The 2011 Pennsylvania School Library Study Mary K. Biagini Associate Professor Director, School Library Certification Program School of Information Sciences University of Pittsburgh House Resolution 987 of 2010 On October 5, 2010, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives unanimously adopted House Resolution 987, which encouraged the State Board of Education to undertake a quantitative study of the state of school libraries in Pennsylvania. The resolution charged the State Board to conduct a study of school library resources and services for students in kindergarten through grade 12, measuring and comparing funding, facilities, access to print and electronic resources, professional support and instruction in the use of information and research among the Commonwealth’s public school districts and evaluating how funding and resources are allocated for school library services in relation to student and community circumstances. House Resolution 987 also urged the State Board to conduct at least three public roundtables to receive input on a draft of the study and its recommendations. To solicit comments about the draft study, the State Board of Education’s Ad Hoc Committee on School Libraries conducted three roundtable meetings that were open to the public: September 13 at Parkland High School in Allentown, September 15 at Susquehanna Township High School in Harrisburg, and September 20 at Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy in Erie. A copy of the draft report and feedback from the three public roundtable meetings also was presented to the full State Board at its meeting on September 21. The Board approved the draft report and the recommendations and will forward the document to the Education Committee of the House. The Pennsylvania School Librarians Association received a commendation from the American Association of School Librarians for the successful passage of this resolution and completion of the study. The University of Pittsburgh came into the study in the second act. Mary Kay Biagini was awarded the research contract from the PA State Board of Education to analyze the results of the survey and make draft recommendations based on the analysis and on comments from the
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 1
roundtable meetings. Patrick Hickey, Sally Myers and D’nis Lynch assisted in the analysis of the survey results and the report. PA publicly funded schools by the numbers: 500 school districts 3,125 schools in 500 PA school districts 142 charter schools, including 12 cyber charter schools 14 Comprehensive career and technical centers Note:
These numbers do not include parochial or independent schools
A Benchmark: First comprehensive study of PA school libraries: 389 of 500 school districts across PA participated: 78% 2,180 of 3,125 schools across PA participated: 73% In Allegheny County, 32 of 42 districts participated: 76% In Westmoreland County, 14 of 17 districts participated: 82% There were very few responses from charter schools or CTCs Philadelphia is a world unto itself: o Largest number and % of schools with no libraries and largest number of schools with libraries but no librarians in PA o Of 185 Philadelphia schools in survey, 103 did not have libraries o For 2011-12, only there are only 48 librarians for 248 schools There was accurate proportional representational of elementary (2/3), middle and high schools (1/3) 90% of surveys completed by librarians The problem of dirty data: 20% of total submissions could not be used; there were also incorrect codes, incomplete entries, duplication entries, unusable answers, data that could not be compared
The mission of the school library program To ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information. The school librarian empowers students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers and ethical users of information. (AASL. Empowering Learners, 2009, p. 8.)
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 2
What makes a difference in student achievement? Pennsylvania school library programs can make a difference supporting the efforts of schools to measure up to standards. Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) reading scores increase with increases in the following characteristics of school library programs: staffing, information technology and integration of information literacy into the curriculum. In addition, as library staffing, information resources and information technology rise, so too does the involvement of school librarians in teaching students and teachers how to find and assess information. The relationship between staffing and test scores is not explained by other school or community conditions. (PA Lance Study, 2000, pp. 6 and 9.)
The results of the survey: Having a library is a given:
128 schools in PA have no libraries; 103 of these schools are in the School District of Philadelphia. In Allegheny County: Pittsburgh Public Schools: 10 schools with no libraries Propel charter schools: 2 schools with no libraries Montour School District: 2 schools under renovation
Why no libraries? Most common reasons are space needed for other purposes and staffing and budget cuts.
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 3
Factors that have a positive effect on student achievement: Staffing Having certified school librarians and aides emerged as the most critical component of the library program at all school levels to increase student academic performance. (Smith, Wisconsin Study, 2006, School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 15.)
1,972 schools have a certified librarian. School librarians are “solo” librarians for the most part: Few schools have 2 librarians (6%), not necessarily full-time Only North Penn High School in 2010-11 had three full-time librarians, but in 2011-12 has only 2 librarians 5% of schools have no librarian 10% of schools had a decrease in librarian staffing in 2010-11; 3% of schools had an increase in librarian staffing. (See the new PSLA study of 2011-2012 staffing changes.)
How many hours per week do PA librarians work?
