Maybe you are failing the school, Chancellor ...

Tireseus (the blind prophet): Do you really think closing schools is the answer?

Chancellor: The school is failing.

Tireseus: Or maybe you are failing the school. Why not give them what they need to succeed?

Chancellor: But schools must be held accountable.

Tireseus: And what about you, Chancellor? Who’s holding you accountable?

From: Declassified: Struggle for Existence (We Used to Eat Lunch Together). Conceived of by students from Jamaica High School and Queens Collegiate High School in the Actor’s Workshop at Queensborough Community College. Full play available at: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/school-turnaroundsreform/a-student-play-criticizing-sch.html#more

Boring Study

Data from the 2007 and 2008 High School Survey of Student Engagement

Pervasiveness of Boredom in School
* Two out of three respondents (67% in each year) are bored at least every day in class in high school.
* Approximately half of the students (51% in 2007, 50% in 2008) are bored every day.
* Approximately one out of every six students (16% in 2007, 17% in 2008) are bored in every class.
* Only 2% in each year report never being bored

Reasons Why School Is Boring
* More than four out of five cited a reason for their boredom as "Material wasn't interesting" (83% in 2007, 82% in 2008).
* About two out of five students (41% in each year) claimed that the lack of relevance of the material caused their boredom.
* About one-third of the students (33% in 2007, 32% in 2008) were bored because "Work wasn't challenging enough."
* Just over one-fourth (27% in each year) of respondents were bored because "Work was too difficult."
* More than one-third of respondents (35% in each year) were bored due to "No interaction with teacher."

Perceived Impact of School on Future Success
Not more than one-third of the students reported that their school contributed "Very Much" to their growth in the following areas related to rigor and relevance:

* "Acquiring skills related to work after high school" (23% in 2007, 24% in 2008)
* "Writing effectively" (31% in 2007, 30% in 2008)
* "Speaking effectively" (27% in each year)
* "Thinking critically" (32% in each year)
* "Reading and understanding challenging materials" (28% in each year)
* "Learning independently" (28% in 2007, 30% in 2008)
* "Solving real-world problems" (20% in 2007, 21% in 2008)

Source: Adapted from Yazzie-Mintz, E. (2009). Engaging the voices of students: A report on the 2007 and 2008 high school survey of student engagement (pp. 5–8). Bloomington, IN: Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, Indiana University. http://indiana.edu/nceep/hssse/images/hssse_2009_report.pdf

Ebook report

Survey: Most teachers pay out of pocket for e-books
The price of electronic books and e-readers may be keeping many teachers from using them in the classroom, according to a recent survey. A report found that school librarians were more likely to use e-books because, in most cases, they were paid for by the school. However, among teachers who purchased e-books, 70% say they had to pay for the books themselves.
Fredricks, J. (2010). eBooks: K-12 Educators' Usage and Attitudes. Egremont.
http://www.dedicatedteacher.com/estore/product/EGR0001

California teacher shortage report

California's budget crisis is worsening teacher shortage
The number of teachers in California has dropped to a 10-year low, and about one-third of the state's teaching force is expected to retire during the next decade, according to a report. Meanwhile, the report shows that California's budget troubles have reduced the number of first- and second-year teachers, and training programs are enrolling fewer participants. The report calls for adequate funding for public education and a greater focus on teacher development.
Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning. (2010). California’s Teaching Force 2010. Santa Cruz: Author.
http://www.cftl.org/documents/2010/TCF.2010.FullReport.pdf

Low-performing schools study

Failing schools are rarely improved or closed
Schools that struggle to meet standards rarely improve and rarely are being closed, according to a new study that shows only 1% of schools said to be failing in 2003-04 exceeded state standards five years later. The study examined failing elementary and middle schools in 10 states, and found that more than 90% of such schools remained in the bottom quartile of schools after five years.
Thomas B. Fordham Institute and Basis Policy Research. (2010). Are bad schools immortal?
http://www.edexcellence.net/publications-issues/publications/are-bad-schools-immortal.html

