2008
School, Children's and Young People's Section (SCYP)
Board Members
blankChair
Marci Retzlaff
Norfolk Public Library
308 Prospect Ave
Norfolk, NE 68701
(402) 844-2100
FAX (402) 844-2102
mretzlaf@ci.norfolk.ne.us
blankChair-Elect/Continuing Education Representative
Carol Eshleman
North Platte Public Library
blankSecretary/Treasurer
Patty Birch
Library Media Specialist
North Platte High School
1220 West 2nd Street
North Platte, NE 69101
(308) 535-7105, ext. 3417 (work)
FAX (308) 535-7111 (school office)
pbirch@esu16.org
blankPast Chair
Betty Meyer
Thayer Central Public Schools
930 Eads Avenue
Hebron NE 68370
(402) 768-6117 (work)
FAX (402) 768-6110
betty.meyer@thayercentral.org
blankGolden Sower Chair
Kathy Schultz
Hastings Public Library
517 W 4th Street
Hastings, NE 68901
(402) 461-2346 (work)
FAX (402) 461-2359 (work)
kschultz@hastings.lib.ne.us
blankMad Hatter Chair
Patty Birch
Library Media Specialist
North Platte High School
1220 West 2nd Street
North Platte, NE 69101
(308) 535-7105, ext. 3417 (work)
FAX (308) 535-7111 (school office)
pbirch@esu16.org
blankInformation Power Representative
Laura Pietsch
Media Specialist
Bellevue East High School
1401 High School Dr.
Bellevue, NE 68005
(402) 293-4190 (work)
FAX (402) 293-4259(work)
lpietsch75@hotmail.com
blankNLA Membership Committee Representative
Joni Wilder
Washington Branch - Omaha Public Library
2868 Ames Ave
Omaha, NE 68111
(402) 444-4849
jwilder@lavistamail.mccneb.edu
blankNLC Youth Advisory Board Representative
Shawna Lindner
Youth Services Librarian
Kearney Public Library
2020 1st Avenue
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 233-3284 (work)
FAX (308) 233-3291
slindner@kearneygov.org
blankNLA Citation Committee Representative
Annette Bellu
Chadron Public Library
507 Bordeaux Street
Chadron, NE 69337
(308) 432-0531
abellu@chadronpubliclibrary.com
blankPublications Committee Representative
Sarah English
Omaha Public Library
W. Dale Clark Library
215 S. 15th
Omaha, NE 68102
402-444-4808 (work)
senglish@omahapubliclibrary.org
blankWeb Manager
Karla Wendelin
psshine@inebraska.com

School, Children's, and Young People's Section
2007-2008 Annual Report

          The main goal for the SCYP Board this year was to promote our organization. SCYP represents both school and public libraries, and the members of SCYP receive discounted registration to Plum Creek Literacy Festival, Norfolk Literature Festival, and were able to attend various workshops around the state that help promote and provide library and media center needs for the children and youth of Nebraska. SCYP sponsored a booth at Plum Creek and at the NLA/NEMA Conference in Lincoln in October. The three Golden Sower 2007 award books autographed by the author were given away.
          SCYP continues to look for more opportunities to promote libraries to school children in both the public and school settings. We need to continue to recruit new members, and also ask that our members volunteer to be officers for our section. SCYP is currently looking for a new web page master.

Conference Programs

          Marci Retzlaff, Chair-Elect, arranged for the following programs for the NLA/NEMA October conference held in Lincoln:

Committee Reports

Information Power Committee Report
          Laura Pietsch is the new Information Power representative. She is a library media specialist with Bellevue Public Schools. The Information Power Committee is in the process of revising the Nebraska Guide.

Golden Sower Committee Annual Report
          The 2008 Golden Sower Award winners were announced May 1. This year a total of 67,001 students cast their votes for their favorite books!

          K-3:     The Great Fuzz Frenzy, written by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel and illustrated by Janet Stevens
          4-6:     The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney
          YA:     The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

          We are very pleased that Janet Stevens, Susan Stevens Crummel, and Betty G. Birney are able to attend the NLA/NEMA Conference to accept their awards.

          Our many dedicated volunteer readers spent much of their summer reading the extensive lists of books that were submitted for consideration for the 2009-2010 Golden Sower lists. The final selections were made in August and these lists have been published on the Golden Sower web page.

          The Golden Sower web page continues to be your source for information about the Golden Sower Award. It can be found at www.goldensower.org. On the web page you will find links to:

          The web page is maintained by Mary Ehlers, and we hope that everyone will visit this site often to keep up with the activities of the Golden Sower Committee.

  Submitted by Kathy Schultz, Chair of the Golden Sower Committee

Youth Advisory Board Report
          The Youth Advisory Board met Friday, October 17th during the NLA/NEMA Conference. The main focus of the meeting was discussion of the 2009 One Book for Nebraska Kids.
          Committee members had spent the month of September reading titles that were nominated for One Book.
          Our criteria for selection includes:
          1) No copyright date restriction
          2) Golden Sower nominees are not eligible
          3) The title must be available in paperback
          4) The readability level must suit the intended readers
          The final selection is Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages. The Youth Advisory Board is now busy creating packets to be included in the book discussion bags. The packets will list discussion questions, author information, and classroom ideas.

