5 Steps to Advocate for Stimulus Dollars

1
Welcome!

• 5 Steps to Advocate for Stimulus Dollars
• for Your Library
• Presented By
• Melanie Anderson Associate Director, Office of
  Government Relations, ALA
• Sheri JohnsonEducator and Marketing Manager,
  Capstone Publishers
• Eric FitzgeraldVice President of Sales, Capstone
  Publishers
• Moderated By
• Amy Cox
• Funding Specialist, Capstone Publishers

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What Is It?

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• ARRA
• The Stimulus Bill
• Stimulus

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5 Steps to Successful Advocacy

• Step 1 Become Informed
• Step 2 Determine Your Target
• Step 3 Gather Your Facts
• Step 4 Make a Plan
• Step 5 Be Loud. Be Strong.

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Purpose

• The single best way to stimulate the economy
  short-term and long-term is to keep teachers
  teaching and keep kids learning. States are
  hurting, and schools across America are facing
  catastrophic cuts. We need to invest this money
  quickly, thoughtfully and transparently to
  protect kids, create jobs and drive reforms.
• Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education,
• Addressing National Title 1 Conference

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Bill Overview

• Funding is HUGE Think BIG
• Funding is flexible
• Control largely rests in the hands of local and
  state superintendents
• The loudest voices throughout the process will be
  the ones that receive funding

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State Stabilization Fund

• 54 Billion (pink)

• Details
• 2 areas of funding
• Both primarily for preventing cutbacks, fiscal
  relief
• 1st of 2 funding stages began April 1

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Title 1

• Title 1 13 Billion (green)

• Details
• Represents a 50 increase each year for 2years
• 50 of funds released Spring 2009

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Enhancing Education Through Technology State
Grant (E2T2)

• 650 Million (no billions this time!)
• Special focus on students becoming
  technologically literate by 8th grade
• Funds can be used for hardware, software,
  professional development

From Write Your Own Graphic Novel
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Overall Priorities

• Demonstrate a positive impact on student
  achievement
• Especially to economically and academically
  disadvantaged students
• Close the achievement gap
• Avoid funding cliff
• Money runs out in 2 years
• Spending should incur little or no recurring costs

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School Libraries
From Pitcher Pressure
HOME RUN!
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5 Steps to Successful Advocacy

• Step 1 Become Informed
• Step 2 Determine Your Target
• Step 3 Gather Your Facts
• Step 4 Make a Plan
• Step 5 Be Loud. Be Strong.

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What Are the Priorities in Your District or
School?
From Robin Hood
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Hot Prospects

• Title 1
• http//www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/titlei/fy0
  9recovery/index.html
• to see estimated allocation for your district

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Fast Facts Title 1

• Title 1 is based on 3 important ideas
• All students should have a fair, equal, and
  significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality
  education and to reach, at minimum, proficiency
  on state academic standards and assessments.
• Local districts, schools, and parents know best
  what their students need to succeed. The Title I
  program allows them to decide how to use these
  funds to implement research-based proven
  practices to help students who are failing or
  who are at risk of failing in school.
• Parents are partners in helping all students
  achieve.

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Fast Facts Title 1

• 90 districts receive Title 1 funding
• School-wide program
• 40 or more of students at poverty level
• School must apply to be designated
• Any student in the school can use
  items/participate in programs purchased with
  Title 1 funds
• Targeted funding
• School focuses Title I services on children who
  are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet
  state academic standards
• Translation Spending is focused on specific
  students

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Hot Prospects

• IDEA

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Fire Extinguishers

• State Stabilization
• General budgets

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Decision Makers Influencers

• Possible Decision Makers
• Program Coordinators
• Principals
• Directors (Library, Curriculum, etc.)
• Superintendents and School Boards
• Influencers
• Teachers and Literacy Coaches
• Parents

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Be Proactive!

• You are the knock of opportunity!
• Bring them the message they want to hear How
  libraries help fulfill their goals!

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5 Steps to Successful Advocacy

• Step 1 Become Informed
• Step 2 Determine Your Target
• Step 3 Gather Your Facts
• Step 4 Make a Plan
• Step 5 Be Loud. Be Strong.