Teacher performance study

Gates Study Offers Teacher-Effectiveness Clues
Preliminary findings show that value-added histories and student perceptions of teachers strongly predict teacher performance. “Value added” gauges based on growth in student test scores and students’ perceptions of their teachers both hold promise as components of a system for identifying and promoting teacher effectiveness, according to preliminary findings from the first year of a major study. The study found that student improvement on standardized tests reflected gains in learning and critical-thinking skills, not memorization, as some critics have suggested. Furthermore, the value-added predictions were corroborated by the results of student surveys, which often identified the same teachers as the most effective.
Gates Foundation. (2010). Measures of effective teaching. Seattle: Gates Foundation.
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/united-states/Pages/measures-of-effective-teaching-fact-sheet.aspx

California School Library Standards research

DRAFT California school library standards research (http://www.csulb.edu/~lfarmer)

School Library Survey

Digital resources in school libraries
According to an AASL survey, 61% of school library staff respondents provide professional development for teachers in the use of digital content. Of those providing training, 71% spend between one and six hours or more a week training teachers on digital resources. This data was gleaned from a set of supplemental questions on digital content and resources in the 2010 School Libraries Count!
AASL. (2010). 2010 School Libraries Count! National Longitudinal Survey of School Library Programs (SLC). Chicago: ALA.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/researchandstatistics/slcsurvey/slcsurvey.cfm

Online socializing survey

The social benefits of internet use will far outweigh the negatives over the next decade, according to experts consulted in a recent survey.They say this is because email, social networks, and other online tools offer “low friction” opportunities to create, enhance, and rediscover social ties that make a difference in people’s lives.
Pew Research Center. (2010). Future of the Internet. Washington, DC: Author.
http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Future_of_Internet_%202010_social_relations.pdf

College students' study research

New research, conducted by two California economics professors, shows that over the past five decades, the number of hours that the average college student studies each week has been steadily dropping. According to time-use surveys, the average student at a four-year college in 1961 studied about 24 hours a week. Today’s average student hits the books for just 14 hours.
Babcock, P., & Marks, M. (2010). Review of Economics and Statistics.


The 2009 National Survey of Student Engagement found that 62 percent of college students studied 15 hours a week or less — even as they took home primarily As and Bs on their report cards. On the positive side, the report shows that a variety of colleges and universities have shown steady improvement in the quality of undergraduate education, as measured by students’ exposure to and involvement in effective educational practices.
National Survey of Student Engagement. (2009). Assessment for Improvement. Bloomington, IN: NSSE. http://nsse.iub.edu/_2010/sandbox.cfm?editMode=0&cid=41

Don't give them half a loaf ...

Some excerpts from Diane Ravitch's "Friend of Education" Speech at the NEA. The entire speech can be found at: http://www.nea.org/grants/40246.htm

"Since my book appeared in early March, … I would say that I have met so far about 20,000 teachers, and after today I think I am going to increase it to 30,000. And in all of this time, aside from the right-wing think tanks, I haven’t seen met a single teacher who likes what’s happening. I haven’t met a single teacher who thinks that No Child Left Behind has been a success. I haven’t met a single teacher who thinks that Race to the Top is a good idea."

"Why has the Obama Administration built its education agenda on the punitive failed strategies of No Child Left Behind?"

"I have been told by some people in the Obama Administration that the way to stop the narrowing of the curriculum is to test everything."

"The single most reliable predictor of test scores is poverty, and poverty, in turn, is correlated to student attendance, to family support, and to the school’s resources."

"And perhaps we should begin demanding that school districts be held accountable for providing the resources that schools need."

"Instead of the current wave of so-called reforms, we should ask ourselves how to deliver on our belief that every student in this nation should learn not only basic skills, but should have a curriculum that includes the arts, history, geography, civics, foreign languages, mathematics, science, physical education, and health. But instead of this kind of rich curriculum, all they are getting is a heavy dose of high-stakes testing and endless test preparation. And as the stakes increase for teachers and schools, there will be more emphasis on test prep and not what children need."

"We need experienced principals who are themselves master teachers. We do not need a wave of newcomers who took a course called 'How to be a principal.' We need superintendents who are wise and experienced educators, not lawyers and businessmen."

"Stand up to the attacks on public education. Don’t give them half a loaf, because they will be back the next day for another slice, and the day after that for another slice. Don’t compromise."

