[CLClist] School libraries linked to academic achievement

[Christine Bradley]

HI All:
I share this February 22 ALA PRESS RELEASE:
"New study reaffirms link between school librarians, academic achievement"
 
WASHINGTON - Language test scores in New York State schools with certified
librarians are higher than in those schools without librarians, according to
preliminary research findings from Syracuse University's School of
Information Studies.

The research was conducted on schools giving the English Language Arts test,
which is administered by New York State to fourth graders and tests several
language skills, including reading, writing, and listening. These
preliminary findings indicated a 10-point increase of test scores in schools
with library media specialists.

"Syracuse's results prove yet again how important school libraries and
certified school library media specialists are in the education process,"
said ALA President Dr. Loriene Roy, "and why legislation like the SKILLs Act
is so important for the future of our Nation's children and would solve the
crisis facing school libraries."

Library advocates across the nation have been pushing tirelessly for the
Strengthening Kids' Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLs) Act, which
would place a state-certified school library media specialist in every
school in America. The SKILLs Act would be included in the reauthorization
of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which is being considered in
Congress right now.

"Many people don't realize it," Dr. Roy continued, "but there are many, many
schools in America without school librarians, which is so tragic because so
many studies, including this one now, have affirmed the link between school
libraries, certified school library media specialists, and student academic
achievement."

According to the New York Library Association, "certified school library
media specialists are currently not mandated at the elementary level in New
York State, but they are at the secondary level (grades 7-12). There are
currently 568,924 students in K-12 schools who do not have access to a
certified school library media specialist."

More information on the research results is available at
http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=1509.

Contact: Andy Bridges
ALA Washington Office
202-628-8410

Christine Bradley, Executive Director
Connecticut Library Consortium
234 Court Street
Middletown, Connecticut 06457
Phone: 860-344-8777 ext. 103
Fax: 860-344-9199
cbradley at ctlibrarians.org
www.ctlibrarians.org

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