What Works

Volume 31, Number 5, June 2004

Ken Haycock

Effective Roles for Student Achievement

Research Finding:
Effective school libraries have clear roles focused on student achievement.

Comment:
Profile of a Successful School Library
Based on recent research findings, Ross Todd, Carol Kuhlthau and an Ohio team concluded that eight characteristics can be used to place a stronger emphasis on learning.

Resource Agent. The school library and teacher-librarian provide up-to-date diverse resources to meet the curriculum’s informational needs. The teacher-librarian provides instructional interventions by guiding students in their information choices through the effective use of these resources.

Literacy Development Agent. The teacher-librarian engages students in an active and meaningful search process, enabling them to explore, formulate and focus their searches, and providing a supportive environment (personal, physical and instructional) for students to be successful in their research. Students understand that doing good research will lead to better knowledge of the curriculum content, as well as to academic success in their research projects.
Knowledge Construction Agent. The teacher-librarian develops information literacy scaffolds for engaging students with information in meaningful ways, enabling them to construct and develop new knowledge and understanding.

Academic Achievement Agent. The teacher-librarian is a dynamic agent of learning who helps students achieve better grades, particularly on research projects and assignments. An agent of academic achievement must be both a credentialed educator and a librarian.

Independent Reading and Personal Development Agent. The school library plays a role in fostering independent reading, particularly in lower grades. Reading materials that target personal pursuits, pleasure reading and reading for knowledge provide students with an important foundation. It is essential to promote and encourage reading literacy, academic achievement and the development of independent, lifelong readers.

Technological Literacy Agent. The school library plays an important role in information technology by providing students with up-to-date software across multiple media. Lessons must go beyond teaching the effective use of software to include technical troubleshooting (disk, printing, Internet access) and problem-solving skills.

Rescue Agent. Students have many information crises: they need last-minute resources, help with technology, and solutions to technical problems and help developing theses for projects. Indeed, even as a rescue agent, the library is opportunistic, responding to the multiple needs that arise from learning.

Individualized Learning Agent. The personal touch of a professional teacher-librarian matters a great deal to students. Personal engagement with students is a critical component of an effective school library. TLs who see themselves as information-learning specialists play a vital role in student learning.

Source:
Student learning through Ohio school libraries: The Ohio research study. (2003). Prepared by Ross Todd and Carol Kuhlthau. Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA). For additional information: http://www.oelma.org/studentlearning.htm.