Middle school health study

Intervention helps at-risk middle-school students stay healthy
Middle-school students are healthier when schools intervene in their exercising and eating, according to results of a recent study. Intervention methods used over a three-year period were found to reduce obesity rates among minority and low-income middle-school students, who are often at risk for long-term health problems.
National Institutes of Health. (2010). Healthy study.
http://www.healthystudy.org/

Charter school teacher retention study

Teachers at charter schools are more than twice as likely to leave the profession as their peers at traditional public schools, according to a new study. Charter school teachers tend to be younger than teachers at traditional schools, and less likely to have standard certification, according to the study. The implication is that they’re more likely to see teaching as a temporary gig en route to another career. The schools, generally located within poorly performing neighborhoods and districts, also tend to enroll more challenging students than the bulk of traditional schools.

National Center on School Choice.(2010). Teacher turnover in charter schools. Nashville: Author.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/schoolchoice/documents/briefs/brief_stuit_smith_ncspe.pdf

College expenses and financial aid have become increasingly larger considerations for parents and students, driving more qualified students away from enrolling in four-year colleges. Fewer low- and moderate-income high school graduates are attending college in America, and fewer are graduating. Enrollment in four-year colleges was 40% in 2004 for low-income students, down from 54% in 1992, and 53% in 2004 for moderate-income students, down from 59% over the same period. If that trend has continued, low- and moderate-income students who don’t move on to college face an even darker outlook. The unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year olds averaged 17% in 2004, the jobless rate for people over age 25 with just a high school diploma averaged 5% the same year. So far this year, those figures have jumped to 25.8% and 10.6%, respectively.

Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. (2010). The rising price of inequality. Washington, DC: GPO.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/33608537/The-Rising-Price-of-Inequality

Connected Teens research

Trends in social media and cloud computing are often examined through the lens of younger users and broadband users, who have consistently been more actively engaged online when compared with other groups. This presentation highlights new research on teens, young adults and social media use while also identifying a new leading edge group that deserves the same attention: those who own four or more internet-connected devices.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
http://pewinternet.org/Presentations/2010/Jun/Four-or-More--The-New-Demographic.aspx

Information Literacy indicators report

This report provides a basic conceptual framework based on for measuring
information literacy and is designed to serve as a reference to facilitate
the elaboration of information literacy indicators. The framework facilitates measuring information
literacy through which achievements at both international and national
levels can be demonstrated and future efforts can be better focused.
Catts, R., & Lau, J. (2010). Towards information literacy indicators. Hague: UNESCO.
http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/cscl/InfoLit.pdf

Minority access study

Minority children have fewer opportunities than their white peers to gain access to high-quality health care, education, safe neighborhoods and adequate support from the communities where they live, according to a nationwide survey of professionals who work with young people. Of the professionals surveyed, 59 percent said young white children in their communities have "lots of opportunity" to play in violence-free homes and neighborhoods, while only 36 percent said the same about Hispanic children, 37 percent about African-American children and 42 percent about Native American children.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
http://www.wkkf.org/news/Articles/2010/07/Minority-Children-Face-More-Obstacles-to-Health-and-Success.aspx

Scaffolded Silent Reading?

A comment on Reutzel, Jones, Fawson and Smith (2008): Scaffolded Silent Reading is just as good as Guided Repeated Oral Reading: OR just as bad.
Stephen Krashen

Reutzel et. al. is a comparison between a method labeled Scaffolded Silent Reading (ScSR) and Guided Repeated Oral Reading (GROR) done over one year using third graders.

In ScSR, children are required to set specific goals as to how much and what they will read, and are required to read in a variety of genres. In brief conferences with teachers, students are questioned about what they read, and choose a "book response project" to do related to the book they have just read. Students are also taught "book selection strategies" to avoid their selecting "inappropriate difficult books for reading practice" (p. 196).

In GROR, the students hear a passage read aloud, then reread it several times quietly and then aloud. Students are usually given feedback on their reading from the teacher. Reutzel et. al. do not provide details about how GROR was done in this study.

There were no significant differences between the groups of measures of accuracy in reading aloud, rate of reading aloud, "expression," and oral retelling of passages children read aloud. (Actual means and statistics are not presented, only graphs and percentages.) The authors conclude that this shows that ScSR is a "viable, complementary, and motivating approach that is comparable to … GROR" (p. 205).