Not every librarian is a full-time librarian About 44% work 35+ hours per week; 23% work 30-35 hours; 23% work fewer than 19 hours per week
Mystery of certification could not be solved: How many “Praxis-test” librarians are there? How many librarians have more than one area of certification? Why paid support staff? The presence of support staff allows the school librarian to focus on the critical responsibilities of collaborating with teachers and motivating students to read. Library aides carry out the many routine, daily tasks in a busy school library: circulation, attendance, processing resources, and record keeping. 60% of school libraries have support staff; 9% of these libraries have more than 1 staff person 31% have no support staff 55% of support staff work between 20-39 hours per week 23% of support staff work 10-19 hours per week Volunteers: 74% of libraries have no adult volunteers 2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 4
24% have 1-10 volunteers—most are elementary schools; of these, 72% work an average of 1-9 hours per week
Key Responsibilities of School Librarians Collaboration with teachers:
62% of librarians had no time allocated in their schedules for collaborating with teachers. Number of hours librarians spent planning with teachers: 61% spend less than one hour 28% spend 1-2 hours
Elementary school students with the most collaborative librarians scored 21% higher on Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) reading scores than students with the least collaborative librarians. (Colorado Lance Study, 2000, School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 10.)
How much time per week do librarians instruct? 58% of librarians instruct 6-20 hours per week The more often students receive information literacy instruction from librarians, the higher the test scores. (Alaska Lance Study, 2000, School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 10.)
The information literacy curriculum should be sequenced K-12, boardapproved and revised in past five years: 52% of librarians have such a curriculum 17 % have a sequenced curriculum but it is more than 5 years old 13% have no curriculum 12% do not have a sequenced K-12 curriculum The ‘keystone’ finding is the importance of an integrated approach to information literacy teaching. For school library programs to be successful agents of academic achievement, information literacy must be an integral part of the schools’ approach to both standards and curriculum. (PA Lance Study, 2000, p. 6.)
Number of student group visits to library per week (i.e., classes or small groups): 32%: 11-20 groups per week 32%: 21-30 groups per week Flexible scheduling continues to exert a positive effect on test scores regardless
of
per
pupil
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
spending,
teacher-pupil
rations
or
student
Page 5
race/ethnicity. Fifth graders in Illinois elementary schools with flexibly scheduled libraries performed 10% better in reading and 11% better in writing School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 20.)
Type
of scheduling for library: 55%: Fixed 28%: Flex 18%: Combo
Reading
is a foundational skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment. The degree to which students can read and understand text in all formats (e.g., picture, video, print) and all contexts is a key indicator of success in school and in life. (Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, p. 2.) How much time do librarians spend engaging and motivating students to read? 32% spend 1-5 hours per week 27% spend 5-10 hours per week How many hours per week are librarians assigned non-library duties? 35% are assigned less than one hour 19% are assigned between 1-1.75 hours 19% are not assigned other duties Across grade levels, better-performing schools tended to be those whose principals placed a higher value on having their school librarian serve on key school committees. (Indiana Lance Study, 2006, School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 17.)
Are librarians serving on building and/or district leadership committees? 40% serve on grade level/departmental committees 29% serve on a variety of “Other” committees, such as antibullying 26% serve on technology committees 23% serve on curriculum committees Are Librarians given annual opportunities professional development? 77% of librarians have opportunities 23% of librarians do not have opportunities
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
to
participate
in
Page 6
Factors that have a positive effect on student achievement: Access How many hours are libraries open per week and staffed by certified librarians? 55% of libraries are open and staffed 35+ hours per week 17% of libraries are open and staffed between 10 and 29 hours per week 23% of libraries are open 1-9 hours and not staffed by a librarian 50% of school libraries are not open before or after the student school day How many libraries have an automated online catalog that faculty and staff can access throughout the building and remotely? 91% have access to catalog throughout the school building 70% have access remotely from home
Factors that have a positive effect on student achievement: Collection of Resources The extent to which books are borrowed from school libraries shows a strong relationship with reading achievement. (School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 12.) Resolved, that the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS), respectfully advises Congress that: Schools be provided with adequate resources to provide up-to-date print and non-print materials in all school libraries. (NCLIS, 2007, School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 3.)
How large are book collections? 36% are between 10,000 and 15,000 volumes 27% are between 5,000 and 10,000 volumes 20% are between 15,000 and 20,000 volumes How many volumes per student? 20% are between 16-20 books per student 18% are between 21-25 books per student 16% are between 26-30 books per student Guidelines for Pennsylvania School Libraries (2011, p. 32.) recommends 20 volumes per elementary school student as a minimum, 25 volumes as a standard and 30 volumes as exemplary. For secondary school students, 2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 7
the recommendation is 15 volumes as a minimum, 20 volumes a standard and 25 volumes as exemplary. How about electronic resources? 76% of libraries reported having no eBooks 47% of libraries reported 1-5 databases in addition to POWER Library 28% of libraries reported no additional databases Magazines are underrepresented in collections: 33% of libraries have 10 or fewer subscriptions 27% of libraries have between 11-20 subscriptions 14% of libraries have no subscriptions What
is the 34% of 26% of 24% of
currency of the collections? libraries collections have an average age between 1990-94 library collections have an average age between 1995-99 library collections have an average age between 1985-89
Factors that have a positive effect on student achievement: Funding How much are districts spending on school libraries (not counting salaries and benefits)? 39% of districts spend between $1-$10 per pupil 21% of districts spend between $11-15 per pupil 16% of districts spend between $16-$20 per pupil In Guidelines for Pennsylvania School Library Programs (2011, p. 30), a quantitative benchmark for funding is established that represents a dollar amount per pupil rather than a fixed dollar amount:
$41 per pupil for elementary schools $45 per pupil for middle schools $50 per pupil for high schools
Factors that have a positive effect on student achievement: Technology Infrastructure The most important components are currency of equipment and networking access from school and home
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 8
Recommendations from the Study Every decision maker and stakeholder can build on the empirical evidence amassed in research studies conducted since 1992 in Pennsylvania and in 21 other states across the country (Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin) concluding that . . . students in schools with good school libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized test scores than their peers in schools in schools without libraries. (School Libraries Work!, 2008, p. 4.)
