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Volume 10, Issue 11
February 2012
Association News
Education News
Resources for School Librarians
Grants & Awards
Partnership News
Member Spotlight
AASL President's Petition for Effective School Libraries Surpasses 27,000 Signatures!
AASL President Carl Harvey's WhiteHouse.gov petition to the Obama administration to ensure that "every child in America has access to an effective school library program by providing dedicated funding as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)," surpassed the 25,000 signature mark nearly a week before the Feb. 4 deadline. The Obama administration requires 25,000 signatures or more on any petition to receive an official response. The White House staff will now review the petition, send it to
the appropriate policy experts, and issue a reply.
Read Carl's AASL blog on the success of the petition and how to continue the momentum!
You can also access a wiki site for high school librarians designed to raise awareness of the historical roots of the petition process. Developed by the AASL Advocacy and Legislation Committees, the wiki contains resources on petitioning the government, school libraries and the SKILLs Act, and includes a lesson plan "Will you sign this petition?"
 Author Henry Jenkins Anchors AASL Fall Forum
AASL is proud to welcome renowned author and media studies scholar Henry Jenkins as keynote speaker and primary facilitator of the 2012 Fall Forum. Author and editor of more than a dozen books on media and popular culture, Jenkins will present his ideas and research Oct. 12-13, during "Transliteracy and the School Library Program" in Greenville, S.C. During the two-day institute, Jenkins will share his extensive expertise on participatory culture and help attendees identify the transliteracy skills students require to successfully navigate the new information landscape. More information on AASL 2012 Fall Forum on Transliteracy and the School Library Program can be found at the AASL Fall Forum website.
AASL Opens Sixth Year of "School Libraries Count!" Longitudinal Survey
AASL has launched its sixth longitudinal study. Conducted by KRC Research, "School Libraries Count!" gathers basic data about the status of school library programs across the country. The survey’s questions cover the library program’s hours, staff and selected staff activities, collection, technology, usage and expenditures. Starting in 2008, AASL began adding supplemental questions to also address a current issue within the school library field. In 2012, these additional questions focus on technology access and filtering.
AASL will use this information to develop advocacy tools to support school library programs at the local, state and national levels. All K-12 schools - public and private - are invited to participate on a voluntary basis. Past participants' continued involvement is encouraged, since those responses are crucial to examining trends. The survey’s questions cover the library program’s hours, staff and selected staff activities, collection, technology, usage and expenditures. The last day to complete the survey is March 15. More information about "School Libraries Count!" and its key findings from previous years is available at the survey website.
Register for a Complimentary Webinar on Releasing Your Inner Leader
AASL is offering members a complimentary webinar on spinning 21st century standards-driven evaluations and professional development into stronger school relationships, Monday, February 13 at 7:00 PM CST. Carolyn Jo Starkey, author of the Jan/Feb Knowledge Quest feature, "Releasing Your Inner Leader" will address how collaborative cultures are transforming professional development in new and inspiring ways. Members must register at the AASL website.
Register for an AASL e-Academy Course on Collaboration
Led by experts in the field, AASL's four week e-Academy courses are designed to isolate and strengthen problem areas, and assist school librarians in developing the skills and techniques needed to bring their programs into the 21st century. The next course in the series is The Path to Collaboration: Making it Happen. The course runs from March 19 to April 13, and is facilitated by Marilyn Heath. Participants will learn how to identify and analyze the factors that contribute to successful collaborations with teachers.
Detailed descriptions of the course, along with registration information, is available on the AASL e-Academy page.
Register for National Library Legislative Day
Online Registration for the 2012 National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) is now open. The 2012 NLLD will be held at the Liaison Hotel in Washington DC, April 23-24. Hundreds of librarians plan to meet with their Congressional representatives and senators to push for important library legislation. Visit the ALA website to register for this event and to book a hotel.
