Regents Proposal on Increasing

School Library Materials Aid

The Proposal: The Regents propose increasing School Library Materials Aid to $10 per pupil as part of the Regents proposal on State Aid to School Districts for School Year 2008 -09. School Library Materials Aid was increased from $6 to $6.25 per pupil in 2007-2008.

New York's high performing schools spend more on School Library Materials Aid to achieve better results

· Large gaps in performance between students in high and low-need districts exist.

· High-need schools rely heavily on State School Library Materials Aid to provide library materials to students.

· The Court of Appeals decision in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case determined adequate school libraries to be part of a “sound, basic education” and recommended funding for up-to-date school libraries as one means of achieving equitable access to a basic education for students in low-income communities.

School libraries improve educational outcomes:

The impact of school libraries on student performance is well researched. Studies show:

· Students in schools with good school libraries get better grades and score higher on standardized tests than those in schools without libraries.

· School libraries with strong collections and Internet access raise student reading scores by 10% - 20%.

Research on the impact of school libraries on student learning

· Smith, Ester G. Student Learning Through Wisconsin School Library Media Centers. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2006 (Available at: http://www.dpi.wi.gov/imt/pdf/finalcasestudy.pdf). Up-to-date school library collections that appeal to students with a wide variety of interests and reading levels encouraged students to use the library and to read more.

· Lance, Keith Curry; Marcia J Rodney; and Christine Hamilton-Pennell. Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners: The Illinois Study. Canton, Illinois: Illinois School Library Media Association, 2005. www.islma.org/pdf/ILStudy2.pdf. In Illinois, stronger school library collections led to an 8% increase in fifth-grade reading and writing scores, an almost 14% increase in eighth-grade writing scores, and an almost 4% increase in11th-grade college-entrance scores.

· Baxter, Susan J. and Ann Walker Smalley. Check It Out!: The Results of the School Library Media Program Census. Final Report. Saint Paul, MN: Metronet, 2003. www.metronet.lib.mn.us/survey/index.cfm. Larger school media center budgets at the elementary level have s statistically significant impact on higher reading scores.

· Burgin, Robert and Pauletta Brown Bracy. An Essential Connection: How Quality School Library Media Programs Improve Student Achievement in North Carolina. www.rburgin.com/NCschools2003/NCSchoolStudy.pdf. This study showed that newer books in the school library were an important factor in increasing scores on standardized reading and English tests.

· Lance, Keith C., Marcia J. Rodney and Christine Hamilton-Pennell. The Impact of Michigan School Librarians on Academic Achievement: Kids Who Have Libraries Succeed. Lansing, MI: Library of Michigan, 2003. The number of print volumes in the school library media center is one predictor of reading test scores at all grade levels.

· Smith, Ester. Texas School Libraries: Standards, Resources, Services, and Students’ Performance. Austin, TX: EGS Research & Consulting, 2001. Available at: www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/schlibsurvey/survey.pdf. The number of volumes per student in the school library was among those variables associated with Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test performance.

· Lance, Keith Curry; Marcia J Rodney; and Christine Hamilton-Pennell.. How School Librarians Help Kids Achieve Standards: The Second Colorado Study. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow Research and Publishing, 2000 (available from LMC Source online at www.lmcsource.com/tech/research.html). The size of the school library collection is an important factor in raising reading scores on standardized tests, regardless of socio-economic conditions.

· Krashen, S. (1998). Bridging inequity with books. Educational Leadership, 55, 18-22. Dozens of studies dating back to 1972 show that large and varied school library print collections lead to more voluntary reading among students and are a key tool in helping students to become fluent readers.

· Smith, C., Constantino, B., & Krashen, S. (1996). Differences in print environment for children in Beverly Hills, Compton, and Watts. Emergency Librarian, 24(4), 8-10. A study of the number of books in students’ homes and in their school libraries shows the drastic difference in access to reading materials between children of different socioeconomic classes.

10/25/07