This is an annotated bibliography of some resources that begin to answer my inquiry question. To determine which resources to select I reviewed the currency, relevance and accuracy of the source as well as authority of the author and purpose behind the resource being written. The C.R.A.A.P test was recommended by the University of Alberta’s library tutorial on evaluating resources. The link is https://www.library.ualberta.ca/tutorials/foundational/evaluating/
Haycock, K. (2011). Connecting British Columbia (Canada) school libraries and student achievement: A comparison of higher and lower performing schools with overall funding. School Libraries Worldwide, 17(3), 37-50. Retrieved from http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1105&context=ken_haycock
This article discusses a study that confirms four decades of research by skilled researchers on the positive impact that school libraries and teacher-librarians have on student achievement. Haycock highlights that schools with qualified, enthusiastic teacher-librarians who work with library support staff to manage libraries that are rich in resources and have access to technology produce competent and avid readers, information literate learners and teachers who are willing to collaborate with the teacher-librarian to create rich learning experiences for children. This article is important to my inquiry because the study is focused on schools in British Columbia and as a teacher-librarian in BC this is relevant. Although Haycock outlines how students’ achievement was measured over a ten year span and results indicated students in BC are ahead compared to other schools internationally, he goes on to discuss recent studies that indicate students have lower achievement levels in areas related to information literacy. This is significant because it highlights the importance of teacher-librarian and classroom teacher collaboration to the implementation of inquiry based learning and other powerful learning experiences. This is important information to share with administration, the Board of Trustees, the Ed Directions Committee and other decision makers in our district.
Kramer, P. K., & Diekman, L. (2010). Evidence = assessment = advocacy.37(3), 27-30. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=06187ddc-3a4e-43b2-a722-f6c42949cadd%40sessionmgr4002&vid=6&hid=4202
This article highlights how important it is for teacher-librarians to demonstrate how they are impacting teaching and learning. According to Kramer and Diekman, knowing that we do is not enough. We need to determine what actions and strategies are improving student learning and then gather evidence to share with all members of the learning community. Kramer and Diekman argue that learning to do this is a challenge but one worth the time and effort. The article summarizes the experiences of a cohort of teacher-librarians who were trained on how to become strategic planners and develop tools to measure the impact they have on student learning. Additionally, this cohort learned important communication skills so they could share the evidence they gathered with decision-makers. This article is a good resource as I reflect on the research I have gathered and begin to think about the important topic of advocacy, something that should be considered always rather than only in times of crisis. Kramer and Diekman highlight some strategies that would be helpful to use when advocating for the importance of teacher-librarians and rich school libraries.
Lance, K. C. (2002). What research tells us about the importance of school libraries. Knowledge Quest, 31(1), 17-22. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=06187ddc-3a4e-43b2-a722-f6c42949cadd%40sessionmgr4002&vid=10&hid=4202
This article focuses on research that has been conducted on the impact that librarians and school libraries have on student achievement. Lance highlights the results from 6 studies: Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Colorado in 2000; Oregon and Iowa in 2001; and New Mexico in 2002. These studies reiterate and expand on the findings of a 1992 study conducted by Lance, Wellborn and Hamilton-Pennell. Additional studies by other researchers focused on school libraries in Texas and Massachusetts resulted in similar findings. The research studies indicate that when school libraries are properly staffed, funded and include a well-managed large collection of print and electronic resources students tend to score higher on state reading tests. In the article Lance discusses some of the implications of these results for librarians, specifically highlighting the importance of the leadership role of librarians, the importance of collaboration and information literacy, and the importance of remote access to web and database resources. This article is a good starting place for me as I begin to think about the role that teacher-librarians play in our schools and what strategies can be used to positively impact student learning.
Queen’s, U., & People, F. E. (2006). School Libraries and Student Achievement in Ontario. Toronto, ON, CAN: Ontario Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca
This ebook outlines the current trends, both nationally and internationally, to cut spending and the impact felt by school libraries and staffing. A study conducted by a Queen’s University research team and People for Education, a group comprised of parent researchers is discussed. The study focuses on data collected from 800 Ontario public schools and over 50,000 students. A disappointing implication of the underfunded, poorly staffed school libraries is the number of students who reported that they liked to read is declining. The research highlights the importance of accessible, well-stocked libraries managed by professional library staff. This resource is important to my research because it is based on a Canadian study, with a focus on schools in Ontario, and it also corroborates the international studies conducted in this area. Another aspect of this resource that is important to my inquiry is that the sole focus is not on test scores but also discusses other factors like how libraries and teacher librarians impact students’ attitudes towards reading. This is important when considering how we help students become lifelong learners rather than superior test takers.
Lonsdale, M., & Australian Council for Educational Research, V. (2003). Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement: A Review of the Research. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/site/defaultsite/filesystem/documents/research.pdf
This report is an in-depth examination of the research studies conducted since 1990 on the impact of school libraries on student achievement. The findings show that school libraries can have a positive impact on student achievement in terms of higher reading scores and learning in general. Lonsdale highlights that a comprehensive, well-developed library program together with a high quality collection impacts student achievement. In addition, the importance of collaboration between the classroom teacher and teacher-librarian is emphasized due to the significant impact that it has on student achievement. As I began my inquiry I appreciated the comprehensive reference list of prolific writers included in the document. I also found this resource useful as I thought about the second part of my inquiry question, what are the implications of these findings for my own practice. Lonsdale outlines some recommendations. First, as a teacher-librarian I need to believe in the power of inquiry-based learning and work collaboratively with teachers to develop a plan to teach information literacy skills. Another important implication is how teacher-librarians need to consistently ask how the work we are doing is making a difference to learning and find ways to provide evidence to prove it.