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What Parents Should Know About School Libraries and Achievement
What do you as a parent know about the role of school library programs in your child’s education? What should you know? In a study conducted by Simmons College (1) the following key finding were noted:
- Schools with library programs have higher MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) scores
- Students score higher on MCAS tests when there is a higher per pupil book count.
- Schools with increased library use have higher MCAS scores
- At the elementary and high school levels, students who are served by a full time librarian have higher MCAS scores than those without a full-time librarian.
- At the elementary level, students score higher on the MCAS tests when the librarian is aligned with the state curriculum frameworks.
Is it helpful to have a professional librarian on duty in your child’s school? How do experienced librarians support a strong academic environment? The following points, taken from a report issued by the Massachusetts School Library Association, (2) help spell out the roles professional school librarians play:
- They help teachers create exciting learning experiences in an information-rich and technology-rich environment.
- They build and maintain a digital school library open to your children/teens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere in school and from home.
- They help every student get the best information to fulfill their assignments.
- They guide and teach students to evaluate information—particularly from the Internet. “Who’s saying what to me, for what reason, and with what credibility?”
- They teach students the research process and assist students in accessing online library databases with safe, reliable information as alternative to Internet searches.
- When teachers bring classes to the library, the librarian serves as a second teacher so that every student gets individualized attention.
- And, they are still reading’s best friend.
- From School Libraries and MCAS Scores. Simmons College, 2000. At http://web.simmons.edu/%7ebaughman/mcas-school-libraries/
- Adapted From Massachusetts Power! A Parents’ Guide to School Libraries by Connie Champlin, Katherine Lowe, and David V. Loertscher. Hi Willow Research & Publishing, 2006.
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