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Information Empowered: The School Librarian as an Agent of Academic Achievement in Alaska Schools. Revised Edition
Abstract
This study is an assessment of the impact of Alaska school librarians on academic achievement in the state's public schools. It examines the direct relationship between such staffing and student performance and identifies selected activities of library media staff that affect test scores. Other conditions of library media center operation were also considered as potential predictors of academic achievement. During the 1997-98 school year, library media centers in 211 Alaska public schools were surveyed about their staffing levels, hours of operation, staff activities, usage, technology, policies, and cooperation with public libraries. Each library media program characteristic was assessed as a potential predictor of academic achievement, and relationships among potential library media predictors that might create indirect effects on academic achievement were also examined. Recommendations for raising student achievement levels are included. Appendices include a bibliography, list of participants, copy of the questionnaire, a brochure entitled "A School Librarian Can Make a Difference!" and early results briefs. Although the findings, conclusions, and recommendations reported in this work are substantially the same as those of its original edition, this edition corrects typographical and transcription errors, eliminates unnecessary and misleading methodological information, clarifies ambiguous statements, corrects misinterpretations of statistical details, and contains citations accidentally left out of the original bibliography. (MES)
... Seminal studies in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas have examined the relationship between school library programs and student achievement by correlating survey data on factors within the school library program with increases in student achievement as measured by single year norm-referenced assessments (Baumbach, 2003;Baxter & Smalley, 2003;Lance et al., 1999;Lance et al., 2001Lance et al., 2000aLance et al., , 2000bRodney et al., 2002;Smith, 2001). Each study has shown that a statistically significant and positive relationship exists between the presence of school library programs and increased student achievement. ...
... The identification of factors within the school library was developed through a series of observational studies by Miller & Shontz (1996, 1997, 1998 and Lance (1993Lance ( , 1999Lance ( , 2000aLance ( , 2000bLance ( , 2001aLance ( , 2001bLance ( , 2002aLance ( , 2002b. By examining successful school library programs, a common set of factors present in these programs was developed. ...
This California study examined the relationship between the presence of school libraries, as defined by credentialed staffing, and student achievement, as measured by both criterionreferenced and norm-referenced assessments in both English-language arts and mathematics. Using the California School Characteristics Index to compare 4,022 schools with similar demographics at Grades 4, 7, and 10, both positive and negative statistically significant relationships were found between the presence of a school library and student achievement at Grades 4 and 7. There were no statistically significant positive relationships found at Grade 10. These findings do not support previous studies that used different methods of comparing schools with similar demographics. Also unlike previous studies, the overall effect sizes of the positive relationships were small, the average being an increase in student achievement of 2%. Factors within the school library at Grades 4 and 7 were also examined, and both positive and negative statistically significant relationships to student achievement were found.
... Standardized test scores increase, reading levels increase, there is more collaboration within and between faculty, and the school also gains a trained and skilled facilities manager and collections developer who supports the curriculum and community (AASL, 2019, Lance, 2003). There are many studies throughout the country that support this (Lance, 1992, Lance, Rodney, Hamilton-Pennell, 2000a, 2000b, 2002, 2005, Lance & Hofschire, 2012. The notion to choose to retain the school librarian means that the school community has access to increased digital literacy, collaboration, information-seeking skills, and a library collection that supports the school's curriculum and goals for learning. ...
A survey of stakeholders—superintendents, principals, and board members—explored their perceptions regarding the work of degreed librarians. Results showed that there is an understanding of school librarians’ contributions to student success in learning. When asked what the school librarian does, however, the responses focused on facilities management and read-for-pleasure suggestions. There is ample evidence that the work of the school librarian in the school community increases both standardized test scores and reading scores for an entire school where the librarian is a degreed teacher. Many of the respondents affirm that they are aware of these findings. The decision to retain a school librarian is often framed as a struggle between retaining a classroom teacher and retaining the librarian. Respondents said they understand the benefit of having a school librarian. However, the cognitive bias involved in thinking about the contributions of a school librarian does not secure the position of the school librarian. Prospect theory dictates that the decision to retain needs to be reframed in order to preserve access to school librarians’ contributions to the school community.
... Considering the highlighted information of lack of professional staffing the libraries it is important that in the absence of official public school librarian posts in many schools, most universities offering library and information services profession have virtually halted offering training for school librarians (Hart and Zinn 2015). Lance et al. (2000) stress that 9 out of 10 schools with a full librarian performed at average or above levels on standardised tests, compared with 5 in 10 schools that had no librarian at all. However, it is logical that Mahwasane (2017a) it is of paramount importance that teacher librarians be trained to perform all library activities both as a teacher and a librarian so as to possess sufficient knowledge that will enable them to effectively provide the library services. ...
School libraries or media centres are an essential element of quality in education and learning for all the South African learners. The objective of this paper is to assess the state of library materials and resources obtained in school libraries. It is therefore important that schools should have a library or a media centre for the provision of materials for the purpose of conducive learning and reading for learners. This study investigated the state and conditions of school libraries in rural areas of Vhembe District in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The method used in this study is a qualitative research approach through face-to-face interviews with foundation phase literacy teachers and teacher librarians in eight schools, which were purposely selected for being known to have a school library or media centre buildings in their premises. The conclusion from the findings is that school libraries and media centres in these rural schools do not provide a suitable and conducive learning environment to learners.
