The Impact of Student Learning Through Wisconsin School Library Media Centers

1
The Impact of Student Learning Through Wisconsin
School Library Media Centers

• IMTT Regional Meetings
• Kate Bugher, Educational Consultant
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• October 2006

2
Study Objectives

• Examine the leadership and instructional role of
  library media specialists in a robust information
  and technology literacy program
  
• Measure their impact on and contribution to
  student achievement

3
Study Methodology

• Three sections or mini-studies
• Survey of library media specialists
• Quantitative data library media program
  structure, resources, and operations
  
• Survey of students and teachers
• Qualitative data how students benefit from
  library media programs
  
• Case Studies of best practice programs
• 5 schools representative of grade levels,
  geographic location and demographics
  

4
Data Collection

• Online surveys of teachers, students, library
  media specialists (May June 2005)
  
• Responses from 107 teachers and 3,957 students in
  51 randomly selected schools
  
• Obtained data on 1,043 school library media
  centers from 855 Library Media Specialists
  
• Extracted WINSS school and student data for
  responding school libraries for statistical and
  correlational analysis (November 2005)
  

5
Library Media Program FindingsStaffing

• significant gaps between recommended staffing
  levels defined by the School Information and
  Technology Staffing Guidelines in and actual
  staffing levels. (page 2)
• 2005-06 LMS Staffing Data
• 1153.8 FTE Library Media Specialists
• 200 districts with only 1 LMS (47)
• 32 districts with less than 1 FTE LMS (DPI PI1202
  fall staff submission)
  

6
DPI Staffing Guidelines (Information
Technology Literacy A Collaborative Planning
Guide for Library Media and Technology, p. 23)
7
Library Media Program FindingsStaffing
8
Library Media Program Findings Staff Activities
per Week
9
Library Media Program Findings Hours

• LMS hours per week increase by grade level from
• 27.7 (E) to 35.5 (H)
• Hours of aide per week also increase by grade
  level from 28.4 (E) to 37.7 (H)
  
• Libraries are open for 38 hours (E), 41 hours
  (M),
  
• 44 hours a week (H)
• On average, libraries are open for 2 hours a week
  before school and 2 (E) to 3.7 hours (H) after
  school

10
Library Media Program Findings Resources

• Technology has permeated library media centers
• 58-67 have laptops
• 70 have scanners
• 80 have data projectors and digital cameras

• An average library media center has
• 26 (E) to 35 (H) computers
• 10-15 laptops
• 1 scanner
• 3-4 printers
• 2-3 LCDs
• 3 digital cameras

11
Library Media Program FindingsResources

• Tremendous access to online databases
• 85 of classrooms
• 70-80 of all school computers and
• 60-74 from home computers
• About 80 of Library Media Centers have some form
  of OPAC
  
• 60-64 can access it from all school computers

12
Teacher Student Surveys

• Teachers and student surveys examined library
  media program helpfulness in seven areas
  
• Getting information students need
• Using information to complete school work
• School work in general (knowledge acquisition)
• Using technology
• General reading interests
• Interests and activities outside of school
  (Independent Skills)
  
• Academic Achievement
• (Five-point scale 1-very helpful, 2-helpful,
  3-somewhat helpful, 4-of little help, 5-not at
  all helpful)

13
FindingsTeacher Student Surveys

• Teachers overall considered the library media
  center
  
• helpful in ALL 7 areas (using mean scores)
• most helpful as a source for
• Getting Information
• Using Technology
• Reading
• Using Information

14
FindingsTeacher Student Surveys

• Rural teachers, compared to suburban and urban,
  found school library media programs more helpful
  for
  
• Getting Information
• Knowledge Acquisition
• Using Technology
• Independent Skills
• Academic Achievement

• Urban teachers, compared to suburban and rural,
  found school library media programs more helpful
  for
  
