ERIC EJ1119275: From Mary Virginia Gaver to the CLASS Research Summit: A Journey toward Causality and Student Success

2016·0.23 MB·English

by  ERIC

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From Mary
Virginia Gaver
to the CLASS
Research Summit
A Journey toward
Causality and
Student Success
42 Knowledge Quest | Copyright and School Libraries in the Digital Age
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
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Rita R. Soulen
[email protected]
Since the 1950s the influence However, more than fifty years
of a full-time, certified school later we still understand little
Mary Virginia Gaver
librarian in a school library about how the practices of school
has been positively correlated librarians cause student success.
understood that access
to student achievement. Mary Efforts are under way to generate
Virginia Gaver’s 1963 study report causal research on the influence to a real school library
Effectiveness of Centralized Libraries in of school libraries and school
Elementary Schools is the publication librarians on student achievement. was vital to the education
that set school library research in By defining the emerging roles of
motion. This pioneer research the school librarian in the digital of young students.
investigating the effect of school age, we can implement professional
libraries on elementary reading practice that drives educational
scores was one of the first to relate achievement.
Biography
achievement tests to the presence of
a school library and certified school Mary Virginia Gaver (1906–1991) Mary Virginia Gaver understood
librarian (Dickinson 2005). Since was born into the analog world of that access to a real school library
then, a foundation of twenty-five linear physical data. Early in the was vital to the education of young
correlational studies have clearly twentieth century Gaver advocated students. As a child she canvased
established this connection between for school libraries and sought to door-to-door with her mother
school libraries, certified school discover how school librarians and and brother to raise funds to buy
librarians, quality school library school library programs impact books for the elementary school in
programs, and student academic student achievement. Before Gaver their small mill village of Danville,
achievement (Scholastic 2016). entered the field of research, school Virginia. Gaver later served as an
librarians counted books, staffing English teacher and in 1928 became
levels, and hours open. But Gaver the librarian at the local high
By defining the emerging asked the difficult question: What school. She trained as a librarian
do we do in the school library through the District of Columbia
roles of the school librarian that makes a difference to the Public Library, eventually earning a
intellectual development of our bachelor’s degree in library science
in the digital age, we can students? To put a finer point on it, in 1932 and a Master’s degree in
“Gaver turned the attention of the library science in 1938, both from
implement professional field from counting the resources Columbia University. Gaver brought
as proof of effectiveness to looking direct experience to the education
practice that drives at the student learning that was the of school librarians, teaching at
result of the use of those resources the University of Virginia, Emory
educational achievement.
under the direction of a skilled University, and Trenton State
school librarian” (Dickinson 2015). Teacher’s College. She opened the
Volume 45, No. 2 | November/December 2016 43
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may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
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Figure 1. Library categories in Gaver’s landmark study. (Gaver 1963)
Six Selected Schools
Schools A & B* Schools C & D Schools E & F
Category III Category II Category I
School Library Directed by Centralized Collection Staffed by
Classroom Collection
Certified Librarian Non-Librarian
An organized central collection of books and A “transitional model” such as a central A semi-permanent or temporary collection of
other materials, broad in variety and content, collection administered by a teacher in books deposited in a classroom by a public
housed in a room in a school for the use of addition to teaching duties or by a PTA or school library or by the bookmobile,
students and teachers and under the direction member. and/or a teacher-built collection kept
of a librarian. permanently in the classroom.
* Educational gain between fourth and sixth grades and the test of library skills differentiated in favor of the school library category.
graduate library school at Rutgers she defined as “An organized that children read. Children in
University in 1954 (Gaver 1988). central collection of books and schools with school libraries read
She further influenced the field other materials, broad in variety twice as much as those in schools
of school librarianship by serving and content, housed in a room in with centralized collections (but
as president of the American a school for the use of students and no librarian) and three times as
Association of School Librarians teachers and under the direction of much as those in schools with only
(1959–1960) and the American a librarian” (Gaver 1963, 1). classroom collections (Gaver 1963).
Library Association (1966–1967).
Gaver’s ground-breaking study But Effectiveness of Centralized Library
found that schools with school Service in Elementary Schools was more
The Study
libraries and school librarians than an examination of achievement
At the close of the 1950s, the need (schools A and B) showed higher scores. Gaver developed several
became apparent “to convince educational gains, defined as instruments and looked at a
school administrators that a real improved scores on the Iowa Test variety of dimensions of library
school library was an essential for a of Basic Skills (ITBS) from fourth service. Her findings showed a clear
good elementary program” (Gaver through sixth grades. Findings also differentiation in favor of the school
1963, 129). To find evidence, Gaver differentiated in favor of the school library category for collection of
launched her landmark study, the library category based on the test materials, accessibility, and the
results of which were published in of library skills that she developed volume of library-related activities.