In other words, ScSR is just as good as GROR. It could also be said that it is just as bad. No comparison group was used that did neither treatment. Also, the results do not indicate how ScSR compares to sustained silent reading (SSR), which is very different, as Reutzel et. al. note. In contrast to ScSR, SSR includes low or no accountability, allows free choice, and does not require follow-up projects. Also, SSR does not constrain students to read certain genres, but encourages "narrow reading" (Krashen, 2004).


Krashen, S. 2004. The case for narrow reading. Language Magazine 3(5): 16-20.
Reutzel, R., Jones, C., Fawson, P., and Smith, J. 2008. Scaffolded silent reading: A complement to guided repeated oral reading that works! The Reading Teacher 62 (3): 194-207.

Let's read. Let's move. Let's support libraries.

Let's Read. Let's Move. Let's Support Public Libraries

Sent to the Christian Science Monitor, June 10, 2010
As part of a program called "Let's read. Let's Move," First Lady Michelle Obama is calling for children to read five books over the summer to prevent summer reading loss: Some children lose about two months of reading progress over the summer ("Michelle Obama's next childhood obesity target: summer break," June 8). But it makes no sense to require or encourage reading when there is little access to books.
The children who show reading loss over the summer are children of poverty. Research shows that children of poverty have little access to books at home, at school and in their communities. Public libraries in high-poverty areas are not well-funded, and have fewer materials and are open fewer hours than those in low-poverty areas. Studies also show that when children have access to interesting and comprehensible reading material, the children really do read.
The first step in dealing with the summer slump is the most obvious: Better funding of public libraries, especially in high-poverty areas, and more support for librarians who understand what children really like to read.
Stephen Krashen
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2010/0608/Michelle-Obama-s-next-childhood-obesity-target-summer-break

California ELL report

Reparable Harm: Fulfilling the Unkept Promise of Educational Opportunity for Long Term English Learners
This foundation report examines factors in the increase in long-term English learners in California, student characteristics, and current limitations. Recommendations include specialized courses, clustered placement in grade-level classes, and monitoring and support systems.

Olsen, Laurie (2010). Reparable Harm: Fulfilling the Unkept Promise of Educational Opportunity for Long Term English Learners. Long Beach: California Community Foundation.
http://www.calfund.org/pub_documents/reparable_harm_full_final_lo.pdf

California ELL report

Report criticizes instruction of long-term ELL students in Calif.
Students learning English as a second language in 40 California school districts may not be receiving the instruction they need, according to a report by a coalition of education and civil rights groups. The study concluded that 59% of English-language learners in secondary schools and with more than six years in U.S. schools had not achieved proficiency, and few programs were in place to meet the long-term needs of ELL students. State education leaders disputed the findings, but acknowledged the challenge for students to achieve English fluency in higher grades, where academics become more rigorous.
Californians Together. (2010). Reparable Harm: Fulfilling the Unkept Promise of Educational Opportunity for California’s Long Term English Learners. Long Beach, CA: Author.
http://www.californianstogether.org/

Reading report

This report highlights fourth-grade reading scores as a predictor for dropping out, with lower earning potential, global competitiveness, and productivity. Examines factors undermining poor minority students' reading proficiency and outlines reforms to address them.
Annie E. Casey Foundtation. (2010). 2010 KIDS COUNT Special Report: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters. Baltimore: Author.
http://www.aecf.org/~/media/Pubs/Initiatives/KIDS%20COUNT/123/2010KCSpecReport/AEC_report_color_highres.pdf

Women in STEM report

A new research report by AAUW presents compelling evidence that can help to explain why so few women are in STEM careers. The report presents in-depth yet accessible profiles of eight key research findings that point to environmental and social barriers – including stereotypes, gender bias and the climate of science and engineering departments in colleges and universities – that continue to block women’s participation and progress in science, technology, engineering, and math. The report also includes up to date statistics on girls' and women's achievement and participation in these areas and offers new ideas for what each of us can do to more fully open scientific and engineering fields to girls and women.
AAUW. (2010). Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
http://www.aauw.org/learn/research/whysofew.cfm

