AASL review of research

A study undertaken by AASL’s Community of Scholars provides an aggregation and systematic review of research related to school librarian practice published in 2019.The AASL Strategic Plan (2019) also included five core values: learning; innovation; equity, diversity, and inclusion; intellectual freedom; and collaboration.  The researchers found the “core values to be tightly intertwined in the research. Learning outcomes were a focus in nearly 50% of the studies, but learning was a component of much of the remaining research in innovation and collaboration.”

Kimmel, S., Moore, J., Morris, R., Church, A., & Ewbank A. (2023). "School Libr*: A Review of Published Research Articles from 2019." School Library Research, 26. 

School libraries and COVID-19 study

 Arkansas school librarians were surveyed about their efforts during and after COVID-19. Questions addressed planning and implementation, skills that supported online learning, and concerns. The survey revealed that librarians wanted to help their schools pivot to online learning, and found several ways to insert themselves into the school's structure (e.g., resources and professional development) through their specialized knowledge and skills relative to curriculum, technology, online resources, and online education.

Wake, D., Hu, H., & Shaw, E. (2023). School librarians creating space for connection and collaboration. Knowledge Quest, 51(5), 50-55.

2023 conditions of US education report

This federal report  draws on data from multiple studies to offer a look at current trends in K-12 education, including the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic on students, educators and schools. The trends highlighted include data showing that more than two-thirds of schools reported an increase in 2022 of students seeking mental health support, while slightly more than half of schools reported being capable of providing such support.

Conditiions of Education 2023. (2023). National Center for Education Statistics. 

https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2023144#:~:text=The%20Condition%20of%20Education%202023,the%20public%20monitor%20educational%20progress

Library services for students with dyslexia study

 This study investigated school library services for students with dyslexia, and found that participant librarians lacked knowledge about library services for these students. Awareness, IT, administrative support, funding and parental attitudes influence such library services. Providing appropriate accommodations, including IT, would help school librarians impact these students' reading and information literacy.

Li, Qingyu, et al. “School Library Reading Support for Students with Dyslexia: a Qualitative Study in the Digital Age.” Library Hi Tech, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-03-2023-0086 

Equity in Reading Reports

 Access to better reading supports for students of color is a growing social justice issue. Two reports address this issue. they recommend high expectations, asset-based approach. culturally-responsive education, and a variety of strategies to improve learning conditions and access. 

Carr, S. (2022, Dec. 19). How dyslexia became a social justice issues for Black parents. Washington Post.

Terry, N. (2021). Delivering on the promise of the science of reading for all children. The Reading Teacher, 75(20), 3-90.

Teens and Social Media Survey

 Today’s teens are navigating a digital landscape unlike the one experienced by their predecessors, particularly when it comes to the pervasive presence of social media. In 2022, an in-depth survey asked American teens – and their parents – about their experiences with and views toward social media.

Findings: 

• A majority of teens use social media, YouTube being the most popular.
• TikTok use is more common among Black teens and among teen girls.
• Majorities of teens use TikTok and YouTube daily, some more often than that. 
• A majority of teens said it would be difficult to give up social media.
• Teens are more likely to say social media has had a negative effect on others than on themselves, and are more likely to report positive social media use experiences than negative ones.
• When it comes to social media platforms abuse, many teens think criminal charges or permanent bans would help a lot.
• Some teens, especially older teen girls, avoid posting certain things on social media out of fear of embarrassment or other reasons.
• Many teens don't think that have control over what information that social media companies collect about them.
• Some 22% of teens think their parents are extremely or very worried about them using social media, but 46% of parents ARE worried. 

Vogels, E., Gelles-Watnick, R., & Massarat, N. (2023). Teens, social media and technology. Pew Reserach Center. 

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/

Low-income Latino students' reading scores report

 Some districts with substantial numbers of low-income Latino students vastly outperform others when it comes to reading and writing. The results appear to have more to do with how schools are teaching students to read and less about their family’s income or their English proficiency. That’s according to a new report from a literacy advocacy group made up of organizations of educators, advocates and researchers. The pandemic negatively impacted students. However, 

"The clear message is that it is not the students themselves, or the level of resources, that drive student reading achievement - the primary drivers are district focus on reading, management practices, and curriculum and instruction choices.  The top performing districts come in all types: urban, rural, and suburban, across 9 different counties, with high-need students levels ranging from 39% to 94%.  Any district can succeed at teaching reading."

California Reading Report Card 2022. (2023). California Reading Coalition.

https://www.careads.org/2022-reportcard