Impacting Student Achievement

Earning higher scores is easier than you may think.

Most Common Factors Affecting Student Test ScoresNumerous studies have been done over the past 30 years. They point to a correlation between media centers and student achievement. Improving in these areas can improve test scores (Lance, 1994):Number of hours openNumber of books per studentAmount of money spent for media materials per

studentRatio of Professional media specialists to studentsNumber of hours spent collaborating with teachers

Increase Hours of ServiceIn his study, School Libraries and MCAS

Scores, James Baughman discovered a correlation between the number of hours open and State test scores.(Baughman, 2000)

More hours for access led to higher scores on the state standardized test (MCAS). (Baughman, 2000)

Increase ratio of Books to Students!

“…students score higher… when there is a higher per pupil book count.” (Baughman, 2000)

“Program Development: Test scores increased in direct proportion to the ratio of students to library media center staff and library media center resources.” (Starr, 2000)

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confusing.html

Allow more money budgeted for media materials.

The media center is the only chance students from some socioeconomic communities have to use media materials. (Baughman, 2000)

This budget allows librarians to increase the number of books per student.

Make sure the media center is properly staffed.Schools…that had more trained staff, had more

instances of collaboration. Collaboration leads to higher test scores. (Lance, 1994)

“… survey data suggest that children from a lower socioeconomic stratum who have a school library obtain a higher mean [standardized test] score than do similar children from schools that do not have such a program. (Baughman, 2000)

“In schools that had an endorsed librarian or hired a new one, researchers found that students in grades three through 10 increased their performance on the Colorado Student Assessment Program…” (Barack, 2012)

Get media specialists and teachers to collaborate on lessons.“Test score increases were directly related to

the degree to which library media specialists and teachers worked together and to the amount of time media specialists spent training teachers to use information technology.” (Starr, 2000)

Having more library staff allows collaboration with teachers tooccur more frequently, whichenhances student performance.(ukn, 2001)

Glonic, M. (Photographer). (2011). Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/web-teaching-tool-0622.html

For addtitional information, visit theses research reports:Barack, L. (2012, March 6). full-time school

librarians linked to higher student reading scores School Library Journal, Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/893803-312/full-time_school_librarians_linked_to.html.csp

Baughman, J. (2000, October 26). School libraries and mcas scores. Retrieved from http://web.simmons.edu/~baughman/mcas-school-libraries/Baughman Paper.pdf

Additional sourcesLance, K. C. (1994). The impact of school

library media centers on student achievement. School library media quarterly, 22(3), Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/editorschoiceb/infopower/slctlancehtml

Starr, L. (2000, July 11). Strong libraries improve student achievement. Education World, Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin178.shtml