What the research shows

Pennsylvania and New Jersey presented excellent overviews of their recent state studies, coordinated by UPittsburgh and Rutgers library schools respectively.  It was particularly exciting to hear the PA study, as it is based on findings from a study commission that we are hoping to replicate in Massachusetts.  It was especially exciting to hear that Pennsylvania was able to show that excellent libraries with professional staffing, a high degree of collaboration, and flexible scheduling have a higher than expected positive impact on the subgroups that typically score less well on their state standardized test.  They have put together an "elevator speech" of the factors that matter most in getting the most from a school library program in order to improve student achievement--including:

• Funding—you need a budget for more materials each year
• Access—you need access to school library beyond the school day (especially before and after day)
• Collection—current resources in various physical formats are important
• Technology—access in school and at home (ebooks and databases)
• Teaching—teaching information literacy skills in collaboration and having a flexible schedule
• Staffing—single most important factor was having a fulltime certified school librarian with a support

To read the research yourself go to The Pennsylvania School Library site and the New Jersey study focusing on "what does a good school library look like?"