Are School Librarians Endangered? Leaders Share Thoughts on the Profession
AASL is proud to present the second set of podcasts in its 30 Second Thought Leadership: Insights from Leaders in the School Library Community series. 30 Second Leadership features school librarian experts delivering brief and practical advice based on the themes of Knowledge Quest issues. The new podcasts focus on the recently released Knowledge Quest issue, "Futurecasting," and explore the question, “Are school librarians an endangered species?” Leader respondents to this 30 Second question include:
• Henry Jenkins, provost's professor of communication, journalism and cinematic arts at the University of Southern California and the 2012 AASL Fall Forum keynote speaker.
• Doug Johnson, director of media technology for the Mankato Area Public Schools and Minnesota State University adjunct faculty member.
• Michelle Luhtala, department chair of the New Canaan (Conn.) high school library and recipient of the 2012 National School Library Program of the Year (NSLPY) Award.
• Heather Moorefield-Lang, education and applied social sciences librarian at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.
• Delia Newman, associate professor and the director of the SLiM (School Library Media) program at Drexel University's iSchool.
Visit Knowledge Quest online and share your answer to this question.
Register for AASL Preconferences at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference
Registration for the June 21-26, 2012 ALA Annual Conference and AASL preconferences is now open! This year’s conference in Anaheim, CA will bring together more than 25,000 librarians, educators, authors, publishers, literacy experts, illustrators and the leading suppliers to the market. As part of this annual event, AASL will offer three exciting preconferences on Friday, June 22:
• The One Day Library Website
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Andy Austin, Christopher Harris, and Brian Mayer present a make-and-take workshop with a fully functional library web portal ready to install on your organization's server. Using Drupal, an open source content management system, the presenters will lead participants through all the steps needed to build and maintain a website.
• Libraries in the Cloud
8:30 am to Noon
Doug Johnson will host this preconference on how libraries can benefit by moving to the cloud and what role librarians can play when staff and student applications become hosted. The session discusses the implication of hosted computer applications and resources on school library programs and the role of the school librarian.
• Leading Professional Development that Matters…and Works
12:30 pm to 4:00 pm
Debbie Abilock, Kristin Fontichiaro, and Violet H. Harada will discuss several professional development models for cultivating leadership in school librarians, and explore how schools can be improved from the inside out.
Ticket price information for these AASL preconferences can be found at the ALA Annual Conference Website. For more information on AASL preconferences and sessions at the 2012 ALA annual Conference visit the AASL @ ALA Annual Conference website.
New Report Shows Where States Stand on Common Core Standards
A new report from Education First and the EPE Research Center looks at the readiness of states to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The study gives the status of state plans in educator professional development, curriculum, and teacher-evaluation systems. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were included in the study. The majority of states have begun to align their systems to the CCSS by providing professional development to teachers (45 states), changing or devising curriculum guides and other instructional materials (35 states), and revising teacher-evaluation systems (38 states). Every state that has adopted the CCSS, except New Hampshire, has a fully developed plan to provide teacher professional development aligned with the CCSS (20 states) or is in the process of developing such a plan (25 states).
NCES Seeks Participation in Schools and Staffing Survey
The Schools and Staffing Survey, now underway for the 2011-12 school year, is a voluntary sample survey that is designed to be nationally representative of all types of schools. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical agency for the U.S. Department of Education, is seeking the assistance of school organizations. Please reach out to your administrator and within your district to see if anyone has received a survey and encourage participation in this once-every-4-years survey. For previous year reports and background information on the Schools and Staffing Survey visit the website
Education Department Releases Two Reports on Engaging Students in Citizenship
n January, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and several Obama Administration and education officials launched a national conversation on the importance of educating students for informed, engaged citizenship. This event focused on the release of two papers: a Department report, "Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action," and the final report by the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, "A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy's Future." "Road Map" notes a need for national dialogue on civic engagement, stating that U.S. civic knowledge is far from exceptional. Less than 30 percent of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students were proficient in civics, according to data from the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress. The report highlights nine steps the Department will take to advance civic learning and engagement, such as adding civic indicators to student
surveys, promoting public service internships and careers, and leveraging federal programs and public-private partnerships.
