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/

 

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/

Digital Divide in K-12

In this report by Education Superhighway, findings show that in 2013, the nation made a promise to close the K-12 digital divide and level the playing field for children throughout America. In the past four years, unparalleled bipartisan action has led to exceptional progress toward fulfilling this promise by connecting an additional 35.2 million of our students. State and school district leaders, who have brought high-speed connectivity to 8,379 school districts. Service providers, who have dramatically improved the affordability of broadband. In 2017, the progress made possible by E-rate modernization continued, reducing the number of students without high-speed Internet access by 5.1 million and the number of schools without 21st-century broadband infrastructure by 45%, thereby setting the stage for the nation to deliver on our promise of digital equity by 2020.

Education Superhighway (2017). 2017 State of the states: Fulfilling our promise to America’s students. San Francisco, CA: Education Superhighway. https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/esh-sots-pdfs/educationsuperhighway_2017_state_of_the_states.pdf

EdNext Survey Examines Perceptions on School Reform

This survey examines current attitudes toward major issues in K–12 education and compare the results with those of prior years.

Key findings include:

1. Public support for charter schools has fallen, along with both self-described Republicans and self-described Democrats, and the opposition to school vouchers and tax credits to fund private-school scholarships.

2. Support for using the same academic standards across the states has risen since 2016—as long as the “brand name” of Common Core is not mentioned.

3. Compared with 2015, the public prefers a smaller role in education for the federal government and a larger role for local governments in three policy areas: setting standards, identifying failing schools, and fixing failing school.

4. The public is showing an increased resistance to change when it comes to policies affecting teachers.

5. Trump’s position on four issues—Common Core, charter schools, tax credits, and merit pay.

6.  Two thirds of the public prefer that students whose native tongue is not English be immersed in English-only classrooms.

7. Nearly half of the respondents think the effects would be positive if students spent more time on computers at school, while a third think the effect would be negative.

8. The general public is more favorable toward allowing Muslim students to form afterschool clubs than it was in 2008.

9. Two thirds of the public would have their child pursue a four-year university degree, while only a fourth would choose a two-year associate’s degree at a community college, and a tenth would choose neither.

10. Among white respondents, over half of those with a university degree say their local schools deserve a “grade” of A or B, while only half of those without that degree rate their local schools that highly.

EdNext (2017). The 2017 EdNext Poll on School Reform: What does the public think about school choice, Common Core, and other key issues? Washington, D. C.: Hoover Institution in Washington, D.C.: The Johnson Center. http://educationnext.org/2017-ednext-poll-school-reform-public-opinion-school-choice-common-core-higher-ed/#_schoolchoice