Educational Paperback Association

The Impact of Trade Books on Reading Achievement

This research report highlights recent studies on the positive effects of trade books on reading achievement. The text is a combination of two articles published by Scholastic, Inc.:
The Importance of the Classroom Library by Susan B. Neuman
The Importance of Reading Trade Books by Dr. D. Ray Reutzel with Barbara B. DeBoer
This report is endorsed by the Educational Paperback Association.
> The Impact of Trade Books on Reading Achievement (PDF 356 kb)

Illinois State Study (2005)

How Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners
by Keith Curry Lance, Marcia J. Rodney, and Christine Hamilton-Pennell

An excerpt: As important as it is for school libraries to have larger print collections, the currency of the materials in those collections is also important. As an indicator of currency, responding libraries reported the average copyright year for materials on astronomy. This copyright year averages 1990 for elementary schools, 1989 for middle schools, and 1983 for high schools.
Schools with newer collections average:
.. almost 13 percent higher eighth-grade writing scores,
.. almost 11 percent higher fifth-grade writing scores,
.. more than seven percent higher fifth-grade reading scores, and
.. almost three percent higher ACT scores. (Return to Chart 6.)
> www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/illinoisstudy/TheStudy.pdf

Massachusetts State Study (2000)

MCAS and School Libraries: Making the Connection
A Symposium Sponsored by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science Simmons College

An excerpt: Dollars expended on school library media programs have immediate impact and remain highly accountable over time. A well-run school library media program will provide a vehicle that will advance school district curriculum goals on a regular basis. That most desirable bump in MCAS scores documented by the Simmons’ survey at all grade levels is not the only reason to invest in a school library media program. It is simply one more great reason to do so.
> www.lrs.org/documents/lmcstudies/CO/execsumm.pdf

Colorado State Study (2000)

How School Librarians Help Kids Achieve Standards: The Second Colorado Study (2000)
by Keith Curry Lance, Christine Hamilton-Pennell, and Marcia J. Rodney

An excerpt: In Colorado, where a representative sample of 200 of 1,178 elementary and middle schools responded, the study found that state test scores for students in elementary schools with updated libraries were up to 14 percent higher than for students at schools with older collections.
> www.lrs.org/impact.asp

Iowa State Study (2002)

Making the Connection: Quality School Library Media Programs Impact Academic Achievement in Iowa.
by Marcia J. Rodney, Keith Curry Lance, and Christine Hamilton-Pennell

An excerpt: More recent studies have focused on the connection between students’ achievement in reading and access to print resources, particularly in libraries. The first Colorado study by Lance, Welborn and Hamilton-Pennell (1993) concluded that the size of a media center’s staff and collection is the best school predictor of academic achievement. In that study, academic achievement was represented by reading scores, which were highly correlated with scores in other areas, such as writing and research skills.

Elley (1994, 1996) compared the scores of students from 32 countries on the 1992 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievements (IEA) Reading Literacy Study with data on the home environment and school and public libraries. He concluded that access to print, and especially the size of the school library, was the strongest predictor of reading achievement.

In his meta-analysis of reading research studies, Krashen (1993) concluded that more free voluntary reading results in better reading comprehension, writing style, vocabulary, spelling and grammatical development. He also determined that when books are readily available and the print environment is rich, more reading is done.
> www.aea9.k12.ia.us/download/04/aea_statewide_study.pdf

Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries: The Ohio Research Study

The Ohio Educational Library Media Association, in collaboration with Leadership 4 School Libraries, has received a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the State Library of Ohio to undertake a new research project on how school libraries help students learn. Dr. Ross Todd and Dr. Carol Kuhlthau, noted international researchers on school libraries and student learning, will be conducting the research for this study. The goals for the study are:

1. to provide comprehensive and detailed empirical evidence of how school libraries help students learn, and
2. to provide recommendations for further research, educational policy development and tools for the school librarian to chart how their school library impacts learning.

> www.oelma.org/studentlearning/

International Reading Association Presents Children’s Literacy Rights

Effective reading instruction and a rich array of reading materials are not only requirements for success in life, they are also the right of every child, the nation’s largest reading organization said last week. The group made the declaration in a strongly worded statement aimed at policymakers and school administrators.
> www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2000/01/19/19read.h19.html

What Research Tells Us About the Importance of School Libraries

Keith Curry Lance, Ph.D.
Director, Library Research Service
Colorado State Library

An excerpt: The school library development factor developed in our more recent studies is an elaboration of the original study’s school library size factor. School library development is defined by:

• the ratios of professional and total staff to students
• a variety of per student collection ratios, and
• per student spending on the school library.

