AASL Advocacy Toolkit
The Key to Student Achievement
Research has shown a direct correlation between high quality school library programs and student achievement. Some recent findings:
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Spending for school library programs is the single most important variable related to better student achievement.1
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Students in schools with well-equiped library centers staffed by professional school librarians perform better on assessments of reading comprehension and basic research skills.2
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In studies in 14 states where library programs are better staffed, better stocked and better funded, academic achievement tends to be higher.3
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Research by Keith Curry Lance shows a direct link between higher reading scores and collaboration between school librarians and teachers. Collaboration activities in which school librarians should participate include identifying useful materials and information for teachers; planning instruction cooperatively with teachers; providing in-service training to teachers; and teaching students both with classroom teachers and independently.4
Sources:
- SchoolMatch.
- Ken Haycock, What Works, 1992.
- Scholastic Library Publishing, School Libraries Work!, 2004.
- Keith Curry Lance, "What Research Tells Us About the Importance of School Libraries," White House Conference on School Libraries, Institute of Museum and Library Services, June 2002, <www.imls.gov/pubs/whitehouse0602/keithlance.htm>. Accessed 7 June 2002.
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