Research Finding:
Students in schools with teacher-librarians perform
better on assessments of reading ability.
Comment
While socio-economic variables explain most of the
variance in performance by students on assessments
of reading, library variables explain a smaller but
still significant portion of the variables in performance.
Indeed, library variables were more important to explaining
the variance than other school variables.
Staffing levels, collection size, interaction with teachers and students
and library technology levels had a positive association with performance
at the elementary, middle/junior high and high school levels.
Teacher-librarians and libraries can particularly play a very special role
in providing enrichment to those students who come from economically disadvantaged
backgrounds and who need additional help to develop the skills that they
will need to succeed.
While a causal relationship between library variables and student performance
is only highly plausible, according to independent researchers it may in
fact be underestimated due to the nature of standardized tests as a measure
of performance.
Similar to recent state-sponsored studies in Alaska, Colorado and Pennsylvania,
the Texas 2001 study indicates that teacher-librarians have a positive impact
on student achievement. [See also , for example, TL 28(1) What Works column
or access www.teacherlibrarian.com.]
Sources:
Smith, Ester. (2001, April). Texas school libraries:
Standards, resources, services, and students’ performance. Austin,
TX: Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Available: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/schlibsurvey/.
Accessed October 04, 2001.