Books and education study

The difference between having no books in the home and having 500 books in the home has an enormous impact on schooling: Evans, Kelley, Sikora and Treiman (2010) did a study of about 70,000 15 year olds in 27 countries, interviewed. Their major result: Controlling for parental education, fathers' occupation, and social class, young people in homes with 500 books stay in school three years longer than children in bookless homes.
The effect of books in the home was about the same as the effect of parental education: Controlling for all other factors, those from homes in which parents had a college education stayed in school three years longer than those from homes in which parents had three years of education.
The effect of books was twice as strong as the effect of fathers' occupation. Children from homes in which fathers were professionals stayed in school about a year and a half longer than children from homes in which the father was a laborer, all other factors equal.
The effect of books was stronger than the effect of GDP (gross domestic product); children in the country with the highest GDP (United States) stay in school two years longer than children in the country with a much lower GDP (China).
In other words: Access to books is as strong as or stronger than economic factors, once again suggesting that access to books can mitigate the effects of poverty .
Another important result was the finding that the effects of books in the home are more powerful for children whose parents have little or no schooling. The results of the study predict that children of parents with little or no schooling who have 25 books in the home will have two more years of education than a similar family with no books in the home. Also, 500 books in the home predicts an additional two years of education.
Here is another way of looking at this result: 40% of children of parents with little or no education in bookless homes finish grade 9. In book-filled homes (500 or more books), 88% do.
Evans, Kelley, Sikora, and Treiman (2010) Family scholarly culture and educational success: Books and schooling in 27 nations. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility
(above review written by S. Krashen)

School technology survey

Survey reveals gaps in school technology perceptions
The results from a recent survey on education technology suggest that schools are making progress on integrating technology into the curriculum—but the survey also reveals key disparities in how students, educators, administrators, and even aspiring teachers think of various technology tools.
(2010). Unleashing the future. Irvine, CA: Project Tomorrow
http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU09UnleashingTheFuture.pdf

This survey reports on how Californians view issues in the K-12 education system, including the impact of state funding cuts, high school dropout rates, college and workforce preparation, merit pay for teachers, and higher taxes to help fund schools.
Baldassare, M., et al. (2010). PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education. San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California
http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/survey/S_410MBS.pdf

WHO WILL PROFIT FROM THE STANDARDS?

FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
• MARCH 2, 2010
Education Unit Helps Lift Pearson's Net Profit
By PAUL SONNE
Education and publishing company Pearson PLC reported a 46% jump in 2009 net profit to £425 million ($648 million) Monday, boosted by an education business that CEO Marjorie Scardino says could be helped further by U.S. President Barack Obama's push for common state standards in math and reading.
Pearson's North American education division, which comprises the company's largest business and includes Prentice Hall, reported £2.47 billion in sales for 2009, a 5% increase at constant exchange rates.
Overall, the company reported £5.62 billion in sales, up 4% at constant exchange rates from £4.81 billion last year.
The education division's growth could be boosted in the U.S. in the coming year as 48 states develop common core education standards for math and language arts as part of a voluntary state-led effort encouraged by the White House, Ms. Scardino said.
The implementation of core standards would reduce the burden Pearson faces in adapting materials to individual state requirements. It could also open up an opportunity for Pearson to win a new contract measuring the progress of that common-standards initiative. The degree to which Pearson will reap benefits depends on how many states ultimately opt into the common standards and how specific they are.
Ms. Scardino said Pearson could also benefit from $4.35 billion in "Race to the Top" grants the Obama administration will begin distributing to states this year for education innovation and reform. Data systems that measure student success, one of Pearson's key product areas, are an emphasis of the grant plan.

Library computer study

Millions of People Rely on Library Computers for Employment, Health, and Education

77 million people used library computers and Internet access in past year, nearly one-third of Americans age 14 or older,used a public library computer or wireless network to access the Internet in the past year The report is based on the first, large-scale study (50,000 surveys from 400 public libraries) of who uses public computers and Internet access in public libraries, the ways library patrons use this free technology service, why they use it, and how it affects their lives.

Low-income adults are more likely to rely on the public library as their sole access to computers and the Internet than any other income group. Overall, 44 percent of people living below the federal poverty line used computers and the Internet at their public libraries.

