Keith Curry Lance
Marcia J. Rodney
Christine Hamilton-Pennell
RSL Research Group
History / Recent Milestones
• 1993 & 2000 Colorado studies• 2000-present: successor studies in more than a
dozen states• $250 million Reed Amendment to
Elementary/Secondary Education Act, 2001• White House Conference on School Libraries, 2002• Powering Achievement: School Library Media
Programs Make a Difference: The Evidence Mounts, 2002
• ScholasticLibrary’s “School Libraries Work!” brochure, 2004
• AASL “Your School Library Media Program and No Child Left Behind” brochure, 2004
Why an Illinois Study?
• Need to speak about impact of school libraries on Illinois students’ test scores
• Need to show that findings of studies from other states also apply to Illinois
• Concern about status of school libraries and librarians in Illinois
• Lack of understanding of the importance of teaching information literacy
Building Blocks of the Study
• Literature Review• School Library Survey • Data
– Test scores• ISAT Reading & Writing, 5th & 8th• PSAE Reading & ACT, 11th
– Other school data– Community data– Success stories
Types of Analyses
• Bivariate correlation– Library predictors & test scores
• Comparison of means– Differences in average scores for schools
with stronger and weaker library programs
• Partial correlation– Taking into account other school &
community conditions
Library Predictors of Test Scores
• Flexible scheduling
• Staffing
• Staff activities
• Collection
• Educational technology
• Expenditures
• Usage
School Level
Flexible Hours
Elementary 16
Middle 30
High 35
More flexibly scheduled hours
→ higher test scores
More flexibly scheduled hours
→ higher test scores
Chart 1. Higher Achievement Associated with More Hours of Flexible Scheduling in Illinois School Libraries, 2003
10.3%
5.3%6.2%
11.4%
4.6%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
Elementary Middle HighGrade Level
% i
ncr
ease
in
ach
ieve
men
t
ReadingW riting/ACT *
* % meeting or exceeding writing standards for elementary and middle school, ACT scores for high school (narrowly fails statistical significance test at middle & high school levels)
School Level
Staff Hours
Elementary 42
Middle 49
High 70
More library staff→ higher test scores
More library staff→ higher test scores
Chart 2. Higher Achievement Associated with Higher Staffing Levels in Illinois School Libraries, 2003
12.7%
8.2% 7.4%
17.3%18.4%
4.6%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
Elementary Middle High
Grade Level
% i
nc
rea
se
in
ac
hie
ve
me
nt
ReadingW riting/ACT *
* % meeting or exceeding writing standards for elementary and middle school, ACT scores for high school
More librarians → higher test scores
More librarians → higher test scores
School Level
Librarian Hours
Elementary 30
High 40
Chart 3. Higher Achievement Associated with More Weekly Hours of Librarian Staffing in Illinois Elementary and High
Schools, 2003
8.7%
4.1%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
Elementary - Writing High - ACT*
Grade Level - Test
% i
nc
rea
se
in
ac
hie
ve
me
nt
* % meeting or exceeding writing standards for elementary school,ACT scores for high school
Trained School Librarian & Flexible Scheduling
During our design process back in 2000-01, Kathie Rigby, our Learning Center director, was working on her masters' degree and used [previous school library research] as the basis for designing our approach to a learning/media center at Landmark. We use a flexible delivery model and have found our LC to be the literacy hub of our building.
Denise Welter, PrincipalLandmark School, McHenry
School Level
I.D. Hours
Elementary 2
Middle 3
More time identifying materials for teachers → higher test scores
More time identifying materials for teachers → higher test scores
Chart 4. Higher ISAT Scores Associated with Illinois Elementary & Middle School Library Staff Spending More Time
Identifying Materials for Teachers, 2003
7.6%6.6%
9.5%
13.0%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
Elementary Middle
Grade Level
% i
nc
rea
se
in
s
tud
en
ts
me
eti
ng
/ex
ce
ed
ing
s
tan
da
rds
ReadingW riting
More collaborating & teaching librarians
→ higher test scores
More collaborating & teaching librarians
→ higher test scores
Staff
Activity
Weekly Hours
ID materials 3
Plan 2
Teach 1
Motivate 1
Committees 1
Library mtgs 1/2
Chart 5. Higher ACT Scores Associated with Illinois High School Library Staff Spending More Time on Selected
Activities, 2003
2.5%
3.1%
3.1%
3.6%
3.6%
4.1%
0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0%
Serving on school committees
Identifying materials for teachers
Meeting with library staff from elsewhere
Planning with teachers
Teaching with teachers
Motivating students to read
Ac
tiv
ity
% increase in ACT scores
Collaboration in Teaching Information Literacy
Last year I partnered with 7th grade social studies teacher Debbie Broadwell and developed an action research project on the Lewis and Clark expedition. Along with reinforcing the research process using the Big6, we developed a one-page web evaluation checklist and introduced the visible versus the invisible web. We demonstrated the importance of evaluating web sites, and provided an easy tool to use in the process.
