Impact of School Libraries on Student Success
by Catherine Wang, Maxwell Caballero, Rebecca Dragusin and Rita Maragha
As Ontario school libraries continue to be at-risk of budgetary cuts, the need for supporting data on the positive impacts of school libraries on student success is urgent. This data is needed to effectively drive advocacy and government relations efforts to ensure long-term sustainability of these essential school resources. This project is led by Lily Kwok, Advocacy and Research Officer at the OLA. The researchers are four first-year Master's students in Public Policy or Global Affairs. They have analyzed some existing data sets on school library funding in Ontario against the EQAO literacy scores in the 72 public school boards of Ontario. This work will help form the basis for future directions on research into the impact of school libraries.
Catherine Wang is a Master of Public Policy Candidate at the University of Toronto. Prior to attending UofT, she received her Bachelor's degree from McGill University and worked at the United Nations. Catherine has a passion for non-profit work, especially advocacy for marginal communities and striving for equity in the education sector. As a consultant for the Public Good Initiative, she is conducting research to develop insights on the role of libraries in advancing equitable literacy in Ontario communities.
Maxwell Caballero is a first-year student at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy: Master of Public Policy. He has prior work experience in the not-for-profit sector.
Rebecca Dragusin is a second year student in the combined Law and Master of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. She is interested in the intersection of law and policy. She joined the Public Good Initiative to support Canadian non-profit organizations, such as the Ontario Library Association, with a multi-disciplinary perspective.
Rita Maragha is a Master of Public Policy Student at the University of Toronto, committed to fostering equitable education systems and community well-being. With a strong background in Child and Youth Care, she has extensive experience supporting young people and advocating for systemic changes that promote student success. Her passion for equitable education inspired her to conduct research with the Ontario Library Association, focusing on the role of libraries in advancing literacy, accessibility, and inclusivity in communities.
Catherine, Maxwell, Rebecca, and Rita,
ReplyDeleteThank you for doing the legwork on shining a light on the state of school library research. I'm delighted that one of the spotlight speakers at Treasure Mountain Canada 8 this year will be THE Dr. Keith Curry Lance. He has done so many research studies on school libraries.
As an educator in Ontario, I always thought that revising the outdated funding formula would be a GOOD thing. However, this recent change has been detrimental to school libraries. How could we go from bad to worse? Thank you for bringing to my attention Ken Haycock's work from BC examining what happens when there's too much discretion permitted in spending. Like the Russell study, if you can opt out, some schools and districts will. Slide #26 is very timely. I see too many people and places spend all of their time, effort, money, and focus on the skill development (phonics / phonemes / morphemes) portion of the new Ontario Language curriculum, instead of considering all the pieces. Balanced literacy = out, structured literacy = in.
As for your point on slide #27 about not even including TLs in the policy development ... sometimes teacher-librarians are brought onto projects but their advice is completely ignored [cough, cough, ON]. That way, they can say they "consulted" with school library professionals and tick off a box without considering the things they have to say.
I must admit that some of the stats around slide #40 on bivariate regression were harder for me to understand. (It's been too long since my U of A course on data analysis!). However, I think I get the gist - the numbers do suggest libraries are a positive force. Your conclusions on slide #58 are clear. Now to combine this with those advocacy papers to get people in power to listen and take action ...
Diana Maliszewski
Thank you for this well-researched and data-grounded pivotal paper on the impact of school libraries on student success! Your work is not only a testament to your expertise and dedication but also a powerful reminder of the essential role school libraries play in shaping student outcomes. I am inspired by your insights and will share this research widely in advocacy efforts in our school district. Your contribution has the potential to influence meaningful change and elevate the conversation around school libraries' importance.
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