Americans across all age groups reported they used library computers and Internet access. Teenagers are the most active users. Half of the nation's 14- to 18-year-olds reported that they used a library computer during the past year, typically to do school homework.

The use of library technology had significant impact in four critical areas: employment, education, health, and making community connections. In the last 12 months:
o 40 percent of library computer users (an estimated 30 million people) received help with career needs. Among these users, 75 percent reported they searched for a job online. Half of these users filled out an online application or submitted a resume.
o 37 percent focused on health issues. The vast majority of these users (82 percent) logged on to learn about a disease, illness, or medical condition. One-third of these users sought out doctors or health care providers. Of these, about half followed up by making appointments for care.
o 42 percent received help with educational needs. Among these users, 37 percent (an estimated 12 million students) used their local library computer to do homework for a class.
o Library computers linked patrons to their government, communities, and civic organizations. Sixty-percent of users - 43.3 million people - used a library's computer resources to connect with others.

The library's role as a technology resource has exploded since 1996, when only 28 percent of libraries offered Internet access. Today, almost all public libraries offer visitors free access to computers and the Internet. Unfortunately, up to a third of all libraries say they lack even minimally adequate Internet connections to meet demand. More report that they cannot provide the access their patrons truly need.

University of Washington Information School. (2010). Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries.
http://tascha.washington.edu/usimpact

American education reports

The Brookings Institution published three reports on American education. One shows that the gender gap is closing in mathematics performance, but that boys are falling behind on reading. Two other reports focus on California education. One shows that low-performing schools usually do not improve over time. In examining California charter schools, conversions look more like traditional public schools than start-up charters.
Brookings Institution. (2010). Brown Center Report on American Education.
http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2010/0317_education_loveless.aspx

Video game study

Boys who received video systems immediately spend more time playing video games and less time engaged in after-school academic activities than comparison children. They also had lower reading and writing scores and greater teacher-reported academic problems at follow-up than comparison children. Amount of video-game play mediated the relationship between video-game ownership and academic outcomes. Results provide experimental evidence that video games may displace after-school activities that have educational value and may interfere with the development of reading and writing skills in some children.
Weis, R., and Cerankosky, B. (2010, March). Effects of Video-Game Ownership on Young Boys’ Academic and Behavioral Functioning. Psychological Science.

Technology study

Education Week's annual Technology Counts examines district-level technology use, including library media technology. Statistics are drawn from the US Department of Education and other sources.
For instance,
* 72% elementary/82% secondary schools provide online access to the library catalog for all students
* 60% elem./68% secondary schools provide online access to databases for all students
* 89.5% have automated circ systems, and 87.2% have student/teacher access to them
* The average # of computers in elementary school libraries is 12.2; for secondary it is 26.4, and almost all have Internet connectivity.
Education Week (2010). Technology Counts.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2010/03/18/index.html

Wikipedia study

A study at the University of Washington Information School showed that college students “frequently used Wikipedia for background information, but less often than they used other common resources, such as course readings and Google. Architecture, engineering, and science majors were more likely to use Wikipedia for course-related research than respondents in other majors.” (from American Libraries)
Alison J. Head and Michael B. Eisenberg (2010). How today's college students use Wikipedia for college-related research. First Monday, 15(3).
http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2830/2476

Hispanic Youth report

"A new report released by the National Council of La Raza examines the status of Hispanic youth in the United States, ages 15 to 24. The report shows that more than one in five (21.4%) Hispanics ages 16–24 has dropped out of high school. The Hispanic population is on the rise nationally and will account for about 30% of the U.S. population by 2050." (American Libraries)
National Council of La Raza (2010). America’s Tomorrow: A Profile of Latino Youth
http://www.nclr.org/content/publications/detail/62014/

YALSA research bibliography

The YALSA Research Committee is pleased to announce the most recent addition to the YALSA Research Bibliographies: “Current Research Related to Young Adult Services, 2006-2009.” (PDF) This document, as well as the two previous bibliographies, are available on the YALSA web site.
Topics include information literacy, information seeking, technology, and more.

