The Lance studies and other research in this presentation booklet show that, as a whole, library media specialists and the programs they create do make a difference.

Student success comprises a complex system of expectations and measurements. Designed for school library media specialists, this book focuses on library media programs and examines the factors that influence student achievement. Through a presentation of research trends and actual practice, award-winning author Lesley Farmer demonstrates how media specialists can encourage student achievement by creating an environment conducive to learning. Farmer takes a systems approach, illuminating how each stakeholder in a student's education contributes to and impacts student achievement. Chapters include: What Defines Student Achievement? Research in the School Library World Internal Factors: The School Library Media Program School Factors Towards Student Achievement Student Factors Towards Student Achievement Societal Factors Towards Student Achievement Focus on Reading: Who's a Good Reader? Next Steps In addition to research findings about library programming, Farmer examines collection resources, facilities, staffing, curricula, instruction, reading issues, services, products, and administration. Key research studies are cited throughout the work to optimize referral to relevant information. This is an invaluable guide for school library media specialists, as well as for faculty and students in LIS and education programs.

This report provides Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) leaders and the academic community with a clear view of the current state of the literature on value of libraries within an institutional context, suggestions for immediate "Next Steps" in the demonstration of academic library value, and a "Research Agenda" for articulating academic library value. Its focus is to help librarians understand, based on professional literature, the current answer to the question, "How does the library advance the missions of the institution?" This report is also of interest to higher educational professionals external to libraries, including senior leaders, administrators, faculty, and student affairs professionals.

The first in the IASL-Libraries Unlimited partnership series, this book features contributions written by authors from around the world about their effective collaboration experiences. Collaboration between teachers and school librarians is a topic that is often discussed in the quest for educational excellence, but the international perspective is something that is rarely explored. This text documents the collaboration endeavors in international school libraries and—drawing upon research and direct experience—demonstrates effective collaboration experiences in a range of countries. It also features selected brief case studies as well as several original essays on the topic of collaboration between teachers and teacher librarians in curriculum planning. The result of a joint effort between Libraries Unlimited and the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL), this book shows how collaboration with teachers looks in the international arena. It addresses topics such as collaborating for success with student searching, the roles of librarians and teachers in the research process, principal involvement, information literacy, inquiry-based learning, use of digital resources, models of collaboration for diversity, and evaluation of collaboration. Additionally, the current research findings presented will offer readers new insights into their profession.

This book details effective strategies for promoting a library beyond the building level in order to make an impact with the influential individuals who make the key decisions that directly affect the school district and library program. Make a Big Impact @ Your School Board Meeting was inspired by the authors' experiences speaking at local and national library conferences on the topic of making presentations to school boards and forging relationships with key administrators. It became clear that many librarians are unsure how to create a comprehensive marketing plan, and are simply too busy with their day-to-day tasks to tackle this daunting project. This book is written specifically for K–12 librarians in the field. It can also serve as an instructional tool for school library certification programs. It spotlights the importance of ongoing advocacy and leadership, teaches school librarians how to demonstrate the tremendous value of their library programs and how they directly impact student achievement, and showcases library-specific marketing techniques that can be used during good and poor economic times. By using the straightforward methods and tools provided, librarians will greatly improve their ability to avoid detrimental budget cuts to their programs.

Contains articles describing efforts at cooperation and collaboration within the library profession. This title includes scholarship that illustrates both concepts, defined in one of the chapters as terms 'often used loosely to describe relationships among entities or people working together.'

Knowledge is power, and this book puts assessment data and instruction together in a step-by-step format. Instead of dreading the time testing takes from teaching, you can harness its power to define learning targets, build standards-based assessments; gather and use test data in the classroom, and develop data-driven teaching strategies. Assessment expert Nancy W. Sindelar provides practical tools that help teachers: • Use formative and summative assessment results to enhance instruction • Motivate students by providing clear learning targets • Utilize technology to analyze students’ progress • Raise test scores Included are testimonials from teachers, numerous data analysis examples, rubrics, and a chapter on culturally diverse schools. Designed to be adaptable, this book is a powerful resource for teachers, teacher teams, and all educators dedicated to enhancing student learning.