Hot Issues in School Libraries

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Hot Issues in School Libraries

• OLA Super Conference
• Session 413
• February 1, 2007

Michael Rosettis
President, Ontario School Library
Association
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Overview

• Research Study
• Advocacy
• Knowledge Ontario
• Ministry Curriculum Initiatives
• Ministry Meeting OSLA, TALCO OLA
• Discussion/Focus Groups
• Future Direction

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Perspective

• The government recognizes the critical role
  that school libraries play in improving student
  achievement ... Libraries have a powerful
  influence on stimulating interest in reading and
  strengthening research and critical thinking
  skills.
• (Avis Glaze, Chief Student Achievement Officer,
  The Literacy
  and Numeracy Secretariat, and Kit
  Rankin, Acting Assistant Deputy
  Minister,
  Secondary and Elementary Strategic Planning
  Division,
  Ontario Ministry of Education, 2005)

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Research Study Phase 1

• Presence of teacher-librarian the strongest
  predictor of
  reading enjoyment for grade 3 and 6 students
• Schools with TLs tended to have reading enjoyment
  scores up to 8
  percentile points higher than average
• Reading enjoyment strongly/positively linked to
  student
  achievement
• Schools with professionally-trained school
  library staff could be expected to have reading
  achievement scores that were higher
  ( 5.5 percentile points in grade 6 EQAO
  results)
• Schools without trained library staff tend to
  have lower achievement on grade 3 and 6 EQAO
  reading tests
• Eastern and Northern regions of province
  particularly disadvantaged

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Research Study Phase 2

• Data collection March-June 2007
• Data Analysis and Preliminary Report
  July to September 2007
• Release of preliminary findings October 2007
• Data collection November 2007 to June 2008
• Data Analysis and Final Report preparation July
  to September 2008
• Release of final report findings October 2008

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Research Study Phase 2
Possible Research Directions

• Research impact of exemplary libraries and
  library programs on student attitude and
  achievement
• Extension of the use of EQAO data results
• Use of School Library data from People for
  Education Annual Survey (2006)
• Identification of exemplary school library
  programs
• Sampling of schools from across the province
• Initial emphasis for Phase 2 Elementary schools
  rural vs. urban small vs. large schools

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Research Study Phase 2
Possible Research Directions
(Contd)

• Case study approach observation and analysis of
  varied staffing models qualitative research
  design
• Measuring learning transfer (re
  Interdisciplinary Skills learned through school
  library program e.g., note-taking, evaluating
  content, accessing print and digital resources,
  etc.)
• Use of EQAO data to identify higher scoring
  schools, and analysis of common factors
• Survey tool development of local and web-based use

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Quotes
The Importance of School Libraries

• Conference Board of Canada
• Ministry Statements
• Statistics Canada
• Teacher Federation
  Statements Policy
• CPCO
• Dr. David Booth
• Time, Globe and Mail

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(No Transcript)
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OSLA Website Renewal
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Advocacy
Provincial Level Lobbying

• Teacher Federations
• OSSTF
• ETFO
• OECTA
• Ministry of Education
• Education Minister
• Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch (CAPB)
• Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

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Advocacy
Professional Networking

• Networking
• TALCO
• Leaders Today
• Knowledge Ontario
• Education Institute
• Research
• Queens University
• People for Education

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Advocacy
Professional Networking

• Conferences
• Ontario Principals Council (OPC)
• OECTA New Teachers
• Teacher Federation AGMs
• OTF Curriculum Forum
  Ministry Subject Association Meetings

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Federation Support

• Federation Policy Statements
• OSSTF
• ETFO
• OECTA
• Federation Action
• International School Library Day, ETFO
• January 2007 Education Watch, OSSTF
• Open Letter to NDP Delegates, ETFO
• OSLA Correspondence

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OSSTF
International School Library Day
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OSSTF
Education Watch
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ETFO Open
Letter to NDP Delegates
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Knowledge Ontario
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Knowledge Ontario