Mad Hatter Committee
          The 2008 Mad Hatter Committee included Betty Armstrong of Ogallala Public Schools, Patty Birch of North Platte Public Schools, Shawna Lindner of Kearney Public Library, Kay Paulsen of Lincoln Public Schools, and Marci Retzlaff of Norfolk Public Library.

          The Mad Hatter Award nomination form was posted on the SCYP webpage, in the NLAQ and NEMA News, on all lists websites for NLA and NEMA, and in the Nebraska Library Systems' newsletters. The nomination form was also given to anyone who attended the Mad Hatter Luncheon on October 26, 2007.

          The committee members reviewed all the applications and decided on the winner. Then they planned the presentation and decorations. All communication among the committee members was done via email. Duane Munson and Child's World, co-sponsors of the Mad Hatter Award, provided the plaque for this year's recipient.

          Mary Reiman was the recipient of the 2008 Mad Hatter Award. Congratulations, Mary!

          Respectfully Submitted, Marci Retzlaff

2008-2009 SCYP Officers
          Chair - Marci Retzlaff, Norfolk Public Library
          Chair-Elect - Carol Eshleman, North Platte Public Library
          Secretary/Treasurer - Patty Birch, North Platte Senior High School

          I enjoyed serving as Chair of SCYP this year. As chair I have tried to promote the SCYP section of the NLA around the state by having information booths, give-always to our members, as well as offering free and reduced registration to various literacy festivals around the state to our membership. Thank you to the SCYP board members for all your help; you have made my job easier. I am proud to be affiliated with a group that puts the interests of children and young people first. Thanks to all members for helping make this a great year for SCYP.

Respectfully submitted by Betty Meyer, SCYP Chair

 

AASL Fall Forum - Providence, RI - October 13-14, 2006
"Assessing Student Learning in the School Library Media Center"
by Nancy Larimer

The vibrance of Rhode Island's fall foliage was quickly surpassed by the excitement and energy of the 2006 AASL Fall Forum, "Assessing Student Learning in the School Library Media Center." The AASL Teaching for Learning Committee sponsored the two-day conference. Nationally acclaimed speakers Violet Harada, Barbara Stripling, Marjorie Pappas, and Allison Zmuda inspired, informed, and challenged the more than 500 library media specialists (LMS) attending. Sessions covered what assessment is and why the LMS should be involved, the many types of assessment tools that can be used, and how the LMS can use data from these tools to increase student achievement and improve communication. The conference provided the impetus for library media specialists to not just do their work differently, but to think differently about the nature and purpose of the work.

Since the passage of NCLB in 2001, all educators have been challenged to identify what students are learning and how well they are learning. If, like we all believe, library media centers are the centers of information and learning, then assessment of information fluency must be our priority. It will lead to better teaching and better learning.

What is assessment? Is it more tests? Is it giving grades? According to keynote speaker Violet Harada, professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Hawaii, assessment and evaluation are not the same thing. Assessment is the "ongoing process of collecting, analyzing and reporting data that informs us about progress and problems a learner encounters in a learning experience." It can be as simple as a checklist of students who have completed a task. There are different purposes for assessment: assessment OF learning, assessment FOR learning, and assessment for ADVOCACY.

Assessment OF learning is summative and judgmental, often resulting in grades for final projects or unit tests. This type of assessment is teacher-focused. The LMS needs to establish clear learning targets and performance tasks before assessing student success. Assessment FOR learning is formative, ongoing and reflective. It focuses on the student s evolving performance during learning, assessed by using learning logs, rating scales, checklists, graphic organizers and/or rubrics. The LMS and student work as partners in assessment. Students can also be involved in the creation of assessment tools.

In today's world of shrinking budgets and programs, the LMS is vulnerable. Consequently, Assessment for ADVOCACY is critical. This type of assessment focuses on communication. For example, after assessing a class's ability/inability to use information resources, the results need to be communicated to the stakeholders and decision makers. If reteaching needs to take place, collaboration can happen immediately. A selective strategy of assessment could be done throughout the year by using evidence folders that gather strategic examples of student work that most closely link to the school s learning priorities.

Why does the LMS need to be involved in assessment? If the LMS is a teaching partner, then it follows that the LMS is a partner in assessment as well. Library media centers are extensions of the classrooms. Information literacy is considered central to 21st Century Skills. This is the library media specialist's area of expertise. What the LMS teaches helps to close the learning gap. We must show evidence that library media centers are the foundation to successful learning.

Harada challenged library media specialists to think about these questions:


In Barbara Stripling's presentation "Assessment of Information Fluency," she differentiated between diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments. Before beginning a lesson, students' pre-existing knowledge, skills, and misconceptions need to be measured in order to set goals for new learning. Research shows that learners need to make a connection to themselves before they can learn; learner empowerment is the goal. Examples of teacher led assessments include pre-tests, pre-performance tasks, and misconceptions checklists; student-led diagnostic assessments include K-W-L charts and concept maps. Using these tools sets the groundwork for true learning.

