Its not just books and stories! My child + The school library = Success in the 21 st Century

Its not just books and stories!

My child +

The school library

=Success in the 21st Century.

Texas Texas StandardsStandards for School Libraries: for School Libraries:

Texas has best practices that are to benchmarks to help design, implement, measure and improve an effective library program.

Texas Library Standards require:

access to materials in all formats at point of need;

assistance to classroom teachers in the design of learning experiences to meet student needs;

learning experiences based on relevance and 21st Century Learning Skills.

The school library program is…

Critical in the teaching and

learning process as an information

source and content area.

Translation 21st Century Skills are:

not an add-onnot enrichmentapply to all subject areaslife skills each student

must master to learn independently and work successfully.

“offer education, training, and guidance to students and staff in the use of information technology resources.”

Texas State Model of School Libraries...Title 12. Cultural Resources. Part I. Chapter 4 Standards

fully integrated into instruction, providing

skills to access information and ideas.

Translation:

Translation:

20 years of research on effective teaching practice tell us: teaching skills in isolation is ineffective; provides no long term retention.


“provides relevant,

meaningful instruction based

on multiple resources.”

Translation:

20 years of research on effective teaching practice tell us:

information literacy and problem solving skills must occur within content areas and as part of relevant and real world experiences.

administration, library media specialist, students, and

teachers work as a team to ensure that the program positively contributes to

the learning process.


Translation:

Best practice requires collaborative planning between classroom teachers and school librarians.

School Librarian is a teacher first and should be part of grade level and department planning.

“applies an information problem-solving process to curriculum-related learning objectives.”


a discovery learning lab that uses traditional resources and new technologies as

standard teaching and learning tools.


Translation:

not abandoning print material;providing digital resources;providing instruction in location,

analysis and evaluation of info in all media;

Multiple literacy skills .

Based around a convenient, comfortable, and aesthetically inviting location with necessary furnishings and tools.


Translation

has the equipment, electrical and data resources needed to serve student learning needs;

is an inviting and user friendly facility; can accommodate individual and group

learning ; Provides a variety of media for discovery

learning and problem solving.

“serves as an information center that provides...flexible access to resources and technologies, fully integrated into the instructional process.”


Students, classes and teachers can get to the library when they need it, not just on an appointed day and time.

Translation:

a partnership with teachers to foster and support a love of reading and pursuit of knowledge in its many

forms and media.


Translation

The library media center and its staff exist to support instruction, student learning and the pursuit of knowledge through print, video, audio, electronic media, and collaboration.

“encourages and provides opportunities for collaborative planning and teaching by librarians and teachers.”


National Standards for the 21st Century Learner support

inquiry, critical thinking, applying knowledge, developing informed

decisions, creating new knowledge ethical use of information, personal growth.

On-line tools for Texas students:

Magazine database Encyclopedia Britannica

(three levels and in Spanish)

Available from any computer with internet connection

How do we get it all done?

relevant instruction,multiple resources, information problem

solving,application to authentic

real world experience,collaboration,evaluation of sources,

Library activities that impact student performance and higher test scores:

Planning with teachers; teaching collaboratively with

teachers; training teachers to use tech

more effectively.

What does the research say?

Libraries with only a librarian rarely perform collaborative, curriculum or integration activities.


Schools without librarians are lower performing on TAAS than schools with

librarians.


Libraries with library aides only, instruction and 21st Century skills activities are not being performed because library aides are not trained to perform them.


For libraries to have the greatest impact on student performance, libraries need to be staffed, at minimum, with both a librarian and an aide.

- Texas Study


Libraries staffed with librarians and aides associated with

increased library use, more visits to the library by

individual students, more literacy skills

instruction, more books and materials

checked out.- Texas Study



Test scores tend to be higher for all types of schools where there Is a school librarian.

- Alaska Study


Test scores tend to be higher for all types of schools where library staff spend more time:

delivering library/information, literacy instruction to students, collaborating with teachers on

instructional units, training teachers in information access.

- Alaska Study


Test scores tend to be higher for all types of schools where the library:

is open longer hours, has a cooperative relationship

with the public library, provides online access to

information via the Internet.

-Alaska Study


Schools with well-developed

library media programs

average 10%-18% higher

reading scores.

- Colorado Study


When librarians collaborate with classroom teachers,

reading scores increase 8% -21%.

- Colorado Study


When students can use the library as needed, reading scores improve 13-22%.

- Colorado Study


When students can access library resources using the Internet, reading scores rise 6%-25%.

- Colorado Study


Reading scores increase with increases : in integration of information literacy

with the curriculum, in time spent by school librarians

teaching cooperatively with teachers, teaching information literacy

independently.

- Pennsylvania Study


Reading scores increase with increases in:

providing in-service training to teachers, serving on standards committee, serving on curriculum committee, managing information technology.

- Pennsylvania Study

What’s the result?

An effective library program helps developAnalytic skills,Thinking across subjects,Problem solving skills,Divergent thinking,Independent learners, Leadership and condence.

References

American Association of School Librarians. (2007). Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Lance, Keith Curry, et al. (2000). How school libraries help kids achieve standards: The second Colorado Study. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.

Lance, Keith Curry, et al. (2000). Information empowered: The school librarian as an agent of academic achievement in Alaska schools. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.

Lance, Keith Curry, et al. (2000). Measuring up to standards: The impact of school library programs & information literacy in Pennsylvania schools. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.

Smith, Ester G. (2001). Texas school libraries: Standards, resources, services, and students’ performance. EGS Research and Consulting.

Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (2005). School Library Programs: Standards and Guidelines for Texas, revised. Texas Administrative Code, Title 13. Cultural Resources, Part I. Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Chapter 4. School Library Programs, Subchapter A. Standards and Guidelines, Section 4.1. Austin, TX: Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Documents

Its not just books and stories! My child + The school library = Success in the 21 st Century