By Karen Weber, Kathy MacAvaney, Kathy Kis, Nancy Dresen and Pete Knotek

We write to address the recent elimination of seven elementary library media specialist positions and request that full-time positions be restored at all RUSD elementary schools.  We believe the position eliminations are inconsistent with our District’s Quality Policy.  Further, the reductions are having a substantial negative impact on the students of RUSD.

Quality Objective #1: Student Achievement.

The following research demonstrates how full-time library media specialists (LMS) affect student achievement.

 National Studies:

•             In elementary schools where library programs are staffed 60 hours per week or more, there was a 9% improvement in test scores over those staffed less than 60 hours.1

•    In Minnesota schools with above-average student scores on the grade 3, 5 and 8 reading tests, 66.8% were schools where the LMS worked full-time. Twice as many schools with above-average scores had full-time media specialists.2

• Studies have consistently shown that full-time LMS directly impact student achievement and help improve test scores.2

 

Wisconsin Findings:

Wisconsin’s DPI conducted a study in 2006.  The following are the key findings of this study.3

1. Schools with full-time certified LMS and full-time library aides have higher performance on the WKCE.
2. Schools where the LMS spends more time on instruction-related student and teacher activities have higher WKCE scores.
3. Teachers who aligned WMAS for Information and Technology Literacy to their lessons found school library media programs more helpful to student performance.
4. Schools with greater library media program resources for collections and technology have higher performance on the WKCE.
5. LMS help students acquire unique skills not taught in the classroom and information and technology skills essential for students in the 21st century.

Local Concerns:

• LMS in Racine directly instruct many WKCE reading concepts tested through our State Standards at the third grade level.

• WKCE test scores in the District have shown stagnation or a steady decline over the last few years.  At a time when test scores are not improving, it makes no sense for the District to cut LMS.

• The Tregoe process was evidently not used in determining which cuts would be least harmful to student achievement. 

• The criteria, if any, that RUSD Teaching & Learning administrators used in targeting LMS for cuts remain unavailable for review by other professionals in the District.

 
Quality Objective #2:  Student Engagement

• Research shows that the presence of a teacher-librarian is the single strongest predictor of reading enjoyment for both grades 3 and 6 students.4

• According to a recent National Endowment of the Arts study (2007), there is a correlation between test scores and reading for pleasure on a daily basis such that students who read for fun every day perform better on reading tests than those who do not.5

• School libraries are the dominant source for students’ self-selected reading materials.

• Fewer fourth and fifth graders are participating in the “Battle of the Books” that is held annually at the Racine Public Library because LMS have little or no time to coach teams for this event that clearly promotes reading for pleasure.

• Students have to acquire the technology skills taught by LMS to compete in the 21st century.  They need these skills to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens.   

• Technology skills cannot be taught nearly as effectively when the LMS are only in buildings on a part-time basis.

• School LMS “promote, inspire, and guide students toward a love of reading, a quest for knowledge, and a thirst for lifelong learning.”6

Quality Objective #3:  Customer Satisfaction

• Close to a thousand signatures have been gathered on petitions that are requesting LMS be returned to schools on a full-time basis.

• Many parents voiced concern to LMS and teachers during our recent parent-teacher conferences that students’ library instruction had been decreased by half, and that their children have been bringing fewer books home on a regular basis.

• Teaching staff are concerned that there is now no time to collaborate with LMS about curriculum that they are teaching in the classroom due to the recent cuts.  Research support for teachers and students, provided by the LMS in the past, is now drastically reduced.

• Students are not able to check out books on a regular basis and have reduced access to books and library resources.

• 48% of the students in RUSD live in poverty.  Racine only has one public library.  Our school libraries are many students’ only available access to library services.

• Teachers are frustrated because of reduced access to professional library support and resources they need for classroom research and curricular support.

• LMS now have at least 750 students to develop a professional rapport with.  Some LMS service over 1,000 students.  It is impossible to effectively develop a rapport with that many students.

• Retention and continuity of library skills are severely affected because LMS are forced to teach lessons every other week.  LMS teach students only 15-17 times during the school year.

• LMS are consistently hearing from students ‘Why can’t we check out books more often?’

Quality Objective #4:  Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency

• It us a huge waste of taxpayer dollars to have library collections are inaccessible half of the time.  The District is not making maximum use of our resources nor can the LMS provide quality customer service if we are there only part of the time.

• Elementary book circulation is cut in half. It is imperative that students are engaged in reading at the elementary level to guide them into becoming lifelong readers and learners.

• Teachers want students to have more books to read.  The LMS are not able to provide meaningful reading selection guidance on a consistent basis.

• Young children are having more difficulty remembering and keeping track of library books. An expensive educational resource is at risk.

In conclusion, certified LMS emerge as the most critical component of the library media program at all school levels.  Programs that are well-staffed, especially with a full-time professional librarian, exert a greater impact on student academic performance.2   We therefore respectfully request that full-time positions be restored at all RUSD elementary schools.

Sincerely,

 

Karen Weber                                       Kathy Macavaney                            Kathy Kis
Library Media Specialist                     Library Media Specialist                    Library Media Specialist

 

Nancy Dresen                                                                                                  Pete Knotek
Specialist Representative, REA Executive Committee                                      President, REA

 

End Notes

1. Baumbach, Donna. Making the Grade: the Status of School Library Media Centers in the Sunshine State and How They Contribute to Student Achievement. Spring, TX: Hi Willow Research and, 2002.

2. School Libraries Work! Scholastic Library, 2006. 15 Nov. 2007 <www.scholastic.com/librarypublishing>.

3. Smith, PhD., Ester G. Student Learning Through. Wisconsin EGS Research & Consulting. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of  Public Instruction, 2006. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://dpi.state.wi.us/imt/pdf/finalteacherstudent06.pdf>.

4. Klinger, Donald. School Libraries and Student Achievement in Ontario. Ontario Library Association. Toronto, CA, 2006. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://www.lrs.org/impact.php>.

5. Iyengar, Sunil, Sarah Sullivan, Bonnie Nichols, Tom Bradshaw, and Kelli Rogowski. To Read or Not to Read. National Endowment for the Arts. Washington DC: Office of Research & Analysis, National, 2007. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://www.arts.gov>.

6. Resolution: In Support of Credentialed Library Media Professionals in School Library Media Centers. International Reading Association. Newark, DE, 2000. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://www.reading.org>.