Karen Daugherty, Media Center DirectorGrissom Middle School, Tinley Park
School Level Books
Periodi-cals
Copy-right
Elementary 9,000 12 1990
Middle 8,700 18 1989
High 11,500 39 1983
Larger, newer collections
→ higher test scores
Larger, newer collections
→ higher test scores
Chart 6. Higher Achievement Associated with Larger & More Current Illinois School Library Collections, 2003
7.6%
6.8%
7.1%8.
1%
6.8%
10.7
%13.8
%
10.7
% 12.7
%
3.6%
5.7%
2.5%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
Print volumes Periodical subscriptions Average copyright year (astronomy)
Collection variable
Pe
rce
nt
inc
rea
se
in
ac
hie
ve
me
nt
Elementary - Reading Elementary - W riting
Middle - W riting High - ACT*
* % meeting/exceeding reading/writing standards for elementary and middle school, ACT scores for high school
More library-connected computers → higher
test scores
More library-connected computers → higher
test scores
School Level
Library
PCs
Other
PCs
Elementary 9 45
Middle 13 60
High 26 125
Chart 7. Higher Achievement Associated with Illinois School Libraries Being More Accessible Via Educational Technology,
2003
7.6%
6.4%
5.8%
10.7
%
8.4%
7.6% 8.3%
6.6%
5.1% 6.
2%
3.5%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
Library computers Other library-connected computers Other library-connected Internetcomputers per 100 students
Educational Technology variable
Per
cen
t in
crea
se in
ac
hie
vem
ent
Elementary - Reading Middle - W riting
High - Reading High - ACT*
* % meeting/exceeding reading/writing standards for elementary and middle school, ACT scores for high school
School Level
Library Expenditures
Elementary $4,500
Middle $6,250
High $10,255
More spent on libraries → higher test scoresMore spent on libraries → higher test scores
Chart 8. Higher Achievement Associated with Illinois Schools Spending More on Libraries, 2003
5.2%
9.1%
11.6%9.9%
12.9%
6.7%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
Elementary Middle HighGrade Level
Pe
rce
nt
inc
rea
se
in
a
ch
iev
em
en
t
ReadingW riting/ACT *
* % meeting/exceeding writing standards for elementary and middle school, ACT scores for high school
Library Collection & Expenditures
Our administration decided that investing in the Learning Resource Center saves money. The LRC has several different sets of dictionaries [as well as encyclopedias, thesauri, almanacs, atlases, and globes] to meet the needs of students from kindergarten to grade eight. Teachers have materials when they need them. The books do not collect dust when not being used; they are used by other students.
Randee Hudson, Library Media SpecialistMillburn Community CSD 24, Wadsworth
School Level
Group visits
Group info lit visits
Middle 18 8
High 16 10
More group visits—especially for Info Lit → higher test scores
More group visits—especially for Info Lit → higher test scores
Chart 9. Higher Achievement Associated with Higher Usage of Illinois Middle & High School Libraries, 2003
10.3%
8.5%
3.1%
4.6%3.6%
0.0%
4.0%
8.0%
12.0%
Individual visits Group visits Group visits for info literacyinstruction
Library Usage variable
Per
cen
t in
crea
se in
ach
ieve
men
t
Middle - W ritingHigh - ACT*
* % meeting/exceeding writing standards for middle school, ACT scores for high school
After-School Hours & Library Usage
At Niles West High School, we began staying open on Monday-Thursday nights from 3:00 to 7:00 about five years ago.
Extended hours [are] a phenomenal success: We keep [popular] materials on reserve so that they will
be available [to] all students. Access to computers and the Internet is extremely
important for those students who do not have Internet access at home.
The IRC is an effective place for students to meet to complete their group projects. It is a central location with all of the resources needed.
Penny Swartz, Information Resource Center CoordinatorNiles West High School, Skokie
Other School & Community Conditions
• Household income• Per pupil expenditures• Teacher-pupil ratio• Students’ race/ethnicity
Relationship regardless of each of 4 control variables
Relationship in spite of all control variables except household income
X Relationship despite at least two control variables
Elementary Middle High
Library Predictor
ISAT Read-
ing
ISAT Writ-ing
ISAT Read-
ing
ISAT Writ-ing
PSAE Read-
ing ACT
Hours Flexible scheduling X X
StaffNumber of librarians X
Weekly librarian hours
Number of library staff X
Weekly library staff hours X
CollectionPrint volumes
Periodical subscriptions
Average copyright year (astronomy)
Educational TechnologyLibrary computers X X
Other library-connected computers X X
Elementary Middle High
Library Predictor
ISAT Read-
ing
ISAT Writ-ing
ISAT Read-
ing
ISAT Writ-ing
PSAE Read-
ing ACT
Elementary Middle High
Library Predictor
ISAT Read-
ing
ISAT Writ-ing
ISAT Read-
ing
ISAT Writ-ing
PSAE Read-
ing ACT
ExpendituresTotal library expenditures X
UsageCirculation
Individual visits
Group visits
--for info literacy instruction