Research on school libraries and student well-being

 This paper explores how school libraries may support student well-being by operating as safe spaces for young people, promoting and resourcing mental health and well-being initiatives, and supporting and promoting bibliotherapeutic practices and reading for pleasure. It then highlights implications for future research to support the development of a sound, research-supported evidence base for advocacy moving forward.

Merga, M. (2020). How can school libraries support student wellbeing? Evidence and implications for further research. Journal of Library Administration, 60(6), 660-673.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01930826.2020.1773718

Writing time study

 Students are not spending enough time writing, according to a recent report. The findings, based on data from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, found that about 25% of middle-and high-school students write for 30 minutes a day, and even fewer say they do argumentative writing weekly. Schools are not making writing a priority, and writing does not occur across the curriculum. Black and Hispanic students are more likely to be graded on "mechanics and conventions" (25 percent) compared to 18 percent of White students. A potential explanation for this, researcher Picou wrote, is that Black and Hispanic students were "more likely to have accents, dialectic differences or speak another language at home, which educators may classify as deficient."

Picou, A. (2020). Are schools making writing a priority? Learning Agency Lab.

https://www.the-learning-agency-lab.com/the-learning-curve/are-schools-making-writing-a-priority

Student motivation during COVID-19 survey

 During coronavirus-related school closures in the spring, students' ability to motivate themselves to complete schoolwork varied by age, with 57% of fifth-graders saying they were able to stay motivated compared with 26% of 12th-graders, a survey finds. Distractions at home were the most common reason students cited for lack of motivation, followed by feeling stressed or depressed. 

Large numbers were able to navigate the mechanics of accessing and turning in their schoolwork (87 percent and 79 percent, respectively). Nearly six in 10 (57 percent) said they spent more time than usual on activities they enjoyed. And half reported that they were able to focus on their learning.

But remote learning didn't always result in a lot of learning. Challenges were especially high for low-income and Latinx students, who cited lack of ready access to the internet and computing devices more than other groups of students. Also, female students and those who identify in a way other than male or female reported struggling more with mental health and well-being (57 percent and 70 percent, in order) more than male students (38 percent).

Students weigh in: Learning & well-being during COVID-19. (2020). San Francisco, CA: YouthTruth. https://youthtruthsurvey.org/students-weigh-in/#studentvoice

Personalized Learning Perceptions Study

 

Personalized learning (PL) approaches have become increasingly common across the United States. PL aims to create individual learning experiences and pathways for students. Despite its popularity, little data exists on the prevalence of PL practices and the conditions needed to support high-quality PL implementation, particularly in high schools. This report presents findings from high school teachers taken from RAND's 2018 American Teacher Panel. The findings should be useful to practitioners, professional development and support providers, researchers, and policymakers interested in understanding how high school teachers are using PL practices and which supports and resources they need to use them effectively. Key Findings Teachers reported providing a variety of instructional materials and adapting course content to meet students' needs; student-directed learning was less common. Teachers reported using mastery-based assessment more frequently than other mastery-based practices. Most teachers reported addressing students' social and emotional growth but reported that professional development was less helpful for addressing this area. More teachers reported using student data for tailoring instructional approaches than for adjusting how quickly students advanced through content. Teachers reported infrequently receiving data on individual students' progress and needing better data systems; those who reported access to high-quality data reported more extensive use of PL practices.

Elizabeth D. Steiner, E., Doss, C., & Hamilton, L. (2020). High school teachers' perceptions and use of personalized learning. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA322-1.html?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=NPA:2535:6293:Aug%2011,%202020%205:42:03%20AM%20PDT&utm_campaign=NPA:2535:6293:Aug%2011,%202020%205:42:03%20AM%20PDT