Internet use and libraries study

Internet-savvy young adults drawn to libraries
Computer-savvy adults ages 18 to 30 were the biggest library users in the U.S. this year, according to a recent survey. Internet users were more than twice as likely to patronize libraries as non-Internet users, according to the survey. More than two-thirds of library visitors in all age groups said they used computers while at the library. 65% of them looked up information on the Internet while 62% used computers to check into the library's resources. One major surprise was our finding that those who live in the Gen Y generation cohort are more likely than their elders to use libraries when they face problems. Those in Gen Y are also more likely to patronize libraries for all kinds of reasons"Internet use seems to create an information hunger and it is information-savvy young people who are most likely to visit libraries."
Pew Internet & American Life Project. (2007). Information Searches That Solve Problems. Washington, DC: Author.
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/231/report_display.asp

Library impact study

Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners: The Illinois Study
This Illinois State study links student achievement (e.g., test scores) to strong student libraries; major factors include staffing, computer access to OPACs and DBs, library visits, and collections.
Lance, K. (2007). Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners: The Illinois Study. Canton, IL: Illinois School Library Media Association.

Online learning study

Online learning growth and needs
30 states now offer state-led online learning programs or initiatives, 42 states have either supplemental of full-time online learning programs for K12. More oversight is needed is this trend increases because some programs do not adhere to high-quality standards. Furthermore, programs need to be accessible for all, and require teacher training.
North American Council for Online Learning. (2007). Keeping pace with K-12 online learning. Vienna, VA: Author.
http://www.nacol.org/docs/KeepingPace07-color.pdf

Social skills study

Social-Skills Programs Affect Academic Achievement
New research suggests that teachers should take time to teach students to manage their emotions and to practice empathy, caring, and cooperation.
Rand Corp. (2007). Caregiver well-being affects academic achievement. Santa Monica, CA: Author.
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/%7Esnapshots/snap48.pdf

New teachers studies

New Teachers Outdo Peers of Last Decade on Academic Scales
A new study concludes that teachers entering the profession today have higher academic qualifications than their counterparts a decade ago. Those who used alternative routes and those in traditional programs show equally strong gains over the earlier test-takers. The improvements held equally for men and women, for different racial and ethnic groups, and across those aiming for careers in elementary and secondary teaching, the report says. Less positively, though, the profiles of those seeking a license to teach in elementary school, special education, or physical education remained “markedly” lower, it says, than the profiles of those seeking to teach an academic subject in high school. And takers of the tests for middle school teaching—including experienced teachers seeking federal “highly qualified” status—“much more” strongly resembled elementary school teachers in their weaker academic qualifications.
Gitomer, D. (2007). Teacher quality in a changing policy landscape. Princeton, NJ: ETS.
http://www.ets.org/Media/Education_Topics/pdf/TQ_full_report.pdf


Reports Renew Debate Over Alternative Preparation
Only half the teachers in high-needs schools trained via alternative routes said they were prepared for the first year of teaching, according to survey findings. Only half the teachers in high-needs schools trained via such routes said they were prepared for the first year of teaching, compared with 80 % of teachers prepared in traditional programs, according to survey findings in the report released last week.
In addition, 54 % of teachers prepared in alternative programs said they could have used more time working with a classroom teacher during the preservice period, and 16 % say they spent no time with a teacher before their first jobs.
Public Agenda and the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality. (2007). Lessons Learned: New Teachers Talk About Their Jobs, Challenges and Long-Range Plans. New York: Author.
http://www.publicagenda.org/lessonslearned/

Two organizations slammed a majority of the 49 programs surveyed as providing “woefully inadequate training and support” to their candidates.
Walsh, K., & Jacobs, S. (2007). Alternative certification isn't alternative. Washington, DC: National Council on Teacher Quality and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. (2007).
http://www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/Alternative_Certification_Isnt_Alternative.pdf

Startling evidence for the power of reading

A review of PISA 2000 testing: Startling evidence for the power of reading (and of course libraries)

Brozo, W., Shiel, G. and Topping, K. 2007. Engagement in reading: Lessons learned from three PISA countries. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 51 (4): 304-315.

The PISA is a reading test given to 15 year olds in 31 countries, in the language of the country. The mean score is 500. Finland was number one, at 546. USA was 504, in the middle.

Here is the finding of greatest importance to us, in my opinion: Reading engagement can help overcome the effects of poverty. “Engagement in reading” was a stronger predictor of reading performance than SES (socio-economic status, or poverty). The data is in: Kirsh, I., de Jong, J., Lafontaine, D., McQueen, J., Mendelovitz, J and Monseur, C. 2002. Reading for Change: Performance and Engagement across Countries. Results from PISA 2000. Paris: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on pages 119 and 120. Here is an example –

SES defined here as parents’ occupational status.
Low SES group with the highest reading engagement scored 540. High SES group with the lowest reading engagement scored 491. The low SES readers did better than the high SES non-readers.
Kirsch et al also report that:
All students who were “highly engaged” in reading did better than the international mean. All students not highly engaged did worse than the international mean.

The Brozo, Shiel and Topping paper gives specific details about the US, Ireland, and the UK. They conclude that “there needs to be an increase in time allocated to personalized reading” (p. 311), especially for those in poverty. There is only one (very brief) mention of the importance of school libraries (p. 314).

High school /college courses study

Students who take college courses while in high school are more likely their their peers to succeed in college. The sources more benefit males, students from low-income families and academic strugglers. Duel-enrollment programs, allowing students to take college courses for both HS and college credit, have become more popular.
Community College Resource Center. (2007). Postsecondary achievement of participants in duel enrollment. New York: Author.
http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu