November 21, 2011Laura L. Lee, Student Practicum HMS Media Center

Principal Jones:

The media specialist and I have conducted a thorough analysis of Houston County’s HMS Media Center based on the guidelines set forth in the Georgia DOE 2010 Library Media Program Self-Evaluation Rubric.

In the following paragraphs, I will rate each of the allocated categories according to one of three levels of proficiency as set forth in the above rubric.

Category I: Student Achievement and Instruction

a. Information Literacy Standards integration into the media center.

The HMS media center exhibits a proficient integration of the Information Literacy Standards Skills as addressed in Information Power and the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. The basic skills are met with the media center orientation sessions offered to all entering 6th grade students, as well as to any new students transferring into the 7th and 8th grade classes. Each school year students are provided lessons on the understanding of the Dewey Decimal System. The media center meets the proficient standard due to the media specialist’s exemplary relationship with classroom teachers. She meets with teachers on each grade level periodically to address their needs and they partner to provide lessons for students incorporating the Georgia Performance Standards. The media specialist did not feel the media center meets the Exemplary Standard, as they do not utilize the AASL Standards in shaping the student learning environment.

b. Collaborative planning initiatives support classroom learning.

The HMS media center receives an exemplary rating for the media specialist’s proactive initiatives with teachers. She meets the basic level by participating when initiated by the teachers. She meets the proficient level due to her participation in grade level and subject-level meetings with the teachers in her school. She also promotes the active use of GSO based

resources with her teachers. She also meets the exemplary bar for efforts to reach every teacher and pattern collaborative teaching efforts in regular classroom instruction.

c. Professional library media staff are engaged in active teaching roles.

The HMS media specialist receives an exemplary rating for her role as an information steward who promotes and encourages engagement actively. She goes above and beyond to get to know each of her students and recognize their individual needs. This allows her to be proactive in assisting her student population in locating appropriate materials in the media center. Additionally she conducts routine orientation sessions with her students. Her media center serves as an additional supplement to the traditional classroom learning experience as she regularly partners with the teachers to plan and implement instructional technology-based lessons for the HMS students. Her door is always open to discuss one-on-one with teachers ways to collaborate on lessons to meet the Georgia Performance Standards and suggests varying methods to accomplish this delivery.

d. Library Media Center resources encourage and support reading, viewing and listening.

The media specialist creates bulletin boards and displays that create visual interest in her media center. She has one main bulletin board that resides in the hallway just outside her media center entrance. She also has a cork strip that continually features students’ artwork and other students are able to vote on their favorites by placing gold star stickers on the board. She also maintains a centrally-located book display in the media center where she periodically features themes, often seasonally based. The media center offers multiple events and activities each year. An example of a popular event is her Fall and Winter Coffee Shop initiative. She has brought in a few round high-top tables with chairs and a portable fireplace to set up a “coffee shop vibe” in her center. During her coffee shops, she brews Starbuck’s coffee and sets out a bevy of condiments (whipped cream, sprinkles, cinnamon, chocolate syrup) to create a do-it-yourself-coffee-bar where students can custom make their own fancy coffee beverage for $1.00, purchase snacks and mingle in the media center before school and during 1st period (which is similar to an activity period). She takes attendance numbers at all of these events to track and report. These type of ventures

aid in boosting the recreational reading and meeting the reading and language arts criteria in the school.

e. Diverse learning abilities, styles and needs are readily addressed.

The HMS earns an exemplary ranking for having such an open stance on meeting the needs of the school’s diverse population of learners. Diverse learning styles and abilities are addressed promptly when applicable. For those students who prefer the print in hand, or perhaps a larger font, these accommodations are readily made. Students who prefer to use the computer for certain skills are given ample time to meet these needs when applicable. Students who require technological adjustments can painlessly make these modifications with ease, i.e. adjustments to the monitor for virtually impaired students. The media specialist keeps the teachers abreast of resources and applications on hand for these varying diverse learning styles through programs such as Hi-Lo where she secures books that’s subjects often appeal to the middle school reader but are written on a slightly lower than middle school reading level in order to appeal to unique learners and readers. The MS goes even further to support instructional strategies and learning activities through appropriate data collection and utilizing resources to meet unique student needs.

f. Student achievement is routinely assessed.

The HMS classroom teacher assesses the student achievement levels to meet the basics. The HMC media specialist and the classroom teachers meet periodically and collaborate on lessons where they discuss varying methods of student assessment. They discuss what the teacher’s anticipated outcome and student achievement levels are based on the lesson activities to meet the exemplary level.

Category II: Staffing

a. HMS serves more than the state of Georgia’s base size mandates for a library media center (624+ student population), but the MS is the only staff in the middle (and elementary school media centers in Houston County). There are no paid part-time or full-time media clerks. This was phased out by the county a couple of years ago. HMS got by with a part-time media clerk for the last couple of years as there was a grant in this school that employed a minimum wage part-time

employee who assisted the MS. Since she was not a full-fledged clerk, the MS tasked her much like a volunteer. She checked in and out books, shelved books, greeted students, dusted and cleaned the center, etc. She did not handle money, repair broken technology or participate in lessons. The media center would not earn even the basic ranking in this category.