When school libraries have higher levels of professional and total staffing, larger collections of print and electronic resources, and more funding, students tend to earn higher scores on state reading tests.
> www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/sep01/lance.htm

Reflections of an Empowered Library

Faye Pharr
Lakeside Academy of Math, Science, and Technology
Chattanooga, TN

An excerpt: Another very important change occurred. Our library collection was totally revamped. At least seventy-five percent of the collection was purged. Some items had been on the shelf and not been checked out in fifteen years. The collection was enhanced to support the curriculum which was evolving. Keep in mind, when the curriculum is enriched the collection must be also. It is very important to have unit resources, big books, videos and books for student interest for every unit of study.
> www.imls.gov/news/events/whitehouse_2.shtm#fp

What’s It Take?

Gary Hartzell
Professor, Educational Administration and Supervision
University of Nebraska, Omaha

An excerpt: The traditional conception of the library has led many administrators to think of it as a cost rather than as an investment. The research examined shows that there can be a payoff in supporting the library. There is no question that quality library media programs, like all quality programs, require substantial funding-but not every quality program pays off for students across the board like libraries can. In rethinking the library, we need to think not of the cost, but of the cost/benefit ratio. Books are expensive, technology is expensive, staffing is expensive, certificated librarians are expensive. The cost, however, is not the operative question. The operative question is what is the return on the money put into the library?
> www.imls.gov/news/events/whitehouse_2.shtm#gh

Powering Achievement: School Library media Programs Make a Difference

By Keith Lance and David V. Loertscher
Hi Willow Research & Publishing, 2001

Power Point presentations – School Library Media Programs and Academic Achievement
Accompanying Web Site to the Book
> www.lmcsource.com/tech/power/power.htm

Reading Programs That Work

A review of programs for Prekindergarten through 4th grade.
> www.mff.org/pubs/ME279.pdf (PDF)

"Turning Data Into Dollars: The Library Renaissance in Baltimore County Public Schools"

Power Point presentation by Della Curtis, Coordinator of Library Information Services, Baltimore County Schools
> www.bcpl.net/~dcurtis/libraryfacts/

Position Statement on the Role of the School Library Media Program from AASL

The collection should include materials to meet the needs of all learners, including the gifted, as well as the reluctant readers, the mentally, physically, and emotionally impaired, and those from a diversity of backgrounds. The school library media program strives to maintain a diverse collection that represents various points of view on current and historical issues, as well as a wide variety of areas of interest to all students served.
> www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/positionstatements/aaslpositionstatementrole.htm

Report to ALA Executive Board School Library Task Force

> www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/governanceb/executiveboard/eboardagenda
/annual2006a/EBD8_3.doc

State School Library Standards

> www.ala.org/aaslTemplate.cfm?Section=resourceguides&Template=/ContentManagement
/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=15419

School Library Impact Studies

> www.lrs.org/impact.asp
> www.davidvl.org/research.html

School Library Research and Advocacy Tools

> www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/import.html#top
> www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/statistics.html#top

School Library Journal Statistics

> www.lrs.org/asp_school/slj.asp

State School Library Statistics

> www.lrs.org/asp_school/other.asp

State School Library Standards

> www.ala.org/aaslTemplate.cfm?Section=resourceguides&Template=/ContentManagement
/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=15419

State Educational Standards

> edstandards.org/standards.html

State of America’s Libraries report

> www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2006/march2006/stateoflibraries.htm

Characteristics of Schools, Districts, Teachers, Principals, and School Libraries in the United States

Summary:

> nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006313

Direct to Full Text (231 pages; PDF)

> nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006313.pdf

Revitalizing High School Libraries

> www.publiceducation.org/highschools.asp

The Condition of Education 2006

> nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/

Report to ALA Executive Board School Library Task Force

> www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/governanceb/executiveboard/eboardagenda
/annual2006a/EBD8_3.doc

2006 Education Vital Signs: US School Facts & Figures

> www.asbj.com/evs/06/state.html

State-by-state analysis on efforts to improve public education

> www.edweek.org/rc/articles/2004/10/15/qc-archive.html

AASL Information Power Action Research

> www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/informationpower/informationpower.htm