Library Technology Raises Test Scores, Too

It may be common knowledge among librarians that good school libraries run by trained media specialists have a direct link to higher standardized test scores. But did you know that media centers equipped with technology can improve test scores, too?

Few librarians realize that students benefit the most when they have access to subscription databases that are thoughtfully chosen by media specialists, and when librarians train teachers to make the best use of online tools, says Keith Lance, director of Library Research Service at the Colorado State Library. In fact, the number of computers that offer library services—such as subscription databases and the library's automated catalog—links directly to student success on statewide tests.

"Kids achieve higher scores when they're skilled at seeking, finding, and using information available to them on the World Wide Web," says Lance, stressing that teaching basic information literacy skills prepares kids to perform well on these kinds of tests.

Lance and his colleague Marcia Rodney have conducted a series of statewide studies of K–12 school libraries over the last decade—most recently in New Mexico and Michigan —comparing various library-related assets. They analyzed the number of computers and licensed databases schools owned, as well as the size of their book collections, the presence of a certified librarian, and the school's Internet access. The result? Lance found that the more assets a school had, the more likely it was that students would score higher on standardized tests. But more importantly, students in schools with technologically advanced libraries performed up to 18 percent higher on statewide tests than their peers in schools with poorly equipped libraries. In a 2000 Colorado survey of fourth graders in 124 elementary schools, Lance discovered that the top-scoring 25 schools on the state's standardized reading, writing, and math tests had an average of 10 computers with access to library resources, while the 25 lowest scoring schools had an average of only 7.7 PCs. And in a survey of seventh graders in 76 middle schools, the top-scoring 25 schools had an average of 12.8 computers linked to library resources, while the 25 lowest scoring schools averaged only 8.5 PCs.

Since numbers alone don't tell the whole story, Lance included several "success stories" that testify to the power of giving kids access to online information—and to the librarians who incorporate technology into their programs. These stories reveal that the most successful schools have librarians who are dedicated to teaching students how to use computer hardware and software effectively.

For example, when Foothill Elementary School in Boulder, CO, won $166,968 in a school referendum in November, librarian Fran Grzenda was among those celebrating. The money will enable Foothill to double its technology assistance and replace some of the school's computers, but it still leaves Grzenda with a modest technology budget.

Grzenda strives to use the money as effectively as possible, providing students who use the library with carefully chosen CD-ROM software. When fourth-grade students study the rainforest and the sea, for example, she introduces them to Soleil Software's Zurk's Rainforest Lab and Sunburst's Field Trip to the Sea. Grzenda also directs many students to World Book Encyclopedia Online. "We go online to search the Boulder Public Library catalog and reserve materials there on our school library card," she says. When kids have finished their research reports, they're imported into Hyperstudio and made available to the classroom.

Another success story comes from Barbara Linnenbrink of Challenger Middle School in Boulder, CO, who stands as a model for the kind of media specialist Lance is talking about. Linnenbrink has cochaired her school's technology committee for the past two years and spreads the word to students and teachers about how to conduct effective research.

"We want kids to be able to find and evaluate information in any format, and the teachers are working with me," she says. With Linnenbrink's encouragement, teachers now require their students to use at least one of the school's subscription databases in their research projects—rather than obtaining all of their information from the free Web. When Linnenbrink first arrived seven years ago, there were two PCs in the library. Now there are 17—and that's still not enough. A technology bond was passed last year, and her school will soon have two new wireless laptop carts. "We're just beginning the journey [to teach students to use online information]," she says.