“The modern school librarian plays many roles within a school and is an invaluable resource for literacy instruction, the integration of technology and so much more,” said John Schumacher (Mr. Schu!), Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic.
We couldn’t agree more.
This week, Scholastic released the 2016 edition of School Libraries Work!, a new research report providing evidence of the positive impact of school librarians and libraries on student learning (check out the School Library Journal coverage!). The new report includes national- and state-level findings from more than 30 separate research studies demonstrating the integral role school libraries play in teaching and supporting student learning, while confirming that when school librarian staffing is reduced, student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) suffers.
School Libraries Work! aims to empower educators, administrators, policymakers and parents to spread the important message that librarians and libraries play a critical role in today’s schools and have an impact on student learning.
Key research from the report includes:
- A School Library Journal analysis found states that gained school librarian positions between 2005 and 2009 experienced larger increases and no decreases in National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) reading scores for 4th grade, while states that lost school librarians experienced smaller increases or decreases in reading scores.
- A South Carolina study commissioned by the South Carolina Association of School Librarians revealed that students were more likely to show strengths and less likely to show weaknesses on writing standards if their school libraries were staffed with a full-time librarian plus a full or part-time assistant.
To learn more and download School Libraries Work!, visit: www.scholastic.com/SLW2016.
On social media, join the conversation using #SLW2016!