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/research/09researchbibliograp.pdf

Teacher use of technology report

A national research report claims that more teachers are digitally inclined.
* 76% of k12 educators used digital media (up from 69% in 2008).
* 80% of k12 teachers who use digital media in the classroom are frequent or regular users.
* 72% of k12 teachers increasingly stream/download content from the Internet.
Grunwald Associates. (2010). Digitally inclined. Washington, DC: PBS Education.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/_files/pdf/annual-pbs-survey-report.pdf

Online learning study

The U. S. Department of Education's conducted a meta-analysis of over 1000 empirically-based practices in online learning from 1996 to 2008. Major findings include:
* Blended and online conditions result in similar learning performance.
* Video and online quizzes do not impact student learning.
* Learning is enhanced when learners can control their interaction with media, and reflect.
* Group guidance is not as effective and individual guidance.
US Dept. of Education. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning.
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html

Youth media use study

"A national survey found that with technology allowing nearly 24-hour media access as children and teens go about their daily lives, the amount of time young people spend with entertainment media has risen dramatically, especially among minority youth. Today, 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38) to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). And because they spend so much of that time 'media multitasking' (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours. This study is the third in a series of large-scale, nationally representative surveys by the Foundation about young people's media use. It includes data from all three waves of the study (1999, 2004, and 2009), and is among the largest and most comprehensive publicly available sources of information about media use among American youth." Kaiser Family Foundation. (2010). Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds. http://www.kff.org/entmedia/mh012010pkg.cfm

Online safety report

This FTC report examined the incidence of sexually and violently explicit content in online virtual worlds, its accessibility to minors and the prevention measures virtual world operators have in place.
Federal Trade Commission. (2009). Virtual Worlds and Kids: Mapping the Risks. Washington, DC: Author.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt038.shtm

AASL School libraries count report

AASL is sponsoring a longitudinal survey that will provide data on the health of the nation's school library media programs. The annual survey is open to media centers at all schools teaching at the primary and secondary levels. The first survey was conducted in 2007, with annual results posted each year. Most of the questions are tracking questions, though each year the survey includes a short series of topical questions. In 2009 the topical questions were about approaches to teaching English Language Learners (ELL) in school library media programs.
AASL. (2009). School libraries count. Chicago: AASL.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/researchandstatistics/slcsurvey/slcsurvey.cfm

European media literacy report.

This study covers the 27 EU Member States. It offers a comprehensive view of the concept of media literacy and an understanding of how media literacy levels in Europe should be assessed.
EAVI. (2009). Assessment Criteria for Media Literacy Levels in Europe.
http://www.eavi.eu

Workforce and education report

This report offers many stimuli for reflecting on the relationships about the poor/high
quality in education/training and the quality of less/more skilled
workforce. World class education for world class economy is based on
the combination of several skills and competencies (p.6) which
contribute to build up imagination, creativity, vision.
New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. (2009). Though Choices or Though Times.
http://skillscommission.org/pdf/exec_sum/ToughChoices_EXECSUM.pdf

Technology and learning research

This updated Cisco commissioned report on the impact of technology on student learning incorporate Web 2.0 participatory cultures of communication, collaboration, and interactivity and summaries of the latest research finds in educational technology.
Lemke, C., Coughlin, E., & Reifsneider, D. (2009). Technology in schools: What the research says: An update. Culver City, CA: Commissioned by Cisco. http://tinyurl.com/yfcyor8

Public library services report

This brief identifies important changes public libraries have made to address patron needs in an increasingly Internet-centric environment and explores service differences in urban and rural communities. A comparison of more than 11 years of Public Library Survey data suggests that service changes in U.S. public libraries are having an impact on visitation and circulation, as record numbers of people now use public libraries nationwide.
Several findings from the surveyinclude:
* The availability of Internet terminals in public libraries rose sharply between 2000 and 2007, increasing by 90 percent on a per capita basis. This dramatic increase is one example of the way U.S. public libraries are expanding their range of services to meet patron demand.
* Between 1997 and 2007, per capita visits to public libraries increased nationwide by 19 percent. During the same period per capita circulation increased by 12 percent. This growth in demand for library services occurred even as people increasingly turned to the Internet to meet other information needs.
* The study identified very different trajectories between urban and rural communities for select service trends, highlighting the importance of local context for identifying patron needs and improving services.