book form in 1963 as Effectiveness for this study (Gaver 1963). Gaver’s Her findings also showed in favor
of Centralized Libraries in Elementary evidence also showed that the library of the school library category
Schools. The initial study, intended provision of the school (classroom for mastery of library skills, in
as a preliminary to a larger study, library, central collection, or school addition to the amount of reading
set out to develop measures of the library) is related to the amount and gains in ITBS scores (Gaver
relationship between library service
and educational achievement. To
do this Gaver carefully chose six
Mary Virginia Gaver conducted the first correlational research in
schools that represented three
library categories (see figure 1). She
the field of school libraries. Many in our field trace the beginning
selected (I) two schools with only
collections of books deposited in a
of the search for proof that effective school libraries impact
classroom, (II) two schools with a
centralized collection monitored student learning to her study published just over fifty years ago.
by a non-librarian, and (III) two
schools with school libraries, which
44 Knowledge Quest | Copyright and School Libraries in the Digital Age
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may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
Ideally, future research related to school libraries will incorporate strong causal research designs while
integrating best practice with theory and policy.
1963). This initial study, which the Library Research Service’s positive contributions to student
she labeled “Phase I,” was intended School Library Impact Studies achievement.” Fifty participants,
as a “fishing expedition.” The have shown that school libraries including thirty professors and
findings that school libraries and have a profound positive impact twenty doctoral students, worked
school librarians influence student on student achievement (Library to establish “an ongoing national
achievement were so conclusive Research Service 2016). More than research summit to ensure continu-
that Gaver did not extend the study. twenty-five of these studies have ous [strides] in school library causal
Without the need for further study clearly established a correlational research” (Habley 2016).
Phase II never came to fruition link between school librarians
(Gaver 1988). and school library programs, and The AASL CLASS Summit II had
student success (AASL 2014). an innovative format. Participants
prepared papers describing their
Impact on Our Field
Today’s digital environment allows research vexations and ventures.
Mary Virginia Gaver conducted us to display effects that were never Each came to the table with a sketch
the first correlational research in possible in Gaver’s analog world. of the research problems currently
the field of school libraries. Many Recent efforts to establish causality occupying their minds and the ways
in our field trace the beginning of have been mounting. In April they planned to investigate these
the search for proof that effective 2014 the American Association of problems. Colleagues with similar
school libraries impact student School Librarians held a national research interests grouped together
learning to her study published forum funded, in part, by a grant to discuss ways to introduce causal
just over fifty years ago. While from the Institute of Museum and research into the process. As a
conducting her study she developed Library Services. The purpose of NxtWave scholar and doctoral
measures of the effectiveness of this summit was “to articulate a student, I had the privilege of par-
school library programming and research agenda and investigate ticipating in this trail-blazing event
the positive influence of a certified causal phenomena in school library hosted at the American Library
school librarian. Although her study instruction, resources and services” Association offices in northwest
addressed a small sample size, she (Habley 2014). The resulting white Washington, DC. A day-long dis-
demonstrated that improved student paper, Causality: School Libraries and cussion led by Dr. Shana Pribesh of
achievement correlated with the Student Success (CLASS), proposed “a Old Dominion University centered
presence of a school library staffed progression of research methods on causal research design using
by a certified school librarian. and projects that will support the PICO (Participants Interven-
Gaver was the first to research the efforts toward theory building, tion Control Outcome) model.
activities in libraries that contribute exploratory research, and dem- Like Gaver, Pribesh asked the hard
to student success. onstration research” and “outline question: “How do you isolate the
mechanisms by which a community effect of the school librarian when
The work of Mary Virginia Gaver of scholars can be cultivated and the influence of the school library is
is important to us in today’s nurtured toward furthering the diffuse?” To show causal relativity,
digital environment in school research agenda and its activities” she recommended using a control
libraries. In many ways the state (AASL 2014). group, either artificial or naturally
studies evidencing the positive occurring, and careful temporal
effect of school libraries on student A second research summit was held order of treatment before outcome
achievement are descended from in Washington, DC, in April 2016. to be sure that the cause precedes
Gaver’s work and provide a strong The CLASS Summit II sought to the effect. Dr. Pribesh discussed
exploratory research base (AASL deepen the research by bringing different research models that
2014). Beginning with the first “a national focus and agenda to could be used, including the use of
Colorado Study (Lance, Welborn, research surrounding causal a control group, or, when that is not
and Hamilton-Pennell 1993), evidence that school libraries make possible, using matched samples.
Volume 45, No. 2 | November/December 2016 45
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
From the linear analog
world of Mary Virginia
Gaver to today’s hyperlinked
digital environment, school
library research has evolved
from finding correlational
relationships to uncovering
the causes of student success.
tional qualitative methods will
allow for a causal explanation. By
developing an action-research
agenda, researchers intend to
codify theory about school libraries
and school librarians, identify and
test best practices, and measure
large-scale impact (AASL 2014).
