Thursday, November 5, 2015

Just Released Today.....A Research Report From Scholastic Confirms The Importance Of School Libraries and Librarians

Today, on the opening day of the American Associations of School Librarians conference in Columbus, Ohio, Scholastic released the 2016 Edition of School Libraries Work!, a research report providing evidence of the positive impact of school librarians and libraries on student learning.   


The national- and state-level findings from more than 30 separate research studies included in the report demonstrate the integral role school libraries play in teaching and supporting student learning, while confirming that when school librarian staffing is reduced, student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) suffers.
National- and state-level findings from more than 30 separate research studies are included in this compendium, demonstrating the integral role school libraries play in teaching and supporting student learning while confirming that when school librarian staffing is reduced, achievement in English Language Arts suffers.  
Key research studies from the report include:
  • A School Library Journal analysis found states that gained school librarian positions between 2005 and 2009 experienced larger increases and no decreases in National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) reading scores for 4th grade, while states that lost school librarians experienced smaller increases or decreases in reading scores.
  • A South Carolina study commissioned by the South Carolina Association of School Librarians revealed that students were more likely to show strengths and less likely to show weaknesses on writing standards if their school libraries were staffed with a full-time librarian plus a full or part-time assistant.

Please share this compendium of research supporting the effectiveness with librarians, classroom teachers, school and district leaders, policy makers, parents and communities. We need to arm them with the most powerful research-based frameworks, recommendations, and support for school library programs.

Together we will make a difference for our students, schools, and communities.  

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