Report Offers Case Studies and Design Guide for Media Sharing
A new report by the Joan Ganz Cooney and LIFE Centers, features case studies written by researchers and producers on the challenges and successes of bringing families together around newer forms of media. It also features a design guide that offers essential advice to media producers interested in engaging children, parents, grandparents, and educators in meaningful conversation and play in this digital age.
Wallace Foundation Report Finds Effective Principals Help Improve Student Achievement
A new report from the Wallace Foundation, based on over 70 research reports and other publications from the foundation regarding school leadership, summarizes what makes for an effective principal and how to tie principal effectiveness to improved student achievement. The authors report that effective principals perform five key functions well: shaping a vision of academic success for all students; creating a climate hospitable to education; cultivating leadership in others; improving instruction; and managing people, data, and processes to foster school improvement. Each of these five tasks must interact with the other four for any part to succeed. The foundation's work over the last decade suggests the creation of a pipeline of leaders who can make a real difference would have four necessary and interlocking parts: defining the job of the principal and assistant principal; providing high-quality training for aspiring school leaders; hiring selectively;
and evaluating principals and giving them the on-the-job support they need.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Updates MET Findings
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has released an update to its preliminary findings for its Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project, investigating the properties of five instruments for classroom observation: Framework for Teaching (FFT), Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observations (PLATO), Mathematical Quality of instruction (MQI), and UTeach Teacher Observation Protocol (UTOP). Researchers assessed each instrument using two criteria: reliability and validity. All five instruments were positively associated with student achievement gains. Evaluators found that reliably characterizing a teacher's practice required averaging scores over multiple observations. They also found that combining observation scores with evidence of student achievement gains on state tests and student feedback improved predictive power and reliability.
Celebrate African American History Month
The Library of Congress is offering free resources for celebrating African American History Month in February, including, videos, exhibits, images, lesson plans, student activities and research aids. This year's theme, "Black Women in American Culture and History," honors African American women and the myriad of roles they played in the shaping of our nation. The theme, chosen by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History urges all Americans to study and reflect on the value of their contribution to the nation.
Print to Digital Playbook Released for Digital Learning Day
On Digital Learning Day, a digital "playbook" was released that organizes into four sections the chronological chain of issues schools must address when making a transition from primarily print to mostly digital resources. Issues include: switching content to digital formats, establishing Internet connectivity throughout the school, establishing Internet connectivity throughout the community the school serves, and tailoring content to meet the capabilities of the particular devices owned or used by students.
AASL, working together with the Alliance for Excellent Education and other national educational associations and organizations, called on school librarians to participate in the inaugural national Digital Learning Day on February 1. Digital Learning Day celebrated innovative teaching practices that make learning more personalized and engaging and encourage exploration of how digital learning can provide more students with more opportunities to get the skills they need to succeed in college, career and life.
Free toolkits for Digital Learning Day are currently available and include links and references to instructional strategy ideas, lesson plans, sample outreach, ways to collaborate, and resources. There are toolkits for all audiences, grades, and subjects.
List-Group Label Helps Improve Students Vocabulary and Categorization Skills
Readingrockets.org has highlighted a classroom strategy called list-group-label, a form of semantic mapping that encourages students to improve their vocabulary and categorization skills and learn to organize concepts. Categorizing listed words — through grouping and labeling — helps students organize new concepts in relation to previously learned concepts. Visit the website to find out how to use list-group-label, and go inside a second grade classroom in Evanston, Illinois to observe students learning the strategy.
Slideshow Offers 70 Ideas on How Students Can Use the iPad
This free slideshow offers ideas for student programs using the iPad. Some of the recommendations include: making music, practicing letter formations, writing a puppet show, practicing oral fluency, creating an e-book, taking a virtual field trip with Google Earth, turning the iPad into a walkie-talkie, and turning on collaborative whiteboards for idea sharing.
Interview with Swedish Head Teacher on School Libraries
Read an interview with Edward Jensinger, head teacher (principal) at Pauli gymnasium, an upper secondary school situated in Malmö, Sweden. He discusses the role of the school librarian, collaboration, and the educational benefits of school libraries. Jensinger's school won Sweden’s 2010 Best School Library of the Year award.