From the linear analog world of
Mary Virginia Gaver to today’s
hyperlinked digital environment,
school library research has evolved
from finding correlational
relationships to uncovering the
causes of student success. Future
research will allow for high-
definition characterization of the
emerging roles of school librarians
and their professional actions that
drive student achievement. This
Ideally, future research related to librarians on student achievement.
integration of theory and practice
school libraries will incorporate Researchers now turn to establish-
will launch us into new worlds of
strong causal research designs while ing “a causal relationship between
research-driven practice.
integrating best practice with theory the work of effective state-certified
and policy. school librarians and the creation
of motivated, engaged, and agile
learners” (AASL 2014, 5). This
Future of School Library Rita R. Soulen is
goal can be accomplished by using
Research a school librarian for
certain experimental and quasi-
Mary Virginia Gaver would be experimental methods. Quantitative Norfolk Public Schools
proud to know that so many have methods such as randomized control in Virginia. She is also a
followed in her footsteps. Her trials, time-series designs, and
NxtWave Scholar in the
ground-breaking correlational matching studies will isolate the
PhD Curriculum and Instruction Program at
research has led, by way of the state effects of school librarians and
studies, to establishing the positive strong school library programs, and Old Dominion University and adjunct faculty
impact of school libraries and school allow for causal description. Addi- serving as a supervisor of student teachers.
46 Knowledge Quest | Copyright and School Libraries in the Digital Age
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
Annotated List of Works ———. 1988. A Braided Cord: Memoirs of The summit was intended
a School Librarian. Metuchen, NJ:
Cited: to bring a national focus
Scarecrow Press.
and agenda to research
American Association of School
Librarians. 2014. Causality: School Mary Virginia Gaver surrounding causal evidence
Libraries and Student Success (CLASS). described her early years, her that school libraries make
<www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/ work to establish a school positive contributions to
files/content/researchandstatistics/
CLASSWhitePaperFINAL.pdf> library system, her time at student achievement. The
(accessed August 13, 2016). Columbia University, her event will become an ongoing
This white paper reports work for the Federal Works national research summit.
Project Administration
on the 2014 CLASS
library program for Virginia, Lance, Keith Curry, Lynda Welborn,
Summit and proposes a
her professorships at and Christine Hamilton-Pennell.
progression of research that 1993. The Impact of School Library Media
Trenton State College and
supports theory building, Centers on Academic Achievement. Castle
Rutgers University, and her Rock, CO: Hi Willow Research and
exploratory research, and
international activities. Later Publishing.
demonstration research,
chapters describe her time This study examines the
and outlines mechanisms
as president of the American relationship between quality
to cultivate a community
Library Association and school library programs
of scholars to further the
the Women’s National Book and student academic
research agenda.
Association. achievement.
Dickinson, Gail R. 2005. “How
One Child Learns: The Teacher- Habley, Jennifer. 2014. “National Library Research Service. 2016. “School
Librarian as Evidence-Based IMLS Research Summit Focuses Libraries Impact Studies.” <www.
Practitioner.” Teacher Librarian 33 on School Librarians and Student lrs.org/data-tools/school-libraries/
(1): 16. Achievement.” <www.ala.org/news/ impact-studies> (accessed August 13,
press-releases/2014/04/national-imls- 2016).
By focusing on one child, research-summit-focuses-school-
evidence-based practice can librarians-and-student> (accessed Use this guide to explore
March 5, 2016). studies about the impact of
be used to systematically
improve results and provide AASL announced a research school libraries on student
a strong foundation for the summit focused on setting achievement. Part of the
school librarian’s role in an agenda for school library Colorado State Library, the
student achievement. research. The summit took LRS designs and conducts
place in Chicago, April 11–12, library research to inform
———. 2015. Personal correspondence. 2014. The keynote speaker was practices and assess needs.
November 14.
Thomas Cook of Northwestern
Gaver, Mary Virginia. 1963. University. The purpose of Scholastic. 2016. School Libraries Work!
Effectiveness of Centralized Libraries <www.scholastic.com/SLW2016>
in Elementary Schools, 2nd ed. New the summit was to articulate (accessed May 21, 2016).
Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University a research agenda and
The 2016 compendium School
Press. investigate causal phenomena
Libraries Work! amasses data
Author Mary Virginia in school library instruction,
to empower librarians and
Gaver, professor at Rutgers resources, and services.
other stakeholders. School
University, described her
librarians equipped with
———. 2016. “AASL CLASS Research
1960 study of six schools
Summit Call for Participants.” <www. research-based frameworks,
in two states. This edition, ala.org/news/press-releases/2016/01/ recommendations, and
published in book format, aasl-class-research-summit-call-
support for school library
participants> (January 19, 2016).
differs from the original
programs become a powerful
mimeographed version by This call for participants for
force for educating America’s
inclusion of a Foreword the 2016 CLASS Summit II
students.
and Acknowledgements invited doctoral students and
and a new chapter, “After- professors to communicate
thoughts and Next Steps.” their interest in participation.
Volume 45, No. 2 | November/December 2016 47