Good Schools Have Good Library Media Specialists

1

• Good Schools Have Good Library Media
  Specialists

2
Colorado Case Study Keith Curry Lance, PhD

• Sample findings from Colorado II about who meets
  standards
• Best staffed, stocked funded
• 74 of 4th graders (vs. 63--18 of
  change/improvement)
• 61 of 7th graders (vs. 53--15 of
  change/improvement)
• Most collaborative librarians
• 76 of 4th graders (vs. 63--21 of
  change/improvement)
• 56 of 7th graders (vs. 52--8 of
  change/improvement)
• Most hi-tech
• 72 of 4th graders (vs. 64--13 of
  change/improvement)
• 70 of 7th graders (vs. 56--25 of
  change/improvement)
• http//www.lrs.org

3

• A successful school library program is the only
  consistent school predictor other than poverty
  that directly correlates with high success on
  standardized tests
• Keith Curry Lance

4
Research Supported Recommendations

• Adequately staff school libraries with qualified
  professional support staff
• Stock them with current books licensed
  databases as well as computers with Internet
  access
• Sufficiently fund them to support each schools
  curriculum and their state standards
• Adopt flexible scheduling
• Utilize school computer network to extend library
  programs reach into every classroom

5
The Library Media Specialist as Teacher

• Library skills
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Literacy
• Technology competencies

6
The Library Media Specialist as an Instructional
Partner

• Collaborate with teachers
• Integrate technology
• Technology competencies
• Serve on Curriculum Committees
• Collaboration with public libraries

7
The Library Media Specialist as an Information
Specialist

• Find information
• Evaluate information
• Cite sources
• Big6

8
The Library Media Specialist as a Program
Administrator

• Policies
• Management of staff
• Budgets
• Selection of materials
• Library promos advocacy

9
Should This Position Be Eliminated?

• We have set reading as a district goal and every
  building has improving reading as a SMART goal.
  After examining what the research shows us, is
  eliminating this key position the best strategy
  to use if we are truly committed to meeting these
  goals?

10
Whitehouse Conference on School Libraries

• At this pointthere is a clear consensus in the
  results now available for numerous states
  School libraries are a powerful force in the
  lives of Americas children. The school library
  is one of the few factors whose contribution to
  academic achievement has been documented
  empirically, and it is a contribution that cannot
  be explained away by other powerful influences on
  student achievement. The evidence is irrefutable
  and it continues to growQuality school libraries
  staffed by credentialed librarians are critical.

11

• What a school thinks about its library is a
  measure of what it thinks about education.
• Howard Howe
• Former commissioner of U. S. Education

12
Resource Page

• http//www1.marinette.k12.wi.us/ms/lmsimp.htm