Librarians and Student Success

According to one report, when schools have high-quality library programs and librarians who share their expertise with the entire school community, student achievement gets a boost. This report discusses multiple studies that emphasize the importance of librarians, and how they are associated with better student outcomes. It is stated in this report that multiple studies have found that test scores tend to be higher in schools where librarians have an active role in where administrators, teachers, and librarians themselves think of the school librarian as a school leader, co-contributor, and instructional planner to the administration and educational curriculum of the school. 

Lance, K. C., & Kachel, D. E. (2018). Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us. Phi Delta Kappan, 99 (7), 15-20. http://www.kappanonline.org/lance-kachel-school-librarians-matter-years-research/

Association of Digital Media Use and ADHD Symptoms

This study published in in JAMA suggests that such frequent use of digital media by adolescents might increase their odds of developing symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In this longitudinal cohort survey study of adolescents aged 15 and 16 years at baseline and without symptoms of ADHD, there was a significant association between higher frequency of modern digital media use and subsequent symptoms of ADHD over a 24-month follow-up.

Ra, C. K., Cho, J., Stone M. D., De La Cerda, J., Goldenson, N. I., Moroney, E., Tung, I., Lee, S. S., & Leventhal, A. M. (2018). Association of digital media use with subsequent symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder among adolescents. JAMA, 320(3), 255–263. https://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.8931

Examination of Cognitive Functioning and Anatomy

This study examines the dynamic anatomical sequence of human cortical gray matter development between the age of 4-21 years using quantitative four-dimensional maps and time-lapse sequences. Thirteen healthy children for whom anatomic brain MRI scans were obtained every 2 years, for 8-10 years, were studied. By using models of the cortical surface and sulcal landmarks and a statistical model for gray matter density, human cortical development could be visualized across the age range in a spatiotemporally detailed time-lapse sequence. The resulting time-lapse "movies" reveal that (i) higher-order association cortices mature only after lower-order somatosensory and visual cortices, the functions of which they integrate, are developed, and (ii) phylogenetically older brain areas mature earlier than newer ones. Direct comparison with normal cortical development may help understanding of some neurodevelopmental disorders such as childhood-onset schizophrenia or autism.

Gogtay, N., Giedd, J. N., Lusk, L., Hayashi, K. M., Greenstein, D., Vaituzis, A. C., Nugent III, T. F., Herman, D. H., Clasen, L. S., Toga, A. W., Rapoport, J. L., & Thompson, P. M. (2004). Dynamic mapping of human cortical development during childhood through early adulthood. PNAS, 101(21), 8174-8179. https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0402680101