K-12 Digital Transformation report

 A survey in 2023 revealed that K-12 digital transformation efforts are still in their early stages, with nearly two-thirds of respondents indicating they have not yet begun to implement their strategies or technology initiatives for digital transformation. However, around 36% are in various stages of implementation, and only about a third of respondents expressed confidence in their understanding of digital transformation, with IT leaders showing higher levels of understanding compared to non-IT leaders.

Nagel, D. (2023). Most districts still early in their digital transformation journey. THE Journal.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2023/08/31/most-districts-still-early-in-their-digital-transformation-journey.aspx

Book censorship survey

 Book censorship requests in US public schools and libraries surged to a 21-year high in 2022, with a 70% increase over the previous year, according to the American Library Association. The data reveals a new trend of multiple book titles being targeted in each challenge, often driven by organized political advocacy groups seeking to ban books, particularly those featuring LGBTQ+ themes and diverse perspectives.

Censorship by the numbers. (2023). American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/by-the-numbers

Book Challenges Survey

 According to a national survey, the surge in book challenges nationwide is having a chilling effect on school librarians, who are more likely to avoid buying books or to remove titles from collections because of their content than they were last year. "And while the percentage of U.S. librarians who have experienced a book challenge dropped from 43 percent to 38 percent, 30 percent of those challenges led to a book’s removal in 2023, up from 19 percent last year. Urban school librarians were the only segment to report a rise in book challenges, from 31 percent in 2022 to 39 percent this year.

Perhaps in response to the spike in challenges, 55 percent of respondents said their school’s book challenge procedure was new or revised, an increase from 49 percent in 2022.

The number of librarians who voluntarily removed books from their library also rose, from 42 percent in 2022 to 47 percent in 2023.

All 729 respondents are responsible for selecting books for their library. Their most cited reason for choosing not to buy a book was sexual content, especially at the high school level—increasing from 60 percent in 2022 to 75 percent in 2023. As for other concerns, 43 percent said profanity or vulgar language caused them to reject a book, while 37 percent named LGBTQIA+ content." School Library Journal

Controversial books survey. (2023). School Library Journal.

https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/Book-Challenges-Are-Having-a-Chilling-Effect-on-School-Librarians-Nationwide-SLJ-Survey

Survey of parents'worries

According to a national poll of parents, the top five concerns rated as a big problem for their children were overuse of devices or screen time (67%), social media (66%), internet safety (62%) depression and suicide (57%) and bullying ( 53%). Around half of parents also named stress and anxiety, unhealthy diets and health care costs as big problems.

Mott Poll Report. (2023). Overuse of devices and social media top parent concerns. Author. https://mottpoll.org/reports/overuse-devices-and-social-media-top-parent-concerns. 

LGBTQIA+ literature for youth

A recent study identified and categorized published empirical research on LGBTQIA+ topics in school and youth librarianship and identify and categorize gaps in that research to propose focuses for future research studies. The key finding was that little research has examined LGBTQIA+ inclusive school library services for youth.

Spiering, J., Santos Green, L., & Bowman, J. (2023). "LGBTQIA+ Inclusive School Library Research: A Systematic Literature Review." School Library Research 26. https://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/pubs/slr/vol26/spiering-et%20al.pdf

Mental Health Impact of Social Media Study

 In a new report, the AFT describes the toll—particularly surrounding youth mental health—certain online technologies have taken on students both in and outside of the classroom as students partake in the “unregulated environment” known as social media. The report serves as a reality check to social media companies that need to make “fundamental changes” to their platforms so that students’ and educators’ lives may be improved as a result. According to the report, social media companies should adhere to the following five principles:

• Prioritize children’s safety
• Protect students from becoming addicted
• Protect students’ privacy
• Protect students from risky algorithms
• Engage and work directly with K12 schools and parents

American Federation of Teachers. (2023). Likes vs. learning: The real cost of social media for schools. Author.

https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2023/LikesVSLearning_Report.pdf

AI and teens study

 A recent survey found that more than 40% of teens are likely to use artificial intelligence to complete their schoolwork, but 60% consider it cheating. As AI-powered tools like ChatGPT become more prevalent in schools, educators are grappling with how to incorporate AI use responsibly, emphasizing it as a tool to assist learning rather than a replacement for learning.

Junior Achievement. (2023). AI and tomorrow's jobs. Author.

https://jausa.ja.org/dA/79df6c0f56/criticalIssuePdfDocument/AI%20and%20Tomorrows%20%20Jobs.pdf

Study: K-12 digital literacy lacks consistency

 A new study highlights the lack of consistent teaching of digital literacy and digital citizenship skills in K-12 schools. The study reveals that schools often focus on traditional digital literacy topics but neglect evolving skills -- raising concerns about equity and the division of responsibility between schools and families.

Ramsey, L. H. H. (2023). Examining How Teachers Define and Integrate Digital Citizenship Into Core Content Area Curriculum (Doctoral dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte).

Parent reading study

A large-scale Chilean study looked at the relationship between parents' reading habits and those of their children. Unsurprisingly, the study revealed that, when it comes to adolescents’ leisure reading, the impact of parents' reading motivation and frequency proved far more significant than socioeconomic status. Writes the author, “The findings reported here should encourage stakeholders to promote the love of reading in not only children but also their parents.

Cubillos, M. (2023). A chip off the old block: Do reading-motivated parents raise reading-motivated children?  Reading Research Quarterly.

https://repositorio.udd.cl/server/api/core/bitstreams/e6b7087f-a56f-44e4-b809-80fba9df1e79/content

School librarians' impact on elementary students study

 Restricted data from North Carolina and propensity score matching was used to compare students who attended school with a full-time certified school librarian to similar students who did not attend schools with a full-time certified school librarian. In addition, this relationship for both reading and math over a four-year time span was examined. Findings include that students who attend schools with a full-time certified librarian score significantly higher on math and reading tests than do matched students who attend schools without a full-time school librarian.

Wine, L., et al. (2023). Impact of school librarians on elementary student achievement in reading and mathematics. Library & Information Science Research, 45(2). 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2023.101252

Designing school libraries study

 Drawing on a large-scale study of sustained school library transformation in the Singapore secondary school context, this article explains how a design-centric approach focusing on the needs of the student as user provided a way for educators as change-makers to understand student needs within their school profile and context, evaluate success and gather insights for implementing changes at school or system level. The article focuses on three key strategies: (1) reviewing existing literature to develop a conceptual map of library functions, (2) conducting baseline studies to understand trends and student needs, and (3) involving students as users in participatory research. It concludes with a reflection on the process of change and suggestions for moving forward.

Loh, C. (2023). Designing future-ready school libraries. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association. 

 https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2023.2231229

Instructional Strategies Study

 

This study examined K-8 classroom teachers' instructional approaches, and identified practices that contribute to high learning growth. Provide time for retrieval practice. Mixed student learning groupings. Adjust student groups. Share students and strategies within the grade. Differentiate tasks. Practice foundational skills. Teach multiple standards simultaneously. Provide opportunities for self-directed learning. Use student conversation as formative assessments. Teach academic vocabulary. The study found that high growth classroom teachers balance students’ individual learning needs while providing grade-level content and expectations.

Nordengren, G. (2023). The Transformative Ten: Instructional Strategies Learned from High Growth Schools. NWEA. 

https://www.k12dive.com/news/10-classroom-practices-to-support-high-growth-learning/652177/

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

Academic Librarians' Perspective on AI

 Many academic librarians believe context matters when artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT are used by students and faculty to assist with their work, according to a recent study. While only eight percent of respondents said that they believe it is cheating when students use AI products for research—compared with 49 percent who said it was not—42 percent said that it was “somewhat” cheating.

AI in Higher Education: The Librarians’ Perspectives. (2023, March). Helper Systems.

https://www.helpersystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/HS-AI-Survey-Whitepaper-3-7-22.pdf

Study on access to controversial library materials

A national study identified patterns in library resources and content, especially as they relate to political preferences, state laws, and book bans. the researcher found that:

• ·         Libraries in low-income areas have lower staffing levels and less up-to-date collections. 
• ·         Access to controversial content is related to local political environments. 
• ·         Book challenges may have chilling effects on the acquisition of LGBTQ+ content. 

Mumma, K. (2023). Politics and school libraries: What shapes students’ access to controversial content. Brookings. 

https://wheelockpolicycenter.org/high-quality-education/school-libraries/

 

Reading Skills Report

 A national report shows that reading skills are rebounding for young learners, with most students in grades K-3 on track to read at grade level by the end of the school year. The report also shows faster-than-average improvement among students who are Black and Hispanic. For the first time since 2019-20, the majority of students in every grade, from K-3, are on track to tackle grade-level reading by the end of the year—though no grade has yet matched its pre-pandemic performance levels.

Amplify. (2023). Middle-of-year data show that academic recovery continues in early literacy, with Black and Hispanic students making the greatest gains. Amplify.

https://amplify.com/news/latest-school-assessment-data-show-continued-academic-recovery-in-early-literacy-with-black-and-hispanic-students-making-the-greatest-gains/

Data Literacy Downward Trend Report

 Students’ data analysis skills have dropped, and teachers say they’re putting less emphasis on the subject, a new analysis finds—even as workforce demand for data-literate employees continues to rise. The data was derived from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Scores in this subset of the NAEP math test dropped 10 scale score points for 8th graders and four points for 4th graders. The declines were larger for students from low-income families. The downward trend started before the pandemic, but math scores overall dropped during and since that time.

Drozda, Z. (2023). Data science is vital to student success: So why are outcomes going down? Data Science4Everyone. 

https://www.datascience4everyone.org/post/data-science-is-vital-to-student-success-so-why-are-outcomes-going-down

Politics and School Libraries Study

 

A national study of school libraries found that most school libraries have some controversial titles, but the collection reflects local politics and policy makers. There continues to be a gap  in library resources between schools in low- and high-income communities, which may affect students in ways not reflected in test scores, including by exposing children to stories that expand their horizons or affirm their lived experiences.  

