Relevant Research Sources - Impacts on Academic Achievement

Impact of School Library Media Programs

AASL / American Association of School Librarians. 2007. Resource Guides for School Library Media Program Development. This is an annotated hyperlinked bibliography of 25 research articles and studies.

Champlin, Connie and David Loerstcher. 2003. Reinvent Your School’s Library and Watch Student Academic Achievement Increase. Principal Leadership.  This article highlights four strategies for transforming a school library program into a 21st century library media center that is the heartbeat for learning and enhanced student achievement.

Hartzell, Gary. 2005. Capitalizing on the School Library’s Potential to Positively Affect Student Achievement: A Sampling of Resources for Administrators. Hartzell discusses a sampling of research-based resources and strategies for administrators to implement to build a library program that enhances student achievement.  Re-conceptualizing the school library as an instrument of school improvement requires a fundamental shift from:

• thinking about the library program as a movement and management of information resources to a tool for knowledge construction
• thinking the library program as a cost to an academic investment
• viewing the library program as part of rather than apart from the classroom and
• utilizing the school library media specialist as a key instructional leader and as a line professional of the teaching staff rather than an adjunct.

Haycock, Ken. 2003. School Libraries and Student Achievement. This journal article focuses on eight key methods shown by a decade of research to have a positive impact on student achievement, whether such achievement is measured in terms of reading scores, literacy or general learning.

Haycock, Ken, 2006. School Libraries and Student Achievement: The Evidence, the issues, the dilemmas. This Powerpoint presentation outlines the evidence, issues and dilemmas present when meeting the challenges of building a relevant and effective school library program.

IMLS / Institute of Museum and Library Services. 2002. White House Conference On School Libraries. Laura Bush and the IMLS co-hosted the White House Conference on School Libraries.  Here are some reviews of proceedings presented by national school libraries leaders. Library Research Service. 2007. School Library Impact Studies. Here are links to library research impact studies and research on how school library programs positively impact student standardized test scores.

NCLIS/National Commission on Library and Information Science. 2007. Why Care About School Libraries?  NCLIS reviewed several school library research studies and reports a five point answer to why care about school libraries: School libraries are:

• critical for student achievement,
• play an important role in teaching,
• lead the way for effectively using technology to enhance learning,
• inspire literacy, and
• they “don’t matter” without highly qualified school librarians.

Neuman, Susan. 2004. The Role of School Libraries in Elementary and Secondary Education. U.S. Department of Education. Using a wide variety of methodological strategies, Neuman studied all types of PK-12 school library communities from the well-to-do to poor communities, to learn what effects and can transform literacy development of all children.

Resources for School Librarians. 2007. School Library Leadership: Importance of School Libraries in the Educational Program. Links to sites that include resources relevant to building a viable school library educational program.

Scholastic. 2007. School Libraries Work! 2008 Update ed. This document reviews research that shows school libraries work in enhancing learning and academic achievement of all students.

Teachernet. July 2007 School Libraries. UK. Department for Children, Schools and Families  British research shows that school libraries can provide a flexible place for learning where problem/project based work, individual student, group research, content knowledge and process skills happens to build 21st century skills and prepares students for today’s workplace.  Here are paths to frameworks, guidelines and resources that support school library programs that do make a difference.

UK Department for Education and Skills. 2007. School Libraries Making a Difference. Research shows three factors (good resources, skilled librarian, and collaborative instructional teams) determine the extent of the school library’s impact on achievement.  This document leads school administrators, library media specialists, and other instructional staff to how to build this school library program and reach the vision of having a school library that is a vibrant heart of the school learning community.  

Impact of Effective Use of Educational Technology

Beglau, Monica M. 2007.   Changing the Face of Education: Missouri Leads the Way. Report 2 of the Successful Practice Series. The Council of Chief State School Officers. Using technology to create classroom learning experiences that engage learners in new ways is at the heart of the eMINTS (enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) program. This program supports educators as they integrate multimedia technology into inquiry-based, student-centered, interdisciplinary, collaborative teaching practices that result in improved student performance, increased parent involvement and enriched instructional effectiveness.

CEO Forum. School Technology and Readiness Report - Key Building Blocks for Student Achievement. This report details several key findings on how education technology can improve student achievement.

INTEL Teach Program: Designing Effective Projects. 2008. This program emphasizes curriculum development that aligns to standards and promotes higher-order thinking, Curriculum-Framing Questions, authentic project tasks, research-proven effective instructional strategies, and high quality academic performance.

Metiri Group (commissioned by Cisco Systems). 2006.   Technology in Schools: What the Research Says. This research report finds that extracting the full learning return from a technology investment requires much more than the mere introduction of technology aligned with the curriculum.  It requires the triangulation of content, sound principles of learning, and high-quality teaching- all of which must be aligned with assessment and accountability.

National School Boards Association. 2007. Creating & Connecting/Research and Guidelines on Social-and Educational-Networking. This research report combines the findings of three surveys.  The report shows that social networking is omnipresent in the lives of most tweens and teens outside of school and most school districts are cautious about its use in school.  Yet schools, educators, and especially parents have strong expectations about the positive roles that social networking and online conversation could play in student’s lives and in preparation of the future workforce.  

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory - Learning Point Associates. 2003.   Technology Research: Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning with Technology on Student Outcomes. This meta-analysis examined 42 research studies, representing a combined sample of 7,000 students to determine technology's effects on student educational outcomes.

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory - Learning Point Associates. 2005. Using Technology to Improved Student Achievement. School districts have invested in instructional technology for the past twenty years.  Research shows there ere are still four questions to be answered before this investment can impact higher student achievement:

• How can schools ensure that the promise that technology holds for student achievement is realized?
• What factors need to be in place to support the effective use of technology?
• What resources can school districts use to help them plan for technology that will have a positive impact on student achievement, and
• How can they justify that investment?

Schacter, Johan. 1999 The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement. Milken Exchange on Education Technology.  This review of over 700 empirical research studies show that fourth- and eighth-grade students who have access to computer assisted instruction, or integrated learning systems technology, or simulations and technology that enhances high order thinking, or collaborative networked technologies, or design and programming technologies show positive gains in achievement on educator constructed tests, standardized tests, and national tests.

State Educational Directors Association, et.al. 2007 Maximizing the Impact: The pivotal role of technology in a 21st Century education system. Prepared by the State Educational Technology Directors Association,(SETDA), the International Society for Technology in Education and the Partnership for 21st Century skills, this report supports a renewed emphasis on instructional technology in education to develop student competency in 21st century skills and context, to support innovative teaching and optimum student learning and to create robust education support systems.

Verizon Foundaton. 2008   Thinkfinity: 21st Century Learning. This source provides over 55,000 instructional technology, research-based resources that focus on opportunities where teachers can engage students in 21st century skills and themes while they work through core content in science, mathematics and humanities.

For questions about this information, contact Donna C. Steffan (608) 267-1282

Last updated on 7/16/2009 1:10:40 PM