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[Evaluating theschoollibrary mediacenter: analysis techniques and research practices] [Guide for developing andevaluatingschoollibrary media programs. 6th ed] [Programevaluation: library media services]

Fitzpatrick, Kathleen

Haycock, Ken (REVIEWER)

Teacher Librarian

.Seattle: Feb 2002. Vol. 29, Iss. 3; pg. 42

Abstract (Summary)

The National Study for

School

Evaluation (NSSE) has developed a series of Indicators of

schools

of quality in conjunction with the Alliance for Curriculum Reform, whose members include the majority of the national discipline-based organizations working with K-12 education, including the AmericanAssociation of

School

Librarians (AASL). The purpose of this series is to enable teachers andadministrators to translate high standards for student learning to tools and

resources

to assist withtheir achievement. The complementary Program evaluation series, of which Program evaluation:Library media services is one title, identifies program-specific indicators of instructional andorganizational effectiveness and provides practical advice for assessment and improvement.Evaluating the

school

library media

center

also provides innumerable

resources

for data gatheringand analysis. Organized by curriculum, collections, facilities,

technology

, personnel and

usage

, theauthor addresses the many functions of evaluation that she identifies: success in attaining statedgoals; determining student and teacher needs; providing a basis for allocation for

resources

school

involvement.Unlike the Nebraska title, it is not limited to examples from one state. In addition, each chapter includes specific references, annotated titles for further reading, recent related dissertations with asummary of findings, and recommended web sites on the topic. The appendix notes evaluation toolsfrom state documents, state by state.

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Full Text

(1051 words)

Evaluating the school library media center: Analysis techniques and research practices.Nancy Everhart.Guide for developing and evaluating school library media programs. Sixth edition.Nebraska Educational Media Association.Program evaluation: Library media services.Kathleen Fitzpatrick.Reviewed by Ken Haycock

ken.haycock@ubc.caThat schools and school library media programs should regularly assess their effectiveness andefficacy is surely beyond dispute. That there are several roads to the same destination is evident inthis trio of recent titles addressing program evaluation.The National Study for School Evaluation (NSSE) has developed a series of Indicators of schools of quality in conjunction with the Alliance for Curriculum Reform, whose members include the majority of the national discipline-based organizations working with K-12 education, including the AmericanAssociation of School Librarians (AASL). The purpose of this series is to enable teachers andadministrators to translate high standards for student learning to tools and resources to assist withtheir achievement. The complementary Program evaluation series, of which Program evaluation:Library media services is one title, identifies program-specific indicators of instructional andorganizational effectiveness and provides practical advice for assessment and improvement.Consistent with the approach of the series, this title is organized in three parts: Part 1 focuses on thequality of work of students, Part 2 focuses on the quality of work of the school and Part 3 supportsputting the indicators to work through school improvement action plans. The editor was assisted byAASL representatives Betty Marcoux, Carol Newman, Barbara Stripling and Julie Walker.In Part 1, the three categories of national standards--information literacy, independent learning, socialresponsibility--are detailed through the nine individual standards and 28 indicators; accompanyingrubrics provide detail for five levels of performance from no evidence to exemplary levels of achievement. These standards are tied to the school-wide goals for student learning in schools of quality--learning to learn skills, expanding and integrating knowledge, communication skills, thinkingand reasoning skills, interpersonal skills, and personal and social responsibility. Worksheets areprovided to assist with defining expectations, analyzing student performance and identifying prioritiesfor improvement.In Part 2 similar formats are used with the indicators of effectiveness, also taken from Informationpower (1998). These guidelines reflect what should occur in a well-staffed and supported schoollibrary. Part 3 provides advice for developing school action plans with timelines and responsibility for implementation. Examples address the need for professional development, school policies, curriculumreview and assessment.The strengths of this approach are the clear reflection of well-accepted national indicators of schools of quality and of national standards for information literacy and guidelines for best practice, and theschool-wide approach to review, assessment and improvement. Indeed, the NSSE stresses "effectivedecision-making that is data-driven, research-based and collaborative"--that approach alone in schoolswould result in well-supported school libraries and effective teacher-librarians.Pushing the envelope a bit further toward a different level of specificity, and providing connections tolocal standards and guidelines, the Guide for developing and evaluating school library media programswas developed specifically for Nebraska and is now in its sixth edition. Coordinated by Deb Levitov,national program principles and guidelines have been correlated with regional accreditation agencyindicators and the Nebraska Department of Education's guidelines and "high performance learningmodel."There are many more elements of support here for the TL to use in implementation, such as examplesof collaborative planning guides and information process models, suggestions for advocacy (even howto write a news release), evaluation checklists involving all stakeholders, including parents andstudents, self-assessment tools for determining continuing education needs, sample selection policiesand reconsideration forms, role descriptions for school library staff, including adult and studentvolunteers, resources for collection mapping and assessing facilities and appendices with samplepolicy statements.

Not only does this guide serve as a model for other states and provinces but it is also noteworthy thatits development was supported by a private foundation, the Lincoln Public Schools Foundation withfinancing from the DeWitt Wallace Reader's Digest Fund, and that it was approved by the NebraskaState Board of Education--a letter of commendation from the state Commissioner of Education evenintroduces it. While reflecting national standards and guidelines, this is a "hands-on tool" to evaluateand reform your own program and to use as model for your own jurisdiction.Evaluating the

school

library media

center

also provides innumerable

resources

for data gatheringand analysis. Organized by curriculum, collections, facilities,

technology

, personnel and

usage

, theauthor addresses the many functions of evaluation that she identifies: success in attaining statedgoals; determining student and teacher needs; providing a basis for allocation for

resources

;recognizing strengths and accomplishments; and examining impact on student learning. Bothquantitative measures (how many students used the library? how many periodical titles are provided?)and qualitative measure (were they satisfied? which periodicals are cited in student papers?) areincluded. Many evaluation methodologies, among them questionnaires, checklists, collecting numbersand observation, are introduced with practical examples and sample forms.In an effort to be comprehensive and useful, the work is perhaps less focused than it could be. Whilestressing the need for local studies, some examples, particularly in assessment of the collection, seemarbitrary and dated; further, responses on an electronic discussion list are given the same weight asrigorous research studies. Aside from this, however, it is a very useful collection. Unlike the NSSE titleit is not tied to a set of standards and guidelines and does not require whole school involvement.Unlike the Nebraska title, it is not limited to examples from one state. In addition, each chapter includes specific references, annotated titles for further reading, recent related dissertations with asummary of findings, and recommended web sites on the topic. The appendix notes evaluation toolsfrom state documents, state by state.TLs will find this a useful title for local action research. As the author points out, collecting hard datalends credence to program needs and supports effective communication with administrators and other decision-makers.Each title addresses a unique issue or concern but all provide support for improvement of schoollibraries and student learning.(Evaluating the school library media center. Libraries Unlimited, 1998. 262 pp. $35. 1-56308-085-0;Guide for developing and evaluating school library media programs. Libraries Unlimited, 2000. 262 pp.$39. 1-56308-640-9; Program evaluation. National Study of School Evaluation, 1998. $30.)Bottom line: Here's my evidence--where's yours?

Indexing (document details)

Subjects:

Program evaluation,

School

libraries ,Media literacy

ClassificationCodes

9172 Canada

Companies:

Nebraska Educational Media Assn

Author(s):

Everhart, Nancy,Fitzpatrick, Kathleen,Haycock, Ken (REVIEWER)

Document types: