Impact of Teaching on Majority Special Needs Classes

A presentation hosted by the American Institutes for Research discussed the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Using 2013 data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), the presentation addressed some parents' concern that, due to the additional needs of students with disabilities, teachers may spend less time teaching in inclusive classrooms. While studies have examined when and how much inclusion is appropriate for students with disabilities, there is less research on how inclusion may negatively impact students without disabilities in the same classroom. This study seeks to shine light on that issue.

Key findings:
·       The findings indicate that teachers in classrooms with a greater percentage of students with special needs do spend less time teaching.
·       In classrooms in which 11-30% of students have special needs, teachers spend about 76% of their class time on teaching, compared to 81% in classrooms without any students with special needs, on average.
·       The disparity is wider in many countries, including Singapore (77% vs. 60%), Japan (82% vs. 72%), and Sweden (87% vs. 77%).
·       Teacher and school characteristics do not explain the variation in class time spent on teaching. Instead, the disparity in teaching time in inclusive and less inclusive classrooms is fully attenuated when accounting for classroom student characteristics, particularly the proportion of students with behavioral problems.

Cooc, N. (2017) Do teachers teach less in classrooms with students with special needs? Trends and predictors from international data. Presented by American Institutes for Research, Oct. 26.
http://www.air.org/event/do-teachers-teach-less-classrooms-students-special-needs-trends-and-predictors-international

Librarians' impact briefs

Three briefs from the American Library Association illustrate librarians' impact on communities, especially in terms of entrepreneurship, service to veterans, and broadband adoption and use.
   ALA Office for Information Technology Policy. (2016). One small business at a time. Washington, DC: Author. http://bit.ly/2fyDaQQ
   ALA Office for Information Technology Policy. (2016). Libraries help adn hour our veterans. Washington, DC: Author.  http://bit.ly/2fyDaQQ

   ALA Office for Information Technology Policy. (2016). America's libraries: Powering broadband access, adoption, and use. Washington, DC: Author.  http://bit.ly/2fyDaQQ

School Libraries Work! study

The 2016 edition of Scholastic's School Libraries Work! summarizes major recent research about the impact of school libraries in the U.S.

School Libraries Work!: A compendium of research supporting the effectiveness of school libraries. (2016). New York: Scholastic.  http://www.scholastic.com/SLW2016/

Australian teacher librarian impact study

A recent Australian School Library Association (ASLA) report highlighted the positive role of teacher librarians in supporting future learning within the school. A summary of key points in the report include:

 ·         a review of the global environment in which modern learners and educators are immersed,
·         the educational implications of trends affecting contemporary schooling,
·         the means of evaluating education outcomes, 

·         key alerts on the critical role of the teacher librarian, and

.      need for enhanced professional education and employment opportunities for teacher librarians.

Australian School Library Association. (2013). Future learning and school libraries.
http://www.asla.org.au/advocacy.aspx