Fake News and K-12 Information Literacy

An 18-month study shows that students all the way to college age are not recognizing the basics of evaluating a source. Especially as students are looking more and more to social media for their daily news, they may mix satire and "hard" news. The new ACRL information literacy framework reflects the importance of ascertaining the nature of news with its lens that "Authority Is Constructed and Contextual."
Stanford History Education Group. (2016).  Evaluating information: The cornerstone of civic online reasoning. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University.
http://sheg.stanford.edu/upload/V3LessonPlans/Executive%20Summary%2011.21.16.pdf 

African-American teenagers and technology

African-American youth see computers as vital for their future, but they may lack opportunities to code, develop apps and innovate. The most important technology for them are smart phones, but for homework they prefer computers over mobile devices. These youth frequently use technology to learn and create content, but only about an eighth code.
Clark, K., Scott, K., & Rideout, V. (2016). The digital lives of African American tweens, teens, and parents: Innovating and learning with technology. Seattle: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
https://cgest.asu.edu/sites/default/files/digital_lives_report.pdf

Positive school library may shrink achievement gaps

Multiple studies found that a positive school climate can weaken the effects of low family income on achievement. A positive school climate can facilitate greater equality in education opportunities and more social mobility. A negative climate increases the correlation of achievement and socio-economic backgrounds, especially for low-income families.  School climate includes factors such as "positive teacher-student relationships, sense of safety, and student connectedness to and engagement in school" (Berkowitz, et al.)
Berkowitz, R. et al. (2016). A Research Synthesis of the Associations Between Socioeconomic Background, Inequality, School Climate, and Academic Achievement. Review of Educational Research.
http://rer.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/09/19/0034654316669821.full.pdf+html?ijkey=1T3lGnRAnqVJ6&keytype=ref&siteid=sprer

PISA 2016 report

The link between socio-economic status and school performance is weakening for U.S. students, a sign of improving equity in American education even as U.S. teens continue to lag behind their international counterparts in  math, reading and science, according to an international study. The report suggests that education outcomes are increasingly the result of students’ abilities and effort rather than their personal circumstances and family background. The report cited Canada, Estonia, Germany and Hong Kong as role-model countries or regions that have succeeded in achieving both high levels of performance and equity in education outcomes.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2016). PISA report. Paris: OECD.
http://www.oecd.org/pisa/

Banerjee, P. (2016). A systematic review of factors linked to poor academic performance of disadvantaged students in science and maths in schools. Cogent Education, 3, 1178441.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1178441

Research shows a teacher-diversity gap in schools that may contribute to lower achievement among some student groups. Some school systems, including one in California (Partnerships to Uplift Communities Schools), have expanded teacher-recruiting efforts to high-school graduates.

Quintaro, D. , Putnam, H, Walsh, K., & Hansen, M. (2016). High hopes and harsh realities: The real challenges to building a diverse teacher workforce. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
https://www.brookings.edu/research/high-hopes-and-harsh-realities-the-real-challenges-to-building-a-diverse-teacher-workforce/

Gershenson, S., & Papageorge, N. (2016).   Who believes in me? The effect of student-teacher demographic match on teacher expectations. Economics of Education Review, 52, 209-224.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775715300959

School counselors' impact

Meeting one-on-one with a school counselor to discuss college admission or financial aid makes a big difference in students' futures, tripling the chance they'll attend college, doubling the chance that they'll attend a four-year college, and increasing by nearly seven times the likelihood that they'll apply for financial aid, according to a recent national study.
Velez, E. (2016). How can high school counseling shape students' postsecondary attendance? 
Arlington, VA: National Association for College Admission Counseling.
https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/Research/postsecondaryattendance/

Evidence base about school library impact

Have a look at some of these reports, all of which stress the importance of reading for pleasure and educational achievement.  A well run and professional school library can address these difficulties: Heart of the School blog: http://heartoftheschool.edublogs.org/evidence-base/