & Publishing, 2003.
http://www.lmcsource.com/tech/power/2nd/power2.htm
Accompanying web site to the book.
http://www.lmcsource.com/tech/power/power.htm (1st Ed.)
Look it up: High-quality School Library Programs Lead to Better Achievement
http://mnscsc.org/socrates/legislative/legislation_cherry.html
Article about Cherry Creek High School from South Central Service Cooperative, North Mankato, MN.
Lynch, M.J. School Library Media Centers:
Current and Future Statistics. School Library Media Quarterly. 23:4.
(Summer 1995). 251–57
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aasl...
Loersher, D.V. School Library Media Programs
and Academic Achievement::A Bibliography and Availability List,
Mar. 2005.
http://www.davidvl.org/research.html
Find every study related to school libraries and academic achievement
in this list and where to get them including all the Lance studies
and others done in states such as Texas and Minnesota.
McDonald, V. School Libraries: An Endangered Service, People for Education.
http://www.peopleforeducation.com/reports/library/endangrd.html
People for Education: Fifth Annual Report on Ontario Elementary Schools: Libraries, May 2002. (PDF document)
http://www.peopleforeducation.com/reports/library/library2.PDF
Proof of the Power. Fast Facts. Library Research Service, Nov 1999.
http://www.lrs.org/documents/fastfacts/164proof.pdf
Bulletin on the research methodology for all three state studies, findings, and future implications.
Reading 'Can bring Social Change'. BBC News, Nov. 20, 2002.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/2494637.stm
Report of Findings from Six Focus Groups. American Association of School Librarians (AASL), Jan 2003. (PDF document)
http://www.ala.org/ala/...
Focus groups with faculty, parents, and students in the fall of 2002, querying them on all issues related to their perception of the library media specialist's standing in the school.
Quotable Facts from ALA
https://cs.ala.org/@yourlibrary/facts.cfm
Research in School Libraries from
SLiP Canadian Library Association
http://www.cla.ca/slip/english/Research/
Rodney, M.J., Lance, K.C. & Hamilton-Pennell, C. The
Impact of Michigan School Librarians on Academic Achievement: Kids
Who Have Libraries Succeed. Lansing: Library of Michigan,
2003. (PDF document)
www.michigan.gov/...
School Libraries and Their Impact on Student Performance. Research Brief from Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Sept 2, 2003.
http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/template . . . .
School Library Crisis Not Unique to Ontario, June 26, 2003. (PDF document)
http://www.cla.ca/slip/school_library_summit.pdf
School Library Impact Studies from LRS
http://www.lrs.org/impact.asp
School Libraries Work from Scholastic Research Foundation Paper, (PDF document)
http://www.scholastic.com/librarians/printables/slp_rfp_804.pdf
Smith, E.G. Texas School Libraries: Standards,
Resources, Services, and Students' Performance, April 2001.
www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/schlibsurvey
Strong Libraries Improve Student Achievement from Education World.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin178.shtml
Whelan, D.L. 13,000 Kids Can’t
Be Wrong. School Library Journal, Feb 2004, 50(2).
http://search.epnet.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.
, , , (Access requires
login)
A
new Ohio study shows how school libraries help students learn.