Mumma, K. (2023). Politics and children's books: Evidence from school library collections. Boston College. https://wheelockpolicycenter.org/high-quality-education/school-libraries/

Popular apps and devices survey

 YouTube was the most common app used on a weekly basis by 4th-12th graders and for 9th-12th graders, email was the second most common app, according to a survey issued by The Social Institute, a company that provides curriculum addressing social-emotional learning, social media and technology. The survey, which included responses from nearly 23,000 students in U.S. public and private schools, found school-issued devices, TVs and smartphones are the most popular devices used by students on a weekly basis.

23 insights for 2023 on how students navigate well-being, social media and tech. Social Institute. https://thesocialinstitute.com/insight/report-23-insights-for-2023-on-how-students-navigate-well-being-social-media-and-tech/.

Research on Reading

 The International Literacy Association shared the following research on reading:

What the Research Says About Read-Alouds for Littles Read-alouds provide unique opportunities to support development and fostering a love of reading—and it’s never too early to start. In Ready for Read-Alouds: 10 Practices for Book-Sharing With Infants and Toddlers (The Reading Teacher, no subscription required), authors Claire D. Vallotton, Nicole Gardner-Neblett, Loria Kim, Tamesha Harewood, and Nell K. Duke share research-based ways to enrich read-alouds with our littlest learners, as well as how to set goals for sharing these important practices with fellow educators, families, and communities.

FREE TO READ Bias Starts Early. Let's Start Now: Developing an Anti-Racist, Anti-Bias Book Collection for Infants and Toddlers Nicole Gardner-Neblett, Atiya Addie, Anissa L. Eddie, Sandra K. Chapman, Nell K. Duke, and Claire D. Vallotton THE READING TEACHER | Open Access Reading During Adolescence: Why Adolescents Choose (or Do Not Choose) Books Katherine Wilkinson, Valentina Andries, Danielle Howarth, Jane Bonsall, Shari Sabeti, and Sarah McGeown JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT & ADULT LITERACY | Open Access Understanding Literacies in Latinx Families: Teachers Using Home Visits to Reimagine Classroom Practices Judy Paulick, Amanda K. Kibler, and Natalia Palacios THE READING TEACHER | Open Access

School Librarians Slide Project

Summary: Based on research from the School Librarian Investigation—Decline or Evolution? (SLIDE) project, this report utilized NCES school librarian employment data for the 2020-2021 school year. Data characteristics from 12,537 school districts were examined including poverty, locale, and district enrollment, as well as student demographics including race and ethnicity. Data supported previous findings that access to school librarians is strongly related to race and ethnicity and further exacerbated for students living in extreme poverty, in more-isolated locales, and in the smallest districts—locales where students are less likely to have access to the educational resources available in large urban areas. 

In school year 2021-22, 54% of U.S. students in all districts were without any librarians during the COVID-19 pandemic and almost 3 million students in majority nonwhite districts were without any librarians. The gap between students in districts with a “library privilege” and those without librarians continues to widen. Read the full report for more. 

 Lance, K. C., Kachel, D. E., & Gerrity, C. (2023, January 6). The school librarian equity gap:  Inequities associated with race and ethnicity compounded by poverty, locale, and enrollment. Peabody Journal of Education.  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0161956X.2023.2160112

Book Challenges and School Library Collection Development

https://wheelockpolicycenter.org/high-quality-education/school-libraries/: "This study begins by compiling a novel data set on the books in over 6,000 school libraries across the country. With this unique look inside school library shelves, the author then details some trends and themes related to the collections based on various characteristics, including for instance difference across high and low-income schools and the political leanings of surrounding areas.

Key Findings

• Schools with more white students, schools located in high-income areas, and schools in non-rural areas have better-resourced school libraries than their counterparts. School libraries in high-income areas acquire substantially more books and employ about 40% more staff than low-income schools.
• Politics appear to be at play.
• While books with “controversial content” tend to be widely available, prevalence of certain titles appears to be influenced by local politics, state laws and the social environment around which the school exists.
• Book challenges in the 2021-22 school year have had a chilling effect on the acquisition and access of certain content in school libraries, LGBTQ+ content in particular."

Mumma, K. (2023). Politics and children's books: Evidence from school library collections. Wheelock Policy Center.

https://wheelockpolicycenter.org/high-quality-education/school-libraries/

School-Academic Librarian Collaboration

Abstract: Collaborations between school and academic librarians centered around the professional development of K-12 media specialists may represent a scalable and sustainable method by which school and academic librarians can support information literacy. This article outlines a pilot project developed between The Ohio State University Libraries (University Libraries), located in Columbus, Ohio, and the Columbus City Schools (CCS) that was intended to forge connections between school and academic librarians through professional development.

Hammons, J., & VAasudev, K. (2023). Connecting school and academic librarians through professional development: A pilot project. College & Research Libraries News, 84(1), 32. <https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/25740/33658>.