Category III: Facilities, Access & Resources

a. A plan of flexibility for media center scheduling is in place.

In order to achieve the basic rating, HMS maintains flexible scheduling in the media center. Due to the lack of support staff in the HMC media center (i.e. elimination of media clerks and grant position funding was exhausted), it is very difficult now for the MS to have the most flexible scheduling availability in her media center – as far as providing the most ample access to her and the media center’s resources. For instance, open times for students to check out books have been limited to certain blocks of times that run before and after school or during the 1st period activity period. Different grades or classes have certain times during the regular school day when their classes come in and either complete book check-in and checkout and/or lessons.

b. Student media center square footage is based on FTE.

The HMS media center scores a basic and proficient level in their center for meeting square footage criteria, as this school was designed and built within the last few years and is still current. The HMS media center would not meet the exemplary level Georgia DOE status, due to the lack of electrical outlets and wiring available in the media center especially in the central areas away from the walls.

c. Streaming video is used in support of the school curriculum.

The schools have access to a video streaming program called Peach Star that allows all Georgia schools to have equal access to a plethora of video titles and subjects that can be utilized in collaboration with classroom curriculum. The teachers each set up an online account where they can go into the database and perform a search for what they need. The HMS media center also supplies titles that may be checked out by teachers in addition to the streaming video account access. The school meets the exemplary criteria by providing white boards around campus and the media center

now has its own Promethean board that the MS was able to secure through a grant.

d. Print and non-print resources and access to online information is basic to the library media program.

The HMS media center can be ranked as exemplary in this category. There are more than the state allotted caps for computer per student ratios. Each of these computers has easy access to the internet and online database resource capabilities. The school does not have wireless access but students may access all of the school media center database resources at home or anywhere off campus. Their AR and E-Books programs are also available to students for access off site.

e. All library resources are managed for maximum efficiency in use.

The HMS media center meets and exceeds the basic and proficient rankings, because the center provides an online catalog through SAFARI and it is networked within multiple computers on campus. Each year the MS purchases new acquisitions of titles based on needs, surveys, national literary reviews, etc. Weeding is performed by the MS based on need.

Category IV: Administrative Support

a. Local system superintendent appoints a media contact person.

The county and HMS media center receive an exemplary rating as there is a county appointed technology spokesperson that represents a voice for the media center (as well as many other technology-related services managed within the county school district). The county provides web links on the school webpage to the media center in order to encourage and promote the media centers as a tool for students, faculty and staff.

b. Administrative staff support at both the school and district levels.

At the most basic level the HMS Principal provides ample support of the school library media center program and makes time for periodic meetings with the media specialist. In the proficient level, the Principal of HMS as well as the district goes above and beyond to promote the integration of technology and media center resources within the classroom curriculum.

The main element that holds the center back from receiving the exemplary rating is the budgetary support dilemma mentioned above, where vital resources such as support staff have been entirely removed from the equation. This hinders the center’s ability to function at 100% levels.

c. Library media center policy is current and up to date.

The center receives an exemplary ranking for maintaining up to date policies that are consistent and adherent within each of the schools in this county.

d. Funding for media center resources are spent 100% on these centers.

The HMS is fortunate in that the Principal makes every effort to adhere to channeling all of her resource money earmarked for library technology strictly to the school’s media center. Local and state funding is directed to these coffers. The media centers stops short of receiving exemplary status as the school district administration does not always abide by these guidelines when deciding on media centers budgets as a whole. Some monies are directed to other technology resources that are necessarily media center driven.

Category V: Staff Development

a. Staff development opportunities are encouraged for media center staff to enhance their professional knowledge and leadership skills.

The HMS media center earns an exemplary rating on this assessment as the media specialists are encouraged to pursue continuing education initiatives when budgets and funding resources allow. The MS also provide support for teachers who may be electing to pursue higher degrees as well.

Recommendations:

Based on the information compiled in this report for the Georgia DOE 2010 Library Media Program Evaluation, the weakest link in this media center is staffing issues. There is the one, full-time media specialist who is doing the job of multiple individuals in her center. It is physically impossible for her to meet every single check in the box for this evaluation without extra sets of hands on board. The media specialist has enlisted the assistance of several

students to serve as helpers before and after school. They are tasked such duties as shelving books, dusting and cleaning the tables and making copies. But this really does not provide much assistance for the media specialist throughout the school day. She has never had significant parent support in the past, but it may be time to kick it up a notch. She needs to reconsider enlisting the help of parents. This would require more aggressive recruiting. If this still does not suffice, then contact local colleges and initiate a volunteer program for students either interested in education, counseling or library science. In a tough economy, students who are looking for projects to become involved in to gain experience, network and build community connections may be able to provide a necessary resource to the center and the media specialist.