Consumer Reports Offers Free Guide for Prospective College Students
Consumer Reports has produced a free guide for prospective college students to help them navigate the college research and selection process. Published in both English and Spanish, the 30 page booklet identifies and defines the information that matters most to prospective students, directs them to the best resources to find those key pieces of information, and includes two worksheets designed to simplify and support the research and evaluation process.
¡Viva!  Offers Health Literacy Challenge Contest for Students
The Vital Information for a Virtual Age (¡VIVA!) Peer Tutors of the South Texas Independent School District are conducting a nationwide health literacy challenge. Students enrolled in U.S. schools in grades 6-12 can submit a video promoting the web site MedlinePlus.gov. The video submission deadline is March 23. Winners will be announced on April 16, and winning videos will be posted on the ¡VIVA! website. The prize for winning videos is the iPad 2. For complete details about the video contest please visit ¡VIVA!.
Win a Free Visit to Your School Library by Author Jan Brett
International bestselling author and illustrator Jan Brett is giving away a free visit to a school or library. The school or library that has the most parents, teachers, librarians, friends, or supporters who "like" Jan Brett on Facebook will win a free school or library visit in the 2012/2013 school year from Jan. Anyone over the age of 18 may enter; they do not need to have an affiliation with the school or library for which they are entering. Entries must be submitted no later than April 9. Jan is also offering Runners up (2-10) a prize of 10 Jan Brett books for the school or library, and second runners up (11-100) will receive a prize of a signed Jan Brett poster. The contest is limited to one entry per person. To enter and to see complete contest rules, visit Jan's website.
McCarthy Dressman Education Foundation Offers Academic Enrichment Grants
The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation offers Academic Enrichment Grants designed to develop in-class and extra-curricular programs that improve student learning. The foundation considers proposals that foster understanding, deepen students' knowledge, and provide opportunities to expand awareness of the world around them. The maximum award is $10,000 per year for three years. Educators employed by schools or non-profit organizations with the background and experience to complete the project successfully and who have direct and regular contact with students in grades pre-k to 12 from low-income households, are eligible. The deadline is April 15.
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Now Accepting Online Submissions for Minigrant Award
This year marks the 24th annual call for grant proposals by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. The Foundation, established by renowned author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, has awarded over half a million dollars in grants to public schools and libraries in all 50 states and the U.S. Commonwealth since 1987. The deadline for submission of proposals for the $500 Minigrant award is March 15, 2012. Proposals will be read directly after the March deadline, and winners will be announced starting on May 15. Decisions will be emailed to all applicants after May 15. All Minigrant applications are available exclusively online at the Foundation's Website and must be submitted electronically. The foundation also offers a video tutorial explaining the process on its Website.
2012 Library Grant Applications Now Being Accepted by SABR
The Negro Leagues Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) has announced new grant opportunities for school libraries. Two $1000 awards will be awarded. The deadline for submission is March 19. Winners will be notified by Jackie Robinson Day, April 15.
Next Generation Learning Challenges Announces Third Wave of Grants
Recognizing the need for a fundamental change in the way education is designed and delivered across secondary and postsecondary institutions, Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) has announced the availability of $12 million in grants for comprehensive whole school and college models that use technology to achieve more personalized learning experiences. Funding is being provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Initial applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 8, 2012. Visit the Next Generation website for more information.
Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation Offers Grants to Help Inner-City Educators
The Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation Corporation's Limited GEO: Grants to Help Inner-City Educators will fund specific, one-time future education-related needs or ideas that promise to improve inner city education within one year. Small, concrete projects that will improve inner-city education in Boston, Hartford, Providence, New York or Washington, D.C. within the coming year are eligible. The maximum award is $2,000 and the deadline is ongoing.
