Helping Schools Help Kids

A Title I program makes a public library rethink its mission

By Ginny Nilles -- School Library Journal, 9/1/2005

Community needs drive the Muncie (IN) Public Library, as they do most school and public libraries. So when we learned that standardized test scores and graduation rates in Muncie’s schools were lower than the state averages, we looked for a way to help.

School officials persuaded us to apply to the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) for certification as a Title I Supplemental Education Service (SES) provider. An SES provider works with students outside the regular school day. The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act requires public schools to offer supplemental services if their students show little or no progress on standardized tests for two years in a row.

In late 2003, the state DOE gave us good news—we had made the cut. Now an official SES provider, we launched our program in January 2004.

The school district promoted our services for children in grades two to five in two lagging schools. Parents and caregivers responded. We met with them to gain insights into the problems their children faced as learners, to discuss goals, and to develop individual learning plans.

Because we are a library, it was a given that we would focus on reading and phonics. We began with assessment tests. We plumbed each student’s knowledge of phonics and ability to spot sight words. We learned how well they read aloud and silently and how much they understood of what they read. We evaluated their math skills—their knowledge of concepts and receptive vocabulary, and their ability to compute and use numbers as tools.

We bought curriculum materials aligned with Indiana’s academic standards. Discover Intensive Phonics (HEC Reading Horizons), Spelling Inventory (Prentice Hall), the Houghton Mifflin Math Series, and the online program Reading A-Z (www.readinga-z.com)—all four fit the bill. Title I covered the cost of these materials and the salaries of our teacher and aides, which for the last academic year amounted to $1,500 per child—our absolute break-even point.

The first year, 46 students from two schools spent two and a half hours twice a week working at the library. Our numbers dropped the second year after we required children to come four afternoons a week. We also lost many fourth- and fifth-grade students to the competition—sports and other after-school activities. This year, older and wiser, we’re returning to the two-day-a-week schedule.

What else have we learned? For one thing, that communication between the library and schools is vital. We’re in touch with school officials to discuss the program and individual children at least once a month, and we send the school district quarterly reports on student progress.

We also learned how important it is to keep in touch with families. Nudged by their children, virtually all parents and caregivers turn out for our once-a-semester family nights. The events provide an opportunity for everyone to interact socially, for library staff to register first-time visitors for library cards, and for students to show off their achievements.

Happily, we’ve had a lot of achievements to report. After 80 hours of instruction, nearly four in five students rose anywhere from half a grade to a whole grade in reading, math, or both. On the strength of such gains, several of our kids moved out of special education and into the mainstream. “One of my students improved tremendously due to her concentration and hard work,” wrote a teacher from a nearby school. “The library made such a difference.”

Our experience as an SES provider prompted us to redefine our educational mission. We still have storyhours, crafts, and other fun activities. But now we know how to design activities that reinforce what the schools teach, such as listening and speaking skills, predicting, and reviewing books. We even use music to help children learn vowel sounds.

While it’s exciting to be an active partner in the educational process, we have no illusions—“partner” is the keyword. As a public library, we can provide kids with the extra attention they need. But the foundation for learning comes from the schools and always will. I can’t think of anything more important than what we do together—equip members of the next generation with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive.