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The Evidence-Based Manifesto For School Librarians
The Evidence-Based Manifesto For School Librarians
School Librarians
If school librarians can’t prove they make a difference,
they may cease to exist
By Ross Todd -- School Library
Also in this article:
Journal, 4/1/2008 Multiple types of evidence
What is EBP for school librarians?
Every fall, School Library Journal hosts a The central questions
national Leadership Summit that brings An emphasis on outcomes
together a mix of school librarians, Outcomes and national standards
administrators, other educators, researchers, Key challenges of EBP
and university professors, as well as policy Peak Experience
makers and elected officials. While the topics To-Do Lists
change, the Summit always focuses on an issue
of critical importance to school librarians. Our goal? To jump-start the conversation and
create a ripple effect throughout the profession.
The 2007 Leadership Summit, “Where’s the Evidence? Understanding the Impact of
School Libraries,” dove head first into evidence-based practice (EBP). (To learn more
about last year’s Summit see “Peak Experience,” p. 41.) Evidence-based school
librarianship, according to Ross Todd, director of Rutgers University’s Center for
International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL), “is an approach that
systematically engages research-derived evidence, school librarian-observed evidence,
and user-reported evidence in the ongoing processes of decision making, development,
and continuous improvement to achieve the school’s mission and goals. These goals
typically center on student achievement and quality teaching and learning.”
Much of what follows draws upon the Summit’s closing session, which Todd led. Here
the 200 participants worked at small tables, capturing ideas on paper which they then
shared with the larger group. They defined core beliefs about evidence-based practice,
identified the challenges ahead, and determined the key actions that needed to be taken
—Brian Kenney
Evidence-based practice in school libraries hasn’t emerged out of nowhere. In fact, it’s
centered on several beliefs, which most school librarians already share.
Different sources and types of evidence might include student interviews or portfolios,
reflection and process journals, formative and summative assessment tasks, standards-
based scoring guides and rubrics, surveys of students and teachers, pretest and post test
measures, student-generated products, statewide assessments, skills measurements,
ongoing performance-based assessments, general student data, and systematically
recorded observations.
In order to accomplish this, school libraries need to systematically collect evidence that
shows how their practices impact student achievement; the development of deep
knowledge and understanding; and the competencies and skills for thinking, living, and
working.
Evidence for practice focuses on examining and using empirical research to form
practices and inform actions, and to identify best practices. This is the informational
dimension of school library practice.
Evidence in practice focuses on integrating the available research evidence with the
deep knowledge and understanding derived from professional experience, as well as
using local evidence to identify learning dilemmas and needs, and achievement gaps.
This kind of reflective practice enables us to make informed decisions about how the
school library can bring about optimal learning outcomes and actively contribute to
fulfilling the school’s mission and goals. This is the transformational dimension of
school library practice.
None of these dimensions are linear or static. Taken together, they are a dynamic,
ongoing, and integrative process that informs practice, generates new practices, and
demonstrates a practice’s impact on learning outcomes.
• How do school libraries impact student learning? How do they help students
learn?
• Do students who have been taught information skills perform better
academically?
• How do we ensure that our school libraries are sustainable and accountable—in
infrastructure, personnel, resources, and instructional processes—so that optimal
student outcomes are achieved?
• How do we spread the word about the impact of school libraries on student
achievement and demonstrate their educational, social, and cultural value?
Evidence-based practice emphasizes the actual work of the school librarian, including
the creation of local initiatives that document and demonstrate the individual school
library’s impact on learning outcomes. Accordingly, EBP generates local versions of the
above questions. For example, how does my school library impact student learning?
How does my school library help students learn?
An emphasis on outcomes
By emphasizing outcomes, EBP shifts the focus from articulating what school librarians
do to what students achieve. Accordingly, EBP validates that quality learning outcomes
can be achieved through the school library and that the school librarian is an important
instructional partner.
While some see EBP as a theory of practice, fundamentally it’s not about theory.
Rather, it is an approach to best practice. Evidence-based practice is action-oriented. It
goes beyond an awareness of statewide studies and the evidence they provide about
school libraries—and the assumption that sharing the results of a study is enough to
ensure quality school libraries for all. It asks school librarians to take action, to engage
in local initiatives, rather than simply keeping track of the number of books that are
checked out.
This is not to disparage what has traditionally been at the center of school library
practice, such as the number of classes in the library, the number of items borrowed,
and the number of items purchased annually. However, these are evidence of inputs and
processes, rather than evidences of outcomes. They do play a role in making decisions
that will lead to optimum outcomes, and should not be overlooked. But they are not the
centerpiece of evidence-based practice.
The standards clearly provide a framework for the evidence that should be generated.
They provide a structure for making evidence-based claims about the school library’s
contribution to learning, and give focus to specific evidence-collecting strategies. These
strategies can lead to many claims such as:
How do we share and accumulate locally generated evidence? We need structures and
processes for storing data, as well as good examples that showcase the outcomes. For
example, what might a portfolio of locally generated evidence look like? How can this
evidence be accumulated across individual schools and districts, and be shared and built
upon?
How do we deal with negative evidence arising out of research? What happens if
research—at a local, state, or national level—shows that school librarians are not
making a difference?
How do we provide professional training in EBP? For starters, by making the training
developed in the Delaware and Ohio studies more widely available.
How do we address the perception that most librarians don’t have enough time for
EBP? Time is consistently presented as the key barrier to implementing evidence-based
practice, and there’s also the perception that more support staff are needed to undertake
this “additional” work. But EBP is not about scrambling to find additional time. It’s
about establishing priorities and making choices based on your beliefs about the
importance of school libraries and learning.