The results of this survey of Pennsylvania school libraries in the 2010-2011 school year show that not every student in a publicly-funded school has access to a quality library program in their school that is: Staffed by both a full-time certified school librarian to collaborate with teachers and an aide; Open throughout the school day and beyond the student school day; Supported by an adequate collection of current and useful print and electronic resources; and Provisioned with needed technology networking infrastructure, current computing equipment and software to access information electronically.
Recommendations for the Pennsylvania Education and Updates on Actions Taken:
Department
of
Consider the academic benefits that would accrue to all students and teachers by:
Restoring the Division of School Library Media Services in the Office of Commonwealth Libraries and appointing a director with appropriate education and library credentials to provide leadership and professional development for school librarians through publications and workshops for professional development and to provide guidance to school districts and to librarians attempting to assess the effectiveness of their school library programs. Approved by PDE and to be implemented in Spring 2012
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 9
Spearheading a working committee of PDE staff, school librarians, and officers of state professional associations to develop a model information literacy curriculum for school library programs to help align the 2007 Standards for the 21st-Century Learner of the American Association of School Librarians with the 2010 Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and any additional standards that Pennsylvania may add to the Common Core. (The former Division of School Library Media Services played a leadership role in the early 2000s in helping librarians develop a model information literacy curriculum for their school districts. Now that new academic standards are being implemented and new information literacy standards are in place the need for an updated model information literacy curriculum is a high priority.) Approved by Commonwealth Libraries and to be implemented in summer 2012
Encouraging district and school participation in the assessment school library programs on an annual basis. This can accomplished most easily by becoming an official state partner School Libraries Count!, the longitudinal survey of the status school libraries sponsored annually by the American Association School Librarians.
of be in of of
Work with Commonwealth Libraries to have questions about library programs be a part of annual PIMS survey
Distributing to chief school administrators through Penn*Link the 2011 Guidelines for Pennsylvania School Library Programs published by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries. The Guidelines provide each administrator benchmarks to use as guidance in assessing the effectiveness of the district’s K-12 library program.
Providing specialized guidance and assistance to school districts in identifying, evaluating and using adaptive technologies needed for students with visual disabilities to access library resources.
Providing specialized guidance and assistance in identifying and evaluating resources in languages other than English for English Language Learner students.
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 10
Recommendations for School Entities: Consider the academic benefits that would accrue to all students and teachers by:
Assessing the adequacy of support provided to district and school library programs for professional and support staffing, collections of resources, and technology infrastructure and computing equipment. Over a ten-year period, library budgets have decreased in purchasing power because of the increased cost of resources and licensing during this period.
Developing and implementing in all schools a written, K-12 sequenced information literacy curriculum that is aligned with K-12 subject area curricula and with the state’s academic standards and that is approved by the school’s local governing board. Just as each subject area has a sequential, vertical curriculum for grades K-12, so to should the library program have such an information literacy curriculum that correlates with subject area curricula and academic standards and is integrated into subject learning activities.
Considering a move to a flexible schedule for libraries in elementary schools to allow for the all-important time needed for teachers and school librarians to plan together and to teach and assess student learning collaboratively.
Assessing the currency, usefulness and scope of the total collection of resources, including current magazines and newspapers, available to students, especially those who are English Language Learners.
Making open-source eBooks available to students through open-source access tools such as the International Children’s Digital Library.
Investigating sources of grant funding from community groups and from outside agencies and working with librarians to apply for applicable grants.
Planning fund-raising activities within the schools and with school and community groups. For example, the number of school libraries sponsoring book fairs is rising. Students benefit from having more books to read, and the library earns funding that can be used to purchase new resources.
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 11
Planning school-wide activities that relate to reading motivation throughout the school year to encourage students to have reading success and enjoyment. Reading competitions among grades, book clubs, author visits, book fairs and “drop everything and read” campaigns are examples of such activities.
Considering the use of volunteers in the library to assist the librarian by completing routine tasks and encouraging community members to volunteer.
All stakeholders have a responsibility to work together to provide effective school library programs for every student in every publiclyfunded school in Pennsylvania so that all students can meet academic standards and succeed.
2011 PA School Library Study 3/19/2012 8:35 AM
Page 12