IASL Research Abstracts: 165

Findings: Relationships between professional staffing of libraries and student achievement in English language arts and mathematics at grades 4, 7 and 10 in California were both positive and negative in contrast to results of several other state-wide studies of this relationship.

Abstract: This study compared the presence of a school library (as determined by measures of credentialed school library staffing) and student achievement at grades 4, 7 and 10. Existing school library and student achievement data from 4022 schools in California was used. Both positive and negative relationships were found in the three grades examined; however, no statistically significant positive relationships were found at grade 10. Factors within the school library at the grades 4 and 7 levels were also studied and both positive and negative statistically significant relationships to student achievement were found. Results of this study challenge other large scale studies of the relationship between libraries and student achievement and raise issues around best uses of advocacy, funding, and professional development. See:

Tarr, W. and Sinclair, S. (2005). Using large scale assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of school library programs in California. In S. Lee, P. Warning, D. Singh, E. Howe, L. Farmer and S. Hughes (Eds.) IASL Reports 2005: Information leadership in a culture of change. Erie, PA: International Association of School Librarianship.

Subject Categories: 5, 14