"Something to Shout About:  

New Research Shows that more Librarians Means Higher Scores"

This is the title of an article in the September 2011 issue of School Library Journal.  This article by Linda Hofschire and Keith Curry Lance shares the results of a new study that shows more librarians means higher reading scores.

A quote from the article:  

"For the first time, we've conducted a groundbreaking study using data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to document the impact of librarian layoffs on fourth-grade reading scores between 2004 to 2009. The results are what you'd expect: in many cases, fewer librarians translated to lower performance--or a slower rise in scores--on standardized tests.

Our research also indicates that these lower reading scores can't be blamed on cuts to other school staff. Regardless of whether there were fewer classroom teachers schoolwide, students in states that lost librarians tended to have lower reading scores--or had a slower rise on standardized tests--than those in states that gained librarians."

You can find an online version of the article here or go to MeL (mel.org), Academic OneFile, and search for Something to Shout About to get a pdf version of the article. A direct link to the article in Academic OneFile follows: 

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?action=interpret&id=GALE%7CA265870690&v=2.1&u=lom_accessmich&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1   

Please share this article with others (colleagues, administrators, school boards, legislators).  

Beverley Rannow traveled to Sierra Leone to teach library skills.

She writes: 

It was an incredible experience to be back in Sierra Leone after 35 years. I was a Peace Corp Volunteer there from 1974 to 1976. The educational system is not in very good shape due to the 11 year civil war. They are trying to provide free education to all children through the 6th grade but they do not have enough qualified teachers, especially in the small villages. The reality is that most teachers at the primary level have a high school education at best and some only a 6th grade education and no teacher training. The secondary schools have more trained teachers, but even some of them have only a high school education and no teacher training also.  

The workshop I assisted with seeks to close the gap by providing teacher training. The primary workshop had 73 participants and the secondary workshop that I helped with had 27. At the end of the day after the teachers had attended the workshop, I provided an hour of library skills training and provided templates for setting up a simple library loan system. We encouraged each school to send one teacher to this training and I averaged about 25-35 teachers who attended. I really needed a lot more time and only covered about a quarter of what I had planned. The majority of schools in Sierra Leone do not have a library and both teachers and students have very little idea what a library actually is. Few people read outside of the classroom because of the lack of libraries and the lack of a reading culture made worse by the civil war. The teachers where hungry for library skills and greatly desire to start libraries in their schools.  

I came home with 18 letter requests for me to return and help these schools set up a library and connect them with groups willing to help them with buying books to stock their libraries with appropriate books of interest to Africans. I am very much hoping that I will be able to find grant money to return to help them and to take a few more librarians with me.  

Kristy Sandel received a $5000 Pepsi Refresh grant and purchased 10 Color Nooks and about 100 books for Mason High School library!  She will be loaning them out to students.  Congratulations to Kristy!  

She is proud of the years she spent as a teacher librarian and knows she made a positive impact on the lives of many students and staff.  She hopes to do the same as a social studies teacher.

Best wishes to Karen in her new position.
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Sue Lay reports that, in July, the worlds of 23 pre-service teachers and experienced School Librarians collided at the Brandon Center for Study of Educational Practice at the University of Michigan.  Kristin Fontichiaro called on a group of School Librarians to work with the students on planning their first lesson using technology.  The scenario set was to tie the core curriculum to the tsunami in Japan.  Each group of students worked with a School Librarian.  The results: SUCCESS!

Students found the experience helpful and School Librarians were thrilled to be seen as a professional partner.  Hopefully, these students will enter their student teaching experience and professional careers building on this positive experience. There is a peer, collaborator and mentor waiting in the library to assist them.
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MAME member Rachel Goldberg was featured on a Channel 7 news segment.  Rachel who is the School Librarian at East Middle School in Pylmouth-Canton talks about providing teachers with resources for teaching students about the September 11th attacks.  See the video and article here.