New National Program Recognizes Student Poets
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS), in partnership with the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, has created the National Student Poets Program (NSPP) to honor youth poets whose original work exhibits exceptional creativity, dedication to craft, and promise. From a group of national winners of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a jury of literacy luminaries will choose five teen poets. Each teen will receive an academic award of $5,000, work with poet mentors, promote the importance of poetry and creative expression through readings and workshops, and will be featured at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC, in cooperation with the Library of Congress. To be considered for the NSPP, students must be in grades 9, 10 or 11 and be enrolled in a public, private, parochial, home-school or out-of-school program. Students must also win a gold or silver medal
award in poetry in the 2012 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Deadlines for the scholastic awards vary by region. NSPP Awards will be presented in September 2012.
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Professional Development
Education Department Offers Fellowship Opportunities for Educators
Applications for the U.S. Education Department's fifth cohort of Teaching Ambassador Fellows recently opened and are scheduled to close on February 22. Since 2008, this highly competitive program has enabled a total of 69 outstanding educators, each with a record of leadership, strong communications skills, and insights into education policy based in classroom expertise to work with the agency on either a full- or part-time basis. The Washington Fellowship is a full-time appointment based at the Department's headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Classroom Fellowship enables educators to participate on a part-time basis with the Department, working with the agency's regional offices, in addition to their regular school responsibilities. The Regional Fellowship, offered for the first time this year, is a full-time appointment based at one of the Department’s regional offices. All fellows spend a year learning about federal
programs and policies, sharing their expertise with federal staff members and providing communication and outreach about federal initiatives to other educators on behalf of the agency in order to help teachers understand and implement these efforts at the federal, state, and local levels.
Partnership News
Read For M y School Campaign to Donate 150,000 New Children's Books!
"Read for My School," a special We Give Books campaign by the Pearson Foundation, will launch on Valentine's Day, February 14 and continues through March 14. Through this campaign, We Give Books is donating 150,000 new children's books to public elementary schools across the country. This is an opportunity for schools to earn up to 500 brand new children's books for FREE! For every book read on behalf of a school, that school will receive one new book, with the ability to earn a library of up to 500 brand new children’s books. After a school has earned 500 books, readers can assist other schools in meeting their goal. Books can be given to any public elementary school in the United States and its territories. Visit the We Give Books website to learn more about this campaign.
 National STEM Video Game Challenge Accepting Entries
The National STEM Video Game Challenge is open for entries through March 12th, 2012. Finalists for Youth Prizes (Middle School & High School) and Adult Prizes (Collegiate & Educator) will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges. Winners will be announced in Spring 2012. Almost $200K in cash and prizes will be available, with multiple ways to win! Complete guidelines on how to enter are available at the official website.
AASL, an original outreach partner, is proud to once again lend its support to the National STEM Video Game Challenge presented by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media. The challenge, now in its second year, aims to motivate interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games.
One of the many ways AASL is putting the focus on educational gaming includes the September/October 2011 Knowledge Quest on Educational Gaming. The issue explores how lessons based on games are currently contributing to school learning standards, what effect educational games have on students, and the ways in which school librarians are helping to develop games as educational tools.
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New Canaan High School Librarians Earn ALA Award for Cutting Edge Program
ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) and the Library Information Technology Association (LITA), have selected the Participatory Platforms for Learning program at New Canaan High School Library in New Canaan, Conn., as one of the winners of the association's third annual contest to honor cutting-edge technologies in library services. The program, featuring the contributions of AASL members Michelle Luhtala, Christina Russo, and Mariana Psenicnik, strives to cultivate curiosity throughout the
learning community and encourage experimentation with new tools for content creation, publication and participation. It includes deploying the full complement of Google applications; advocating a culture of intellectual freedom; using Twitter for current events research; and using Facebook groups for students to record their research process and provide feedback to others in the group. The program enmeshes learning and the "real world" to teach students digital citizenship by encouraging them to become responsible information consumers, creators and contributors in the public domain. For more about the program, visit the New Canaan High School Library online portal.
We love to brag about our members! Looking to make it into AASL's Member Spotlight? Submit your spotlight to Markisan Naso for inclusion in the next Member Spotlight segment.
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