Institute of Museum and Library Services. (2010). Service Trends in U.S.
Public Libraries, 1997-2007. Washington, DC: Author.
http://www.imls.gov/pdf/Brief2010_01.pdf

Libraries and megasites report

Based on data from more than 120 academic, special and public libraries, this report discusses how libraries use and relate to the mega-internet sites such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook, MySpace, eBay, Amazon, and others. In many ways the mega-sites have transformed library management, fostering change in information literacy education, library marketing and public relations, cataloging, digitization, collection management and other aspects of librarianship. Library patrons often learn their initial information searching skills from the internet sites, as well as their formative information gathering experiences, creating a set of experiences and expectations that they bring to the library. This report provides hard data on exactly how libraries are dealing with the emerging internet giants, how they are adopting, negotiating, repelling, embracing and in every way developing strategies to provide the best possible information services to their clientele.
Primary Research Group. (2008). Libraries and the mega Internet sites. Dublin: Research and Markets.
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/b0e708/libraries_the_megainternet_sites ($$)

Quality Counts national education report

Education Week's annual report highlights the current national debate on academic standards. Among the feature stories are U.S. common standards, math progress assessment, standards implementation, and "state of the states" statistics.
Education Week. (2010). Quality Counts 2010: Fresh Course, Swift Current.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2010/01/14/index.html?roi=echo4-7639694084-6525610-1511e2a04671368f962d753d94035a62&

ALA libraries report

Fairly dramatic changes in U.S. library funding, services and staffing have occurred in the last 18 months. According to a new report prepared by ALA, libraries of all types are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn while managing sky-high use. The report presents U.S. economic trends (2009), and summarizes trends in public, school and academic libraries across several library measures, including expenditures, staffing and services. The report also highlights trends in services provided to libraries by library cooperatives and consortia."

American Library Association. (2009). The Condition of Libraries: 1999-2009. Chicago: ALA.

http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2010/january2010/outlook_ors.cfm

Adolescent literacy report

With a vision of "Literacy for all!," the Carnegie Foundation discusses the importance and essential value of creating a 'culture of literacy'. Nevertheless, the report focuses just on basic literacy -- learning to read and write and mastering these essential skills. The report covers this complex issue that demands and deserves attention at the highest level. The authors address the impact and implications of not addressing this issue now -- undereducated adults who can't compete or even participate in the 21st century workforce and contribute to the economy.
Carnegie Report. (2009). Time to Act. New York. http://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/Publications/PDF/tta_Main.pdf

Teacher quality research

Good teachers improve performance of peers
The talents of great teachers appear to have a positive effect on their peers, according to North Carolina's report. Researchers looked at 11 years of state school data and found results suggesting that high-performing teachers' abilities not only resulted in better student performance in their classroom but in others at the same grade level. "If it's true that teachers are learning from their peers, and the effects are not small, then we want to make sure that any incentive system we put in place is going to be fostering that and not preventing it," said a co-author of the study.
Jackson, C., & Bruegmann, E. (2009). Teaching students and teaching each other: The importance of peer learning. Cambridge: National Bureau of Educational Research. http://www.nber.org/papers/w15202.pdf

National library status report

There's some very interesting info in the document about the state of school libraries in the US, including staff. And, when compared to the prior SASS report, should shed some important light on the health of the profession. The report contains information broken down by grade, school type, school size, school location, and SES level. Researchers can apply to NCES to receive access to the entire data set.
National Center for Educational Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009322

Female math anxiety research

Women teachers could be passing their math anxiety on to girls, according to University of Chicago researchers who surveyed the attitudes of female first- and second-grade teachers about math. Researchers found that girls with teachers who were uneasy about the subject were more likely to believe that boys were better than girls at math. Female students who believed the stereotype scored lower than other students on math tests, the study found.
Sian Beilock & Susan Levine. Female Teachers' Math Anxiety Affects Girls' Math Achievement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

National school libraries report

AASL's 2009 national survey of school libraries has been published. A special emphasis was placed on questions about teaching to ELLs. Main findings were that libraries increased hours and collections, but their budgets didn't.
AASL. (2010). School Libraries Count. Chicago: ALA.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/researchandstatistics/slcsurvey/slcsurvey.cfm