Library Action Plan: Streamwood High School By: Barbara Posinger
Library Action Plan: Streamwood High School By: Barbara Posinger This presentation reflects an action plan proposal seeking to improve an aspect of Streamwood High School’s Library. Development of Action Plan: • Streamwood High School: Background Information • Budgets, Student Base, College Readiness, etc. • Interview with Streamwood High School’s LibrarianJill Kasper • Personal background, Work background, Collaborations, Experiences, etc. • Action Plan • Objectives, Tasks, Resources, People, Timeframe, Obstacles, etc. Image: http://www1.u-46.org/images/cd/SHS.jpg Image: http://meteagirlssoccer.com/graphics/Streamwood_ HS.jpg Streamwood High School: General Information Address: 701 W. Schaumburg Rd. Streamwood Il, 60107 1262 Principal: Terri Lozier District: U-46 Phone Number: 630-213-5500 District Superintendent: Dr. Jose Torres Website: Streamwood High School Website Information received from: Illinois Report Card Streamwood High School: Library Mission Statement Streamwood High School is part of the U-46 District. Understanding the library’s mission statement will help to ensure the integrity and goals of the action plan. U-46 Library Mission Statement: “As an integral part of the educational program of School District U-46, it is the mission of the library to provide the learning community with a broad range of print and electronic materials, build information literacy skills, support library and classroom curriculum, foster a love of reading, and to encourage life-long learning.” Information received from: U46 School Library System Streamwood High School: Course Information Academic Courses: 18 Advanced Placement 12 Elective Options 12 Fine and Applied Arts 19 Foreign Languages 10 Other Physical Ed. And Health Courses: 1 Physical Education 2 Health and Nutrition Athletics and other Activities: 30 Athletic Programs 9 Community Programs and Partnerships 7 Fine and Applied Arts Programs 32 Academic Enrichment Programs Career Development Courses: 52 Career and Technical 6 Work Study Programs 3 Other Programs 1 Dual Enrollment Awards: 5 Faculty and Staff 7 Scholastic 15 Athletic 4 Community Information received from: Illinois Report Card Streamwood High School: Environment 2013 Statistics • Average Class Size: 21 • Per Student Spending: • Instructional: $5,732 • Operational: $9,661 • Mobility: 11% • Student Attendance: 92% • Total School Days: 173 Information received from: Illinois Report Card Streamwood High School: Academic Progress 2013 Statistics Graduation Rate: • 4-year: 83% • 5-year: 92% Ready for College Course Work: 34% Chart and Data received from: Illinois Report Card Streamwood High School: Student Characteristics • • • • Low- Income Students: 63.9% Students with Disabilities: 13.4% English Learners: 11.1% Chronically Truant: 22.4% Chart and Data received from: Illinois Report Card Streamwood High School: Adequate Yearly Progress Report (AYP) 2013 Chart and Data received from: Illinois Report Card Streamwood High School: Basic Overall Assessment Due to the data collected about Streamwood High School, it can be assessed that this is relatively poor school serving a diverse student base whom the majority come from low-income families. Unfortunately, the school is in desperate need of aid in order to ensure the progress of its students that currently, it is not providing. Regretfully, schools of this stature lack funds to promote sufficient technology, equipment, and service for student use. The teachers and librarian must find ways to provide what they can work with the little they have for the students. Interview: Jill Kasper Personal Background • Streamwood High School Librarian • Professional librarian 19 years • Elementary Teaching Certificate from Northern Illinois University • Information Technology Degree: combination of library and information technology • Sole Librarian at Streamwood High for last five years. • Originally two professional librarians and one assistant; jobs cut due to lack of funds • Greatest professional challenge = Technology. • “Equipment doesn