Libraries
January 29th, 2009: Researchers at
Queen's University and People for Education release a new
reportExemplary Elementary School Libraries in Ontario
School libraries have the potential to transform schools, to increase literacy and improve student achievement.
Our study found that exemplary school libraries are the central hub of their schools, prominently placed and central place of activity and learning. The teacher-librarians are leaders in their school and outstanding teachers. Both the library and the teacher-librarian are recognized as playing a critical role in supporting the educational outcomes of the school.
Students in these schools report high levels of satisfaction and engagement with their school libraries. They are active readers and the majority also want to have more opportunities to use the school library.
The study identified a number of ongoing challenges including
funding and policy to support school libraries.
One of the most practical findings in the study was that the
support of the elementary school principal was found to be vital.
Without support of the elementary school principal, exemplary
school libraries cannot exist.
View the research team's powerpoint presentation, presented Jan.29/09 at the Library Superconference in the Metro Convention Centre. (It may take a minute to download.)
2 Comments
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Comment by Laurie Jonkman on February 12, 2009 at 1:27am - I am still unhappy that the Waterloo Region District Schoolboard downsized elementary teacher librarians into invisiblility. Libraries and librarians were terribly important to me in my childhood.
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Comment by Gay Stephenson on February 17, 2009 at 3:25pm -
Laurie, you've pointed out one of the problems. Some boards are not supporting teacher-librarians in schools, not because they don't believe in libraries, but because the funding makes it difficult. Boards only receive funding for one teacher-librarian position for every 769 elementary school students. They are not required to spend the funding on teacher-librarians, and if a board has a large number of small schools, it's a challenge to spread this funding around and make it useful.
Yet school libraries and teacher-librarians can make such a difference to children - as they did to you in your childhood. A partial funding solution may exist as the province spends $76 million on Literacy and Numeracy initiatives - but currently none of that funding is targeted at school libraries. Why is that? Perhaps this should change.
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Consultations, curriculum, confusion and conferences
There are many things happening on the education front - some better publicized than others.
The province wants to hear from parents and community members about the elementary curriculum (they just forgot to publicize the consultation); Bill 177 is going to undergo two days of public hearings in Toronto; and the Ministry hired a market research company to survey parents about the School Information Finder on the Ministry of Education website.
There have also been some fairly cranky meetings with the Provincial Education Partnership Table about the Information Finder, and all four provincial parent groups wrote a letter to the Minister of Education clarifying their concern about the Finder being described as a tool for "parent engagement."
Next week - more consultations on the Information Finder, maybe there will be news about the province's plans for all day early learning and child care and we'll be putting the finishing touches on the agenda for our November 7th provincial conference.
The province wants to hear from parents and community members about the elementary curriculum (they just forgot to publicize the consultation); Bill 177 is going to undergo two days of public hearings in Toronto; and the Ministry hired a market research company to survey parents about the School Information Finder on the Ministry of Education website.
There have also been some fairly cranky meetings with the Provincial Education Partnership Table about the Information Finder, and all four provincial parent groups wrote a letter to the Minister of Education clarifying their concern about the Finder being described as a tool for "parent engagement."
Next week - more consultations on the Information Finder, maybe there will be news about the province's plans for all day early learning and child care and we'll be putting the finishing touches on the agenda for our November 7th provincial conference.
THINGS WE LEARNED
By reading the news. Send Gay news from your part of the world to post here too!
Hugh Mackenzie, economist and People for Education board member, has written a wonderful column: Can we have an adult conversation about taxes.
Debate flourishes in Toronto over idea of new all boys school. Read the news:
Research shows single-sex schools are not the answer.
Single-sex classes score big, Toronto Star.
All-boys schools foster ‘achievement culture' , Globe and Mail.
School plan calls for boys-only classes, Toronto Star.
Oct 1st:
Happy World Teachers' Day!
To read about some wonderful teachers, click here.
Hugh Mackenzie, economist and People for Education board member, has written a wonderful column: Can we have an adult conversation about taxes.
Debate flourishes in Toronto over idea of new all boys school. Read the news:
Research shows single-sex schools are not the answer.
Single-sex classes score big, Toronto Star.
All-boys schools foster ‘achievement culture' , Globe and Mail.
School plan calls for boys-only classes, Toronto Star.
New research shows the value of work-experience programs in Canadian high schools.
Oct 1st:
Happy World Teachers' Day!
To read about some wonderful teachers, click here.
Latest Activity
Thanks for posting, Deborah! Yes, it relates well to some of the topics/questions we heard at the conference!
I think it is critical to frame discussions of success around some of the themes that Annie suggested in an earlier post - students, parents, teachers, etc. I also think that it is important to find places where this can be wedded to existing oppo...
A bunch of us from the online community are planning to "meet-up" at the conference at York University on Saturday Nov. 7th.
We can chat at lunch!
So let us know if you are coming... we'd like to meet you!
Help us to design a broader vision for education in the 21st century!
Hello everyone,
It's Sunday morning after the conference. I had a great sleep last night and woke up so excited about our group. I loved meeting you all, and I look forward to staying in touch as you explore some of these communication tools! And ...
This morning I was working on a blog entry for the Toronto Development Community Institute. I got on Youtube to search for a piece on Paolo Freire on literacy and oppression. I ended up watching this piece. I think it continues on beautifully with...
Good points Mike. I have also noticed that many of the parent groups and organizations around the province are made of of mostly parents who are over 40 years old.
Where are the younger parents who will take over for the more "seasoned" parents(n...
Everyone is welcome: this group begins at our conference on Saturday. It's a support group for people who want to learn more about using technology to communicate. How to do stuff here, or to start an e-news listserv, or group & more!
I concur.
What a good idea to engage the media.
In our area, Special Education planning committees (SEAC) are supposed to "engage" and consult via "invitation to respond" to "all parents receiving special ed services" but none of the special ed pa...
After living over 11 years in this province with school councils and governments of all stripes propping up their speeches with the usual parent platitudes, it's a real shame that parents need to chase down and impress upon a minister the importan...
Call me cynical, but is it possible that the email coming out from the Ministry and the extension of the deadline could have something to do with the opinions expressed in this discussion?
Thanks to People for Education for supporting this dialogue.
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