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Clear Evidence

• Reading scores go up when
• - Students read more
• - Students have access to high quality,
  high-interest materials
• - Students have choices in reading material
• Note Sources cited at end of presentation

From Write Your Own Biography
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School Libraries Rock

• Nearly 20 state-wide studies demonstrate a link
  between well-stocked, well-staffed libraries and
  increased achievement

Well-stockedLibrary
Well-staffedLibrary
IncreasedAchievement
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As Far Back as 1987

• Of all the expenditures that influence a
  schools effectiveness including those for
  facilities, teachers, guidance services, and
  others the level of expenditures for library
  and media services has the highest correlation
  with student achievement.
• School Match, a service specializing in
  executive relocation as quoted in the MA School
  Library Study

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Nationally

• Nearly 3 increase in reading scores
• In 2004, increased library resources seemed to
  compensate for recipients disadvantages,
  bringing them up to speed to non-grant schools
• In 2006, enabled them to surpass non-grant schools

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Illinois

• 14 increase in middle school writing scores in
  schools with larger, more current library
  collections

From Words, Wit, and Wonder Writing Your Own
Poem
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Massachusetts

• At each grade levelElementary, Middle/Junior,
  High School
• School library programs improve MCAS scores
• Students score higher on MCAS tests when there is
  a higher per pupil book count
• Hours open make a difference in MCAS scores
• Student use of the library produces higher mean
  MCAS scores

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Michigan

• Michigan elementary students scoring proficient
  or above on state reading test
• With librarians 66
• Without librarians 49

From Manners in the Library
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North Carolina

• Mean test scores
• Newer collections 79.7
• Older collections 75.2

From The Life of Max
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Oregon

• Whatever the level of a schools library program,
  incremental improvements in its staffing,
  collections, and budget will yield incremental
  increases in reading scores

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Every Dollar Invested Pays Off!
From The Free and the Brave A Collection of
Poems About the United States
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Your Own Backyard

• Data about your own library
• Data about student performance in your
  school/district
• Data for students in specific programs (Title 1,
  IDEA)

From Manners at School
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5 Steps to Successful Advocacy

• Step 1 Become Informed
• Step 2 Determine Your Target
• Step 3 Gather Your Facts
• Step 4 Make a Plan
• Step 5 Be Loud. Be Strong.

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Set The Goal. Define the Steps.

• S.M.A.R.T.
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

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Example

• In Missouri, for 3rd graders to achieve
  proficient status on the state reading test,
  they must be able to summarize and interpret the
  elements of fiction/nonfiction make complex
  inferences and interpret figurative language.
• Goal Increase number of fiction titles to
  recommended standards and update average age of
  nonfiction titles to recommended years to provide
  stronger resources for 09-10 school year.

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CollectionWiz

• www.capstonecollectionwiz.com
• Free, fast
• See how your collection stacks up against
  recommendations
• Get presentation-quality reports
• Dewey distribution
• Suggested purchase items (no duplicates!)
• Suggested items to weed

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Budget

• How much money do you need to accomplish your
  goal?
• Must include how you determined the figure
• SLJ average book price
• TX guidelines of 1-3 of total instructional
  materials budget
• Total of specific items
• Ask for what you need. Be bold.
• Be prepared to negotiate. Can you phase in your
  plan over two years? Scale it back? Ramp it up?

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Always, Always, Always

• Reinforce that your proposal
• Meets the requirements of ARRA
• Meets the needs of your audience
• Makes a positive difference for your students

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Make Your Pitch

• Practice
• Set up an appointment
• Be positive and succinct
• Consider leave-behinds
• Follow-up

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5 Steps to Successful Advocacy

• Step 1 Become Informed
• Step 2 Determine Your Target
• Step 3 Gather Your Facts
• Step 4 Make a Plan
• Step 5 Be Loud. Be Strong.

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Be Confident!

• Youve taken the steps
• You know your plan meets ARRA goals
• Positive impact on student achievement
• No/low recurring costs

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Know It. Share It.

• The school library is proven to have a huge
  impact on student performance
• The school library provides Equal Access to all
  students
• The school library is at the heart of a 21st
  Century learning environment
• There is no more efficient or effective way to
  manage the tools of learning than the school
  library. If money is tight, your program is more
  important than ever!

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Be Loud. Be Strong.

• You know the library matters
• You can prove the library matters
• You are your librarys best advocate
• Advocating for libraries means advocating for
  students

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Bottom Line

• There is no program more worthy of support than
  the school library
• Let the world know it!

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Stimulus Support (research links too!)

• www.capstonepress.com
• www.stonearchbooks.com
• www.picturewindowbooks.com
• www.compasspointbooks.com

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Research URLS

• Government site
• www.recovery.org
• Title 1 allocations http//www.ed.gov/about/overv
  iew/budget/titlei/fy09recovery/index.html
• ALAs Know Your Stimulus
• http//www.ala.org/know your stimulus
• Links to State Studies
• www.aasl.org search student achievement
  resource guides