Formative assessments measure knowledge and skills during the process of learning in order to inform the next steps. The LMS role is to challenge students to the next step, to ask hard questions and provoke thinking. Notetaking and graphic organizers that many library media specialists already use when working with students fall into this category of assessment. Learner-led assessments might include learning log notetaking, question stems, visualizations, think-alouds, peer review and feedback, and rubrics. Assessments that fall into the teacher-led category might include exit cards, observation checklists, consultation interviews, progress/benchmark checks, and interactive research journals. One example is to have students respond to questions like "What connections are you making with what you have learned?" or "What questions are going through your mind?" as they progress in their research.

Summative assessments are the measurement of knowledge and skills at the end of a process of learning. These determine the amount and quality of learning. Typically presentations, exhibits, performance tasks, portfolios, final reflections, or checklists are considered summative assessments.

Marjorie Pappas, writer, consultant, and virtual professor of library science, provided many examples of organizers that the LMS can use to collect data or evidence from students in her session, "Tools of Assessment." Graphic organizers provide evidence of thinking skills. If the thinking skill required is analysis, then organizers that order or compare could be used. If synthesis is required, organizers that sequence events as in a timeline or making predictions would be good to use. Graphic organizers also provide evidence of process. Use of K-W-L charts, T-charts, webs, or organizers created using InspirationTM software gives students the experience they need to ultimately become independent users of such learning tools. Any of these organizers could be shared with administrators as evidence of learning.

So from where does the authority of the library media specialist come? "It doesn't come from the superintendent, principal, or even the teachers worked with every day; it comes from a very large achievement gap," according to Allison Zmuda, author and noted educational consultant. The LMS should wait for authority from no one! It's our job to cause students to learn. Every child is your student. The LMS can't wait for teachers to stop in or for their lesson plans to match your standards of information literacy. The LMS --the expert-- has the authority to make necessary changes.

In Zmuda's session "Who Gives You The Authority To Do What You Do?" the unending process of change was analyzed. The "moves" in this process include: 1) clarify the vision and goals, 2) get credible evidence, 3) assess the inevitable gap, 4) plan actions to narrow/close the gap, and 5) analyze results and act on feedback.

Scrutiny of what we are doing opens opportunities to learn if what we are doing works or is best practice. We must have some way to measure if students are learning and if what is being done is causing learning. The first step is a vision statement, which includes concrete indicators of success that are measurable. This is not the same as a philosophy statement. For example, rather than saying that the LMS and teacher will co-teach, a vision statement would indicate that students can independently search and teachers design plans that incorporate literacy skills - skills that are measurable. The vision statement also should include a wide range of areas; e.g., staff development, daily work with teachers, and student skills.

Many educators work on the wrong job. They don't always teach what they think they are. "The gap between a worthy vision and the current reality is the engine of all reform." Collecting data to illustrate achievement gaps is vital. Without data to back up what you say, you are just one more opinion. Measure what is necessary, not what is easy (sometimes it's messy!). Keep focused on student learning and use the data to produce a collective mandate for change, showing clearly what success looks like. Effectiveness is measured by what students have learned, not what teachers covered and how it was taught.

Transfer of learning is the ultimate goal for students. Periodic cornerstone assessments are fundamental to measuring learning. Cornerstone assessments provide evidence of authentic accomplishments, with curriculum anchored around important, recurring tasks. They require understanding and transfer of learning where rigorous high quality work is expected. Student achievement data provides evidence of the success of the school. Library media specialists must take part in the assessment of student achievement unless they want to be relegated to the status of "nice but not necessary."

It is clear that library media specialists must be involved in student assessment. Assessment is embedded in all the library media specialist does. By becoming active partners in assessment, library media specialists can ensure increased student achievement, better teaching, and improved communication. Thinking about what we do and why is challenging, sometimes difficult. It's the same challenge we ask students to face every day, but it's a challenge we must address because it's the only way we improve and LEARN.

References
Coatney, S. (2003). Assessment for learning. In Curriculum connections through the library, ed. B.K. Stripling and S. Hughes-Hassell. Westport, CT: Libraries Unimited, 157-168. Harada, V.H. (2005). Working smarter: Being strategic about assessment and accountability. Teacher Librarian, 33(1), 8-15.
Harada, V.H., & J.M. Yoshina. (2005). Assessing learning: Librarians and teachers as partners. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Harada, V.H., & J.M. Yoshina. (2006). Assessing learning: The missing piece in instruction? School Library Media Activities Monthly, 22(7), 20-23.
Pappas, M. (1997). Organizing research. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 14(4), 30-32.
Zmuda, A., Kuklis, R & Kline, K. (2004) Transforming schools. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision of Curriculum and Development.
Zmuda, A. (2006). Where does your authority come from? Empowering the library media specialist as a true partner in student achievement. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 23(1), 19-22.

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