• Reading
• Using Information

15
FindingsTeacher Student Surveys

• Teachers, overall, who aligned the WMAS for
  Information and Technology Literacy to their
  lessons considered the school library media
  program MORE HELPFUL in all seven areas than
  teachers who did not implement such an alignment.
  (Page 2)

16
FindingsTeacher Student Surveys

• Students most helpful areas
• Using Technology
• Getting Information
• Using Information
• Elementary students considered the library media
  program more helpful than secondary students in
  all areas

17
KEY FindingsLibrary Media Program Study

• Higher WKCE performance across all educational
  levels
  
• in schools with higher levels of library media
  program staffing
  
• where the Library Media Specialist spent more
  time on instructionally-related student and
  teacher activities
  
• Schools with greater library resources
  (collection, technology, )

18
KEY FindingsLibrary Media Program Study

• WKCE performance was higher in programs
• with full-time Library Media Specialist than
  part-time or no Library Media Specialist
  
• full-time aides than part-time or no aides
• Socio-economic and school variables had the
  greatest impact on student performance
  
• Library variables explained 3 (E), 9 (M),
  8-19 (H) of WCKE performance

19
Factors Impacting Student Achievement

• Staffing
• Resources
• School variables (ethnic, poverty,
  student-teacher ratio)
  
• LMC Use
• Collaboration
• Hours

• Teacher experience
• Collection age
• Technology
• Online access
• Information skills instruction
• Leadership
• Volunteers

20
Factors, cont.

• Factors explained variance in library program
  school data
  
• Elementary 9 factors explained 65 variance
• Middle School 10 factors explained 67
  variance
  
• High School 8 factors explained 73 variance

21
Factors Impacting WKCE Performance

• Elementary WKCE Reading 26
• School variables
• Teacher experience
• Resources 3.4
• LMC staffing leadership
• Elementary WKCE Language Arts 25
• School variables
• Resources
• Hours 3.2
• Teacher experience

22
Factors Impacting WKCE Performance

• Middle School WKCE Reading 22.4
• School
• Resources 9.2
• LMC staffing instructional activities
• High School WKCE Reading 18.6
• Resources 7.9
• School (poverty teacher-student ratio)
• School (ethnic)
• WKCE Language Arts 31
• Resources 19
• School (poverty teacher-student ratio)
• School (ethnic)

23
KEY FindingsOverall Conclusions

• Role of Library Media Specialist focuses on three
  distinct areas as educators and students see the
  Library Media Specialist as
  
• A teacher librarian
• An agent of change
• An technology integrator

24
KEY FindingsOverall Conclusions

• Library media specialists
• contribute directly to quality instructional
  programs and to quality teaching
  
• help students acquire unique skills not taught
  in classroom
  
• Library media program provides information skills
  and technology literacy essential for
  students/learners in 21st Century in and outside
  of school

25
KEY FindingsOverall Conclusions

• Library Media Center is a central and vital
  component of schools instructional program
  
• The heart of a school
• Library media program staff (LMS and aides) are
  the most critical program component
  
• Programs having less impact on student
  performance have
  
• low staffing levels
• fewer resources (collection, technology, )

26
Areas for Further Examination

• Staffing guidelines and levels, both for Library
  Media Specialist and aides
  
• Amount of time Library Media Specialists spend on
  instructional-related activities
  
• Collecting reliable and consistent School Library
  Media program data
  

27
Researcher Information

• Esther G. Smith, Ph.D.
• EGS Research Consulting
• 6106 Ledge Mountain
• Austin, Texas 78731
• egs_at_io.com
• Voice 512-467-8807
• Fax [phone]

28
Contact Information

• Kate Bugher
• Education Consultant
• Wisconsin DPI
• Instructional Media Technology
• 125 South Webster Street - PO Box 7841
• Madison, WI 53707-7841
• kathryn.bugher_at_dpi.state.wi.us
• Voice 608-267-9287
• Fax [phone]
• http//dpi.wi.gov/imt/