Dear All,
Many of you have heard that the Texas Study on the Affect of School
Libraries on Student Achievement is now completed. The study was conducted
and the report prepared by Ester G. Smith, Ph.D., EGS Research & Consulting.
Christopher P. Benton, Ph.D., conducted an independent analysis of the
study's statistical methodology.
The study unequivocally demonstrates the positive impact of Texas School
Libraries on students' academic achievement. It reveals higher performance
at all educational levels on TAAS in schools with librarians than in schools
without librarians. Over 10 percent more students in schools with librarians
than in schools without librarians met minimum TAAS expectations in reading.
The TAAS pass rate increases even more with increases in the following
characteristics of school libraries: staffing, information technology,
operating budget, curriculum integration activities, and currency of the
collection. In schools where these factors are optimized, an additional
four percent of students pass the reading portion of TAAS at the elementary
and middle school level, and an additional eight percent pass at the high
school level.
The Texas study also examines school library resources, services, and use on
the basis of the School Library Programs: Standards and Guidelines for
Texas, and the findings provide valuable information that will be used to
update the standards and guidelines.
I would like to thank the hundreds of school librarians throughout the state
that participated in this study. We could not have completed it without
your support and involvement. Because of you, 84% of the surveys were
returned which ensures the validity of the study results. I also wish to
thank Anita Givens, Mary Lankford, and Gloria McClanahan of the Texas
Education Agency for their collaboration and support.
I urge you to share this study with your local school officials and school
boards. The report is on the Texas State Library web site at
www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/schlibsurvey/index.html
<http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/schlibsurvey/index.html> . You may
access the study in Word, PDF, and HTML formats and may print all or part of
it. The first section of the Executive Summary is an excellent
non-technical summary of the key results. The Summer 2001 issue of Texas
Library Journal published by the Texas Library Association also features an
article outlining the key results of the study. Both are ideal to share
with teachers, administrators, and school boards.
A bound paper copy of the report will be mailed to each of the 10 Texas
Library Systems. Bound paper copies may be purchased from the Texas State
Library and Archives Commission. The purchase price for a single copy is
$12.00 plus $1.24 postage. Purchase requests may be sent to Anne Ramos via
e-mail. Send requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> . If purchase of the study is desired,
prepayment is optional. Interested persons may prepay by check in the
amount of $13.24 per copy, or may request copies and receive them together
with an invoice. If a check is included with an order, please mail to:
Attn: Accounting
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
P. O. Box 12516
Austin, TX 78711
Copies may also be borrowed from the Library Science Collection (LSC) of
the Texas State Library for a 4 week loan period. Texas residents may
borrow directly from the LSC via e-mail to Anne Ramos at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> . Persons
outside of Texas may borrow a copy through Interlibrary Loan from the Texas
State Library and Archives Commission.
Best regards,
Christine McNew
Youth Services Consultant
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
1201 Brazos
Austin, Texas 78701
512-463-6623
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