[CASL-L] First Education Bill in Decades Acknowledges Effective School Library Programs

[IRENE KWIDZINSKI]

Woohoo!!!


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "info at storytrail.com" <info at storytrail.com>
To: aaslforum at ala.org
Sent: Wed, June 5, 2013 8:10:31 PM
Subject: [aaslforum] RE: First Education Bill in Decades Acknowledges Effective 
School Library Programs

Dear All,
 
Jen Habley provided us with the link to the ALA press release for this bill: 
http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2013/06/first-education-bill-decades-acknowledges-effective-school-library-programs

 
or http://tinyurl.com/esea13
 
Please share it widely!
 
Thank you, Jen, and thank you to Senators Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Patty 
Murray (D-WA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) for their 
leadership.
 
Best,
Judi

Judi Moreillon, M.L.S., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, School of Library and Information Studies
Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX
http://cultureofcollaboration.edublogs.org/ 

New Publication Available:
Coteaching Reading Comprehension Strategies in Elementary School Libraries: 
Maximizing Your Impact (2013)

 
Coming Soon:
Ready and Waiting for You! (August 2013) 
 
Author: 
Coteaching Reading Comprehension Strategies in Secondary School Libraries: 
Maximizing Your Impact, Sing Down the Rain, and Read to Me/Vamos a leer

http://storytrail.com
info at storytrail.com
http://cultureofcollaboration.edublogs.com
@CactusWoman
 
 
 
-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: [aaslforum] First Education Bill in Decades Acknowledges
>Effective School Library Programs
>From: "Jennifer Habley" <jhabley at ala.org>
>Date: Wed, June 05, 2013 10:00 am
>To: <aaslforum at ala.org>
>
> 
>The American Library Association would like to thank Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), 
>Patty Murray (D-WA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) for their 
>leadership in including strong provisions for effective school library programs 
>in the Strengthening America’s Schools Act that was introduced on Tuesday. The 
>bill is the first to recognize the role school library programs play in student 
>learning since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first 
>enacted in 1965.
> 
>If this bill were to become law, it would reauthorize ESEA. Strengthening 
>America’s Schools Act creates specific language for libraries and implements the 
>Improving Literacy and College and Career Readiness through Effective School 
>Library Program.  This program has several provisions that will be helpful to 
>students and libraries in the United States including defining an effective 
>school library program as:
> 
>a)      Staffed by a state-certified or licensed school librarian;
>b)      Having up-to-date books, materials, equipment, and technology (including 
>broadband);
>c)       Including regular collaboration between classroom teachers and school 
>librarians to assist with the development and implementation of curriculum;
>d)      Supports the development of digital literacy skills
> 
>Furthermore, this legislation will allow for the Department of Education to 
>award three-year grants to low income school libraries to maintain up-to-date 
>school library collections, staffed by a state-certified school librarian and 
>for other purposes relating to a school library.
> 
>School librarians are literacy champions and primary educators in teaching 
>students digital skills. A recent study found that elementary schools with 
>librarians averaged 68 to 72 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced 
>on a statewide test of reading.
> 
>“For too long, research has shown that students have a better chance of 
>succeeding academically when they attend schools with strong library programs,” 
>said Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association’s 
>Washington Office. “This bill will ensure that students will have access to 
>professionals who can help them make connections between subject areas, retrieve 
>information, and think independently.”
> 
>The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) is expected 
>hold a mark-up on this bill on June 11, 2013.
> 
>The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association 
>in the world, with approximately 58,000 members in academic, public, school, 
>government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library 
>Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and 
>improvement of library and information services and the profession of 
>librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for 
>all. 
>
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