School Attitudes about Independent Reading Report

Nearly all teachers and principals believe students should have time for independent reading at school, yet only about a third of teachers set aside time each day for this, according to a recent survey. When independent reading occurs, students spend an average of 22 minutes on it.
Asked about the primary barrier to independent reading time, 9 out of 10 teachers cited "demands of the curriculum." Other findings include:

• About 1 in 10 teachers have no books in their classroom or personal libraries for students to read. About a third of teachers have fewer than 50 books. And 14 percent have more than 500 books.
• Many teachers update their classroom libraries infrequently. About a quarter do it every couple of years and 13 percent never do it. 
• Teachers who do in-class independent reading were asked about its benefits. About 40 percent said "students' skills have increased/ students are achieving more.' A quarter said "students learn to love reading."
• Nearly 4 in 10 principals said they do not have a full-time school librarian, yet 8 in 10 said a librarian is a critical resource for schools.
• About half of principals and librarians say they need more culturally relevant books, books in other languages, ebooks, books with diverse characters, and high-interest, low-level books.
• Nearly 30 percent of principals and librarians said they're able to add new titles to their library "once a year or less." About 20 percent add books at least monthly.

Scholastic. (2017). Teacher & Principal School Report: Focus on Literacy. New York: Scholastic.
http://www.scholastic.com/teacherprincipalreport/literacy.htm

Wing Institute

The Wing Institute (http://www.winginstitute.org) is an online clearinghouse to facilitate collecting, organizing and analyzing K-12 educational best practices. It includes research summaries and links on various educational factors that result in student success.

State of America's Libraries

The State of America's Libraries 2017 features news and commentary on:

• The Top Ten Most Challenged Books in 2016
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion in libraries
• Children's and teen services
• Public libraries taking action
• New responsibilities for academic libraries
• Resources to combat fake news
• Calls to action in support of libraries 

Rosa, K. (Ed.). (2017). The State of America's Libraries 2017. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Literacy Efforts Analysis

UNESCO's new publication takes stock of youth and adult literacy interventions which have been implemented since 1966, when UNESCO held its first International Literacy Day. It sheds light on the literacy-related challenges the world is now facing, as it embarks on the implementation of the2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The publication begins with an analysis of trends in literacy rates at the regional and global levels, and identifies fifty countries that have made notable progress. It then reflects on emerging conceptions of literacy, from ‘literacy as a stand-alone skill' to 'functional literacy’ for work and livelihood, to 'literacy for empowerment’ of poor and marginalized populations and finally to 'literacy as social practice’, shaped by the cultural context in which it is applied. These four conceptions are illustrated by a wide range of literacy campaigns, programs and policies, implemented within the fifty selected countries. Finally, the publication envisages the possible future of literacy from the perspective of sustainable development, lifelong learning and digital societies, with a focus on the need for urgency of action.
UNESCO. (2017). Reading the past, writing the future: Fifty years of promoting literacy. Paris, France: UNESCO.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002475/247563e.pdf