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ERIC Number: EJ994364
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2165-1019
EISSN: N/A
School Librarian Staffing Levels and Student Achievement as Represented in 2006-2009 Kansas Annual Yearly Progress Data
Dow, Mirah J.; McMahon-Lakin, Jacqueline
School Library Research, v15 2012
To address the presence or absence of school librarians in Kansas public schools, a study using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was designed to investigate staffing levels for library media specialists (LMSs), the label used for school librarians in licensed-personnel data in Kansas, and student achievement at the school level. Five subject areas (reading, mathematics, science, history/government, and writing) were examined over a four-year period: 2006-2009. The study examined approximately 2.5 million individual assessment results from 1,389 schools. Researchers found that where schools maintained higher and more stable LMS staffing levels, the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) data revealed higher proficiency rates. Proficiency differences between no-LMS and full-time LMS conditions were small to moderate but critical with respect to meeting AYP targets. Effect sizes were consistent across grade spans and subject areas, and also consistent with those found in other states' impact studies. The researchers recommend future studies including addressing issues of causality with stratified random samples of students using propensity-score match techniques based on logistic regression and creating indices of contribution by weighting the ANCOVA-based proficiency differences. (Contains 6 tables and 4 figures.)
American Association of School Librarians. Available from: American Library Association. 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Tel: 800-545-2433; Web site: http://www.ala.org/aasl/slmr
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Elementary Secondary Education; High Schools; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kansas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A