In writing my final paper for ETL401, I have enountered a task that requires me to examine the standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians developed by the Australian School Library Association and Australian Library and Information Association. Wow, only a task like this could get me to practically memorize the 12 standards and consider their impact on student learning outcomes!
In collecting resources and reading what experts have to say about how libraries affect student learning outcomes, I have found some pieces that I think are important. I wanted to reference them here so I don't lose sight of them!
I absolutely loved the article by Brian Kenney where he interviews Ross Todd. Ross Todd, being an expert in evidence based practice, was quite convincing. What I liked most though, and what sparked this train of thought, is when he talked about how he asked one random woman in an audience when he was speaking. He said, in a hypothetical situation, that the district is all abuzz about school-librarians being cut, and directly asked her, "How does your school district really impact on student achievement? Look, I'm aware of all of those studies out there, but tell me bout your school district, what evidence do you have that your school district, your library, really matters in the instructional landscape?" He said the audience was in terror. I would be, but it's an excellent question.
I'm not sure if the following articles provide the best examples, but they give me an idea of how I might answer that question, eventually. Grant Elementary School (Scott, 2007) documented their process in how they have attempted to make a an improvement in student learning outcomes by focusing on the library. While they cite a lot of general research out there, they explain how they worked to develop a more effective library curriculum that directly addresses student learning outcomes. Doing so had improved the understanding of the role of the teacher-librarian, created a culture of collaboration, and has heightened the leadership involvement of the teacher-librarian. Student results are yet to be determined, but it was a nice account of how one school is trying to answer Todd's question above.
Another account was about the practices of the Joe Townsley Library at Simsbury High School, which won the National School Library Media Program of the Year in 2008. They have observed improvement on test scores which can be attributed to collaborative practices on what they call "assured experiences" between the library and teachers. The article highlights how they identified skills to integrate into the library curriculum, collaborated with teachers, and ways they support students and teachers in general through PD, meetings, and individualized support. Even more, they document the way they do their own self-evaluation, and ways they have collected evidence to support their practice.
Both of these articles serve as a guide for my own professional practice as a teacher-librarian, as I embark on how to create a program that can improve student learning.
Kenney, B. (2006). Ross to the rescue! Rutgers’ Ross Todd’s quest to renew school libraries. School Library Journal, 52(4), 44-47.
Scott, K. J., & Plourde, L. A. (2007). School libraries and increased student achievement: What’s the big idea? Education, 127(3), 419-429.
Snyder, M. M., & Roche, J. (2008). Road map for improvement: Evaluating your library media program. Knowledge Quest, 27(2), 22-27.
In collecting resources and reading what experts have to say about how libraries affect student learning outcomes, I have found some pieces that I think are important. I wanted to reference them here so I don't lose sight of them!
I absolutely loved the article by Brian Kenney where he interviews Ross Todd. Ross Todd, being an expert in evidence based practice, was quite convincing. What I liked most though, and what sparked this train of thought, is when he talked about how he asked one random woman in an audience when he was speaking. He said, in a hypothetical situation, that the district is all abuzz about school-librarians being cut, and directly asked her, "How does your school district really impact on student achievement? Look, I'm aware of all of those studies out there, but tell me bout your school district, what evidence do you have that your school district, your library, really matters in the instructional landscape?" He said the audience was in terror. I would be, but it's an excellent question.
I'm not sure if the following articles provide the best examples, but they give me an idea of how I might answer that question, eventually. Grant Elementary School (Scott, 2007) documented their process in how they have attempted to make a an improvement in student learning outcomes by focusing on the library. While they cite a lot of general research out there, they explain how they worked to develop a more effective library curriculum that directly addresses student learning outcomes. Doing so had improved the understanding of the role of the teacher-librarian, created a culture of collaboration, and has heightened the leadership involvement of the teacher-librarian. Student results are yet to be determined, but it was a nice account of how one school is trying to answer Todd's question above.
Another account was about the practices of the Joe Townsley Library at Simsbury High School, which won the National School Library Media Program of the Year in 2008. They have observed improvement on test scores which can be attributed to collaborative practices on what they call "assured experiences" between the library and teachers. The article highlights how they identified skills to integrate into the library curriculum, collaborated with teachers, and ways they support students and teachers in general through PD, meetings, and individualized support. Even more, they document the way they do their own self-evaluation, and ways they have collected evidence to support their practice.
Both of these articles serve as a guide for my own professional practice as a teacher-librarian, as I embark on how to create a program that can improve student learning.
Kenney, B. (2006). Ross to the rescue! Rutgers’ Ross Todd’s quest to renew school libraries. School Library Journal, 52(4), 44-47.
Scott, K. J., & Plourde, L. A. (2007). School libraries and increased student achievement: What’s the big idea? Education, 127(3), 419-429.
Snyder, M. M., & Roche, J. (2008). Road map for improvement: Evaluating your library media program. Knowledge Quest, 27(2), 22-27.