How do we persuade school administrators that EBP is a key component of the work of
school librarians and garner their support? Some school administrators may resist EBP
because the library is not perceived as a classroom and the school librarian not
perceived as a teacher.
A lot of ground was covered at SLJ’s Summit—from understanding how EBP exists in
other disciplines to exploring how it can be used in ours. But as was made clear in the
closing session, there is plenty left to do before EBP can become integral to school
librarianship. And this responsibility lies with all of us. To help us succeed, the
participants created a “To-Do List” (opposite page)—for everyone from building-level
librarians to university researchers.
Author Information
Ross Todd is associate professor, Rutgers University, where he directs the Center for
International Scholarship in School Libraries.
Peak Experience
Greg Worrell, president of the Scholastic Classroom and Library Group, got SLJ’s
2007 Leadership Summit underway by reminding the audience of a tough reality: many
school administrators aren’t aware of the impact of school libraries—which is why the
need for evidence and evidence-based practice (EBP) is so critical.
Linda Perlstein, journalist and author of Tested: One American School Struggles to
Make the Grade (Holt, 2007), delivered the keynote address. Speaking from personal
experience, Perlstein talked about both the costs and benefits of the standards-based
testing movement.
A panel discussion, “Evidence across the Professions,” put EBP into a larger
perspective. Moderated by Carol Gordon, from Rutgers’ Center for International
Scholarship in School Libraries, the panel featured an architect, a nursing educator, a
health sciences librarian, and an academic librarian. The panelists shared the history
and status of evidence-based practice in their disciplines and discussed the benefits it
held for users.
Most of the Summit was spent investigating EBP through case studies. A group from
the Delaware Department of Education discussed its state’s evidence-based library
initiatives, which are largely tied to school-based improvement planning processes.
Attendees also heard how action research improved Londonderry (NH) School
District’s media program and created better connections between its school librarians
and classroom teachers.
Other case studies focused on using data derived from standardized assessments to
improve library instruction, collections, and collaboration; how reading research can
inform the design of a summer reading program; the evidence principals use to evaluate
school librarians; how school librarians can tie together reading level scores, circulation
statistics, and information literacy instruction to improve student achievement; and the
statewide training in EBP that’s going on in Ohio.
Summits aren’t free, and without the generous support of our corporate partners we
could never provide these opportunities. The 2007 Summit, held November 30 to
December 1, in Phoenix, was sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing, as well as
Gareth Stevens Publishing; Capstone Press, Compass Point Books, Picture
Window Books, and Stone Arch Books; Follett Library Resources; Rosen
Publishing; World Almanac Education; Thomson Gale; and Follett Software
Company. Our sponsors do much more than just pay the bills; they are active
participants throughout the process—from the advanced planning to the event itself.
Visit www.slj.com for more on the Summit, including video excerpts of many of the
talks and presentations.—Brian Kenney
To-Do Lists
School librarians
At the heart of evidence-based practice (EBP) is the day-by-day actions of school
librarians, and participants identified a wide range of suggestions and strategies.
Shift from an advocacy strategy. Make certain that mission statements are articulated
from a learning-outcomes viewpoint, that means “students will…” rather than “the
school library will….” Ensure that goals and initiatives are built on a research
framework and based on research evidence and document learners’ needs and EBP
strategies to address them.
Just do it. Step outside your comfort zone and deal with any insecurity about your
impact. An outcomes-driven practice may need to adjust its management and support
staff. EBP is neither easy nor simple, but taking small steps is essential in overcoming
the false perception that EBP is time-consuming and complicated. Develop an EBP plan
that makes you part of your school’s solutions.
Share outcomes rather than seek permission to engage in EBP. Your mandate for
practice is derived from the profession and not based on the limited perceptions of
others. Be patient in overcoming resistance to changes in your professional role, and
remember: presenting clear evidence that you’re contributing to your school’s learning
goals is much more convincing than merely advocating for the opportunity.
Gain access to data. You’ll probably be able to get your hands on test scores and other
kinds of achievement data, which can be broken down to isolate specific gaps in student
learning. Develop interventions aligned to the school library’s role, such as actions that
build better reading comprehension or critical thinking. “Standards for the 21st Century
Learner” provides a framework for spotting gaps in local data and identifying where the
school librarian can close those gaps.
Get involved with your school improvement process. Improvement plans are a
natural avenue for developing EBP. Typically they are data driven, with data required
to establish the need, interventions, and to measure change. Explain how the school
library can contribute to the plan.
Build a research orientation into your practice. Produce a weekly summary of some
key research. Share locally generated evidence at faculty forums or in newsletters.
Work within your school’s data-driven structures. It’s likely that teachers are
already using school data or involved in school improvement planning. Join them. Drill
down into the data to find the gaps and where library interventions can help.
Make advocacy evidence-based. Make sure every advocacy initiative is explicitly tied
to research and provides national, district, and school-based evidence. Advocacy
without evidence is just self-interested opinion.
The ongoing relationship among research, professional practice, and local action is an
essential dimension of evidence-based practice. This has implications for the writing
and dissemination of research and the ongoing training of school librarians. Researchers
and educators need to:
Compile and disseminate research-based strategies that impact the needs of specific
groups of students and create clearly defined outcomes. These include interventions for
reading comprehension, critical thinking, knowledge construction, and fostering
conceptual change.
Speak with practitioners to understand their needs and how these might translate into
a research agenda.
Associations
Establish blogs or wikis for sharing and discussing research. This is an easy way to
showcase strategies from individual schools; allow researchers, educators, and
practitioners to interact; and provide ongoing feedback.
Establish a task force on EBP. A task force can build a strong commitment to EBP
across the profession and ensure that evidence plays a central role in an association’s
policies and processes.