• Resource Ontario
• Equity of access across province
• Product selection
• KO Board of Directors
• Procuring sustained
  funding
• OSLA Rep
• Listserv

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Knowledge Ontario
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Ministry Curriculum Initiatives

• The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8 Language,
  2006
• Many Roots, Many Voices Supporting English
  Language Learners in Every Classroom
• The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8 Science,
  Draft (2007)
• The Ontario Curriculum, Grades
  9-12 English, Draft (2007)

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Ministry Curriculum Initiatives
inclusion in Future Documents
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Ministry Meeting Jan. 2007
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Ministry Meeting Jan. 2007

• Our Vision
• Ministry leadership regarding policy and program
  direction for school libraries and school library
  programs
• Equitable staffing for school libraries across
  Ontario by qualified teacher-librarians and
  support staff
• Board accountability for school library funding
  staffing, resources and facilities.
• Clear connections between school libraries and
  Ministry literacy and curricular initiatives
• The school library becomes a learning commons for
  the entire school community

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Ministry Meeting Jan. 2007

• Revitalised school library programs can
• help teachers and students meet provincial
  expectations
• increase student achievement levels
• integrate a wide range of vital cross-curricular
  knowledge, skills, and technologies
• improve teaching and learning, especially
  literacy and research skills
• develop the love of reading for learning
  and pleasure
• provide learning environments that are
  safe, nurturing,
  positive, and respectful
• serve entire school communities.

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Ministry Meeting Jan. 2007

• The development of comprehensive content and
  professional standards, print and electronic,
  for school libraries in Ontario that
• scaffold knowledge and skills with specific
  teaching and learning strategies, activities, and
  templates to support
• research process
• reading literacy and independent reading
• Information literacy
• media literacy
• communication and presentation skills
• character education
• ICT and other innovative technological
  literacies.
• collect best practices, activities, and templates
  to support the collaboration of teachers and
  teacher-librarians in implementing

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Ministry Meeting Jan. 2007

• To address the issues of equity and
  accountability, the funding formula must
  recognize that school library programs need
  Ministry policy, direction, standards and
  targeted funding rather than local school board
  and school independence.
• There are large disparities and inequities in the
  resource budgets of school libraries and in the
  quality of school library collections.
• Our most disadvantaged students continue
  to be disadvantaged if
  school library
  resource budgets are inadequate.

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Ministry Meeting Jan. 2007
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Ministry Meeting Jan. 07
Recommendations That the Ministry of Education
reinstate adequate funding for qualified
teacher-librarians and library resources. (CPCO
Submission on Education Funding 2006)
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New Ministry Leadership

• Effective school library programs
  can help promote the development of
  information literacy skills among all students by
  supporting and coordinating the collaborative
  planning and implementation of reading programs,
  inquiry and research tasks, and independent
  study. (Ontario Ministry of Education, The
  Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12 Program
  Planning and Assessment, 2000)

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OSLA Discussion/Focus Groups

• Advocacy School Library Programs/
• Role of Teacher-librarian
• AQ Courses, Library
• Faculties of Education Pre-service
• Federation Advocacy
• Fundraising in Libraries
• Global Citizenship
• Libraries Literacy
• School Library Budgets/Funding

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OSLA Discussion/Focus Groups

• Dedicated listserv
• Regular e-mail
• Wiki Interaction
• Teleconferences
• In-person meeting
• ? dialogue
• ? planning further action

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Interested?

• Please join the discussion!

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Future Direction ???

• Research School Libraries in Ontario
• Targeted Action
• Principals OPC, CPCO
• Federations OTF, EFTO, OECTA, OSSTF
• Ministry Dialogue
• Literacy Numeracy Secretariat
• Curriclum Assessment Policy Branch
• Minister of Education
• Other Ideas???

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Action is Paramount!

• School libraries are places where students can
  develop a passion for reading and learning
  and inspire our students and help them succeed
• (Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, 2006)

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Hot Issues in School Libraries

• February 1, 2007

Michael Rosettis
michael.rosettis_at_ycdsb.ca