Documenting the Librarian's Impact on Student Learning

By assessing students' ability to apply information skills to class assignments, library media specialists can provide the evidence that will foster schoolwide attention to students' information fluency. At the same time, library media specialists will be solidifying their essential contribution to both teaching and learning.

In the age of accountability, school librarians must join classroom teachers and school administrators in collecting evidence to demonstrate that our teaching makes a difference in student learning outcomes.

Collecting evidence that demonstrates how the library helps the students with their learning.

Our Hawaii initiative began with a weeklong summer institute and continued into communication with a pilot group of twenty-four K- media specialists. The goal was to create more effective instruction that targeted key learning goals in the schools. This follow-up article summarizes critical lessons learned, accomplishments achieved, and continuing work identified by the Hawaii group.

Rummaged fiction shelves, open magazines on tables, pushed out chairs, scattered stacks of papers and folders and laptops—this is the stuff of a lively school library.

Assessment is the process of gathering evidence to show student understanding of information literacy. Assessment documents focus on thinking rather than on evaluating or measuring rote knowledge. The tools of assessment can range from an observation to a checklist or a portfolio.

Judi Moreillon and Michelle Luhtala examine the 21st century landscape and evidence-based learning, demonstrating the central role of the school librarian using New Canaan Public School District as an example of how to teach students and make the learning "stick."