... The Colorado study was followed by the Second Colorado study, which focused on the impact of the library media specialist rather than the role of the library itself (Lance et al., 2000). These findings have been replicated in a number of other studies in Alaska (Lance et al., 1999), Oregon (Lance et al., 2001), Pennsylvania , and Illinois (Lance et al., 2005). These results were synthesized and augmented in a later study that took place in Pennsylvania (Lance & Schwarz, 2012), which surveyed 389 Pennsylvania school districts regarding library staffing, spending, equipment, and resources, and obtained standardized test results for the surveyed schools. ...
The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore attitudes of high school teachers toward the use of the school library by students to complete research projects. Public high school teachers were surveyed (N=81) about their attitudes toward student use of the school library. Statistical analyses revealed no significant differences among teaching disciplines nor between genders. Tests also revealed no correlation between survey responses and time teaching. Interviews were conducted to further explore attitudes toward student library use. Interview results suggested that teachers considered the library useful in the completion of research projects but were reluctant to require students to the library. The results suggested that strategies are necessary to mitigate reluctance to include school library resources as a component of assigned research projects.
... These instruments have been used in several research studies reviewed by Fraser (1998b;1998c), including investigations of associations between learning outcomes and classroom environments (McRobbie & Fraser, 1993) and the evaluation of educational innovations (Ogbuehi & Fraser, 2007;Maor & Fraser, 1996;Martin-Dunlop & Fraser, 2008;Monsen & Frederickson, 2004). Despite documented efforts of the positive relationship between school library media programs and student achievement (Lance, K.C., Hamilton-Pennell, C., Rodney, M.J., Peterson, L., & Sitter, C. 2000;Lance, Rodney & Hamilton-Pennell, 2000a, 2000b, 2001, 2002Lance, Welborn & Hamilton-Pennell, 1997;Smith, 2001, Todd & Kuhlthau, 2004, an examination of the context within which learning occurs in the school library had not included an application of the learning environment paradigm for assessment. Prior to 2009, these instruments had not been used in a school library setting. ...
Evidence of how an assessment of the learning environment in an international school library equips the teacher librarian with valuable data that may challenge assumptions of how the learning environment is perceived by students is presented through disclosure of the full results of a two year research study examining the application of a learning environment paradigm to the lower school library setting in an international school in Germany. The process of completing a comparative examination of the relationships among student perceptions of their lower school library program with grade levels Third (ages 8 and 9), through Five (ages 10 and 11) is detailed. In addition, the assessment instruments will be discussed and presented. Use of these instruments in this study of the psychosocial aspects of the learning environment offers valuable ideas and techniques for teacher librarianconsideration and development.
... Previous studies located in various states over the past two decades have examined the effect of school libraries on student achievement. The work of Lance and his associates with initial studies in seven states (Lance, K.C., Hamilton-Pennell, C., Rodney, M.J., Peterson, L., & Sitter, C. 2000;Lance, Rodney & Hamilton-Pennell, 2000a, 2000b, 2001Lance, Welborn & Hamilton-Pennell, 1997), led to further studies that examined a variety of differences between schools and the school libraries to identify a range of measurable affects on student performance (Callison, 2004;Smith, 2001;Todd & Kuhlthau, 2002). To date, research completed in 18 states has established the relationship between highly staffed, highly funded school libraries with active information literacy programs and student results on state-wide standardized tests (Todd, 2003). ...
This paper presents the full results from a 2008/2009 research study examining the application of a learning environment paradigm to the school library setting. The preliminary results from the examination of the Fifth Grade science classes were presented at the IASL 2009 Research Forum. We now report the process of completing our comparative examination of the relationships among student perceptions of science programs and library programs with Third (ages 8 and 9), Fourth (ages 9 and 10) and Fifth (ages 10 and 11) Grades. In addition, we extend the assessment of these relationships to a correlation with student achievement on the standardized State tests for Texas.
Information literacy is a crucial topic in the library science profession. The information needs and perceptions of the information literacy of preservice and early-career school librarians were explored in this research using a survey and interviews distributed nationally over a 5-month time frame. These participants, who have been employed in the field for 5 years or less or are currently completing coursework, were queried about their perceptions of information literacy and how the profession had changed through the course of their graduate work and early-career experiences. Participants felt well prepared and believed their schooling met their need for information in the areas of readers’ advisory and the use of copyright and fair use and for for teaching these topics to students. They also reported that they were well prepared for teaching with educational technology. Participants were least prepared in the area of facilitation of classroom teacher/school librarian collaborations, even though this aspect of their library school experience was highly emphasized. Once graduates were in a library position, they met their information needs by reaching out to mentors, more experienced school librarians, and their professional learning community.
This paper will examine a wide range of studies related to the factors that support the development of exemplary school library programs and then focus on the context for Ontario, Canada. In 2003, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (as cited in IASL, 2008) reviewed research studies to answer the question “What effects do school libraries have on student achievement?” and they concluded that “school library characteristics may account for up to 8 percent of the variance in reading-related test scores” [emphasis added] (p. 1). Consequently, it is important to identify the characteristics that make a school library exemplary although they are not always indicative of student achievement and learning.
Elementary school students in Grades 3 to 8 in eight schools that had exemplary library programs were surveyed about their perceptions of the school library program and the teacher librarian. Students reported that the teacher librarian was knowledgeable and helpful and taught them key information literacy concepts. The library program supported them in reading for pleasure. The physical space of the library was significant to them and they perceived the library as a welcoming place used for multiple activities.
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