Praise can Boost Student Success

A new review of research in the journal Child Development suggests just praising the effort of middle and high school students to boost their "growth mindset" can have the opposite effect, with those adolescents praised becoming less likely to believe their work can improve their intelligence or skills. In this article, the researchers explain these findings developmentally. The researchers suggest that effort praise can communicate that effort is a path to improving ability, but can also imply that the student needs to work hard because of low innate ability. The researchers propose that adolescents are at greater risk for interpreting the praise in the second way because secondary schools often value innate ability more than effort and adolescents are conscious of ability stereotypes.

Amemiya, J., & Wang, M. (2018). Why effort praise can backfire in adolescence. Child Development Perspectives, 12(3), 199-203. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12284

Student Trauma Studies

A A body of research finds that the full effects of disasters on children are far deeper and longer-lasting than expected. Here are findings from these studies:

• One large-scale analysis of studies of children after natural and manmade disasters found they often reported symptoms of trauma—such as intrusive memories and feelings of detachment—that adults did not observe. 
• Trauma not only sometimes triggered test anxiety, but interventions that addressed test anxiety improved students' post-traumatic-stress symptoms, too.
• Younger students adapted more quickly and had fewer symptoms than older students. 
• Overall, students who had to relocate had longer-lasting trauma—at times years longer—than those who returned to their homes. 

Findings like those suggest schools both in and out of the disaster zone need to prepare for long-term supports. Studies found children recover most easily when schools and districts provide broad help for both adults and students, rather than asking the teachers to put aside their own trauma on the students' behalf.
Sparks, S. (2017).  Students feel trauma’s aftereffects long after crises end, studies find.  Education Weed, 37(4), 8-9. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/09/13/childrens-trauma-lasts-long-after-disasters-studies.html?cmp=eml-eb-sumresearch-sr-07102018&M=58536523&U=1673093

Non-English Speakers and Libraries

This is the first national study to consider the impact of specialized library services to non- English speakers both in terms of barriers to developing language-based services and regarding perceived success of these services as reported through anecdotal information by library staff. This study also looked closely at library service area population and patron proximity to the closest library branch as a market service indicator. It is anticipated that libraries, library supporters, and the research community will find this study valuable as a planning tool. The study principals also hope this study will spark additional, more detailed research in the area of specialized public library services. 


Three themes emerged:

•    Spanish is far and away the most supported non-English language in public libraries. Seventy-eight percent of libraries reported Spanish as the priority #1 language to which they develop services and programs. 


•    Smaller communities are serving a larger proportion of non-English speakers. The majority of libraries serving non-English speakers are in communities with fewer than 100,000 residents (484 of all responding libraries). 


•    Literacy is both a barrier to using library services designed for non-English speakers and is what most libraries support in specially designed services and programs. 


American Library Association (2007). Serving non-English speakers in U.S. public libraries: 2007 Analysis of library demographics, services and programs. Chicago, IL: American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/olos/nonenglishspeakers/docs/Linguistic_Isolation_Report-2007.pdf

Perceptions on Library Funding

OCLC was awarded a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to explore attitudes and perceptions about library funding and to evaluate the potential of a large-scale marketing and advocacy campaign to increase public library funding in the U.S.

Among the findings from the report:

-       Library funding support is only marginally related to library visitation.

-       Perceptions of librarians are an important predictor of library funding support..

-       Voters who see the library as a 'transformational' force as opposed to an 'informational' source are more likely to increase taxes in its support.

The report suggests that targeting marketing messages to the right segments of the voting public is key to driving increased support for U.S. public libraries.

De Rosa, C., Johnson, J., Gauder, B., Limes, R., Smith, S., & Burnett, L. (2008). From awareness to funding: A study of library support in America. Dublin, OH: https://www.oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/reports/funding/fullreport.pdf