AASL studies

 AASL’s final snapshot survey results found changes have occurred over the past year that will impact school librarian practice for years to come. Respondents noted that their role in their school district or building increased during the current school year. When asked how their practices have changed, technology troubleshooting, e-book promotion, virtual professional development, and step-by-step instructional material for use of online tools and databases received the most “doing more” responses.

AASL. (2021). Final school library snapshot survey results. Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/final-school-library-snapshot-survey-results/

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New research published in AASL’s peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR), explores three topics. SLR articles can be accessed for free at www.ala.org/aasl/slr.

1) Kammer et al. examined successfully completed collaborative projects at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each project used integrated instruction or curriculum and were analyzed within the context of “what strategies make collaboration successful? 

2) Burns and Dawkins explored the alignment of the Standards Framework for School Librarians from AASL’s National School Library Standards with the ALA/AASL/CAEP Preparation Standards. The research team’s goal was to identify overlap between expectations school librarians are presented with during their preparation for practice and the Competencies they are asked to demonstrate in practice.

3) Thpmpson et al. examined the difference in school librarians’ teacher self-efficacy among those who worked in elementary, middle, and high schools. The research team attempted to determine if elementary school librarians’ self-efficacy could be a predictor of reading scores for the schools’ overall average rates on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessment.

• Kammer, Jenna, Matt King, Allison Donahay, and Heather Koeberl. “Strategies for Successful School Librarian and Teacher Collaboration.”
• Burns, Elizabeth, and April M. Dawkins. “School Librarian Preparation and Practice: An Exploration of the AASL National School Library Standards and ALA/AASL/CAEP School Librarian Preparation Standards.”
• Thompson, Jessica, Michelle Barthlow, and Kelly Paynter. “School Librarians’ Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Predictor of Reading Scores?”

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Teacher Burnout and Outcomes for Students

In this study, researchers explored these constructs to determine their relation to student outcomes, including disruptive behaviors and academic achievement. Latent profile analysis was used to determine patterns of teacher adjustment in relation to stress, coping, efficacy, and burnout. These profiles were then linked to student behavioral and academic outcomes. Four profiles of teacher adjustment were identified. Three classes were characterized by high levels of stress and were distinguished by variations in coping and burnout ranging from (a) high coping/low burnout (60%) to (b) moderate coping and burnout (30%), to (c) low coping/high burnout (3%). The fourth class was distinguished by low stress, high coping, and low burnout. Only 7% of the sample fell into this Well-Adjusted class. Teachers in the high stress, high burnout, and low coping class were associated with the poorest student outcomes. Implications for supporting teachers to maximize student outcomes are discussed.

Herman, K. C., Hickmon-Rosa, J., & Reinke, W. M. (2017). Empirically derived profiles of teacher stress, burnout, self-efficacy, and coping and associated student outcomes. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 20(2), 90-100. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098300717732066

Characteristics of College Freshman

A recent survey by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) at the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA of more than 200,000 first-time, full-time students reveals some of the characteristics that students bring with them to college. Findings show that incoming students are more academically oriented, chose to go to college to improve their job prospects, and have challenges financing their education. Revisiting the main findings from last year’s administration of the CIRP Freshman Survey, this report states that the researchers continue to see high levels of feeling overwhelmed and low levels of self-efficacy in emotional health in our incoming first-year students.

Pryor, J. H., DeAngelo, L., Blake, L. P., Hurtado, S., & Tran, S. (2011). The American freshman: National norms fall 2011. Los Angeles, CA: Cooperative Institutional Research Program at the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. https://www.heri.ucla.edu/PDFs/pubs/TFS/Norms/Monographs/TheAmericanFreshman2011.pdf