SLJ Summit 2007 – Where’s the Evidence?
The School Library Journal’s 3rd annual Leadership Summit was held in Phoenix, Arizona, Friday, November 30th and Saturday, December 1st.
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) was started in the health profession. This conference talked about applying the principles to School Libraries. In my words, seems to be School Librarians using available research to determine their practices of service to the students and staff. When research is not available addressing a particular practice, the School Librarians can use Action Research to determine best practice. Again, in my words, Action Research seems to include several steps. First, determine the problem or practice that needs to be improved. Second, reflect on what might be possible solutions to the problem. Third, determine a few solutions and how to test which one might be best. Fourth, conduct the tests to see which solution provides the best solution or practice. Finally, implement the new solution as a best practice. And when needed fine-tune the practices. Also, share the new practice with other School Librarians.
Two Evidence Based Practices caught my attention.
The first involves downloading state test data into the Library automation system. Use the data as part of the patron record to notice when students who scored the worst on the state reading and writing tests are not checking out books or may not be reading the books they check out. The flag on the patron record alerts the Librarian to pursue these students to make sure they get the right book at the right time to turn them into readers. The presentation was given by Lou Greco from the St. Johns County Schools, Florida. After the Librarians had data to focus there pursuit of students for reading encouragement, the district coordinator posted reading score results on the web (look for their “State of the School Library Media Center” information).
Jim Hundemer, Manager of Libraries for Houston ISD is doing something similar. He has the lexile data from the students’ TAKS test downloaded into his Library automation system. Each Librarian is responsible for knowing every student’s reading level and to use that knowledge to help the students improve their reading.
In both situations, the data shows that some students not identified by the Librarian need enthusiastic reader guidance.
The second practice was a summer reading list online. Research showed that students lose reading level over the summer if they do not read. And sometimes it takes almost all year to recuperate the lose and advance. So, if students could be motivated to read over the summer, then the students would start out the beginning of the year not behind. The key ingredients to the summer reading program online were choice, choice and lots of choice. Instead of one scholarly reading list, 9 lists of all kinds of books, including student recommended books were offered. Students were asked to read at least 4 books from the lists and to do minor projects for each book. The projects could come from a list of many choices. The students turned their projects in the first day of school. The teachers (who were in on the planning) graded the projects and gave some reward for the completion—probably an extra grade or something. More info might be found at this site: http://cissl.scils.rutgers.edu/research/presentations.html .
A side bar discussion with Jack Strawn inspired a lot of thought about food and drink in the Library. Jack calls his Library an “Info Mall” and he is the “Shopping Consultant”. Jack brews Starbucks coffee every morning and offers it to his students free of charge. He allows the students to drink any where in the Library. He has no problems with food pests nor spillage. He has gotten a Department of Health ruling that’s its okay to offer coffee and hot chocolate to his students. The students line up for the hot drinks even on hot mornings. Look for Jack’s new School Library web site to debut soon. It has something about global bistro and ning in the url.
Some over all ending thoughts. Should we have a spot on the form to present at a conference that asks what research supports the practice in our presentation?
We may want to use a research model based on research for example “Information Search Process” by Carol C. Kuhlthau.
School Librarians need to know the research.
School Librarians need to tell their principals the research.
School Librarians need to constantly ask why we do what we do and what is the evidence that what we do is the best practice.
Web sites about the conference:
December 7th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
I have a lunch time Bristo in my library – the kids love it but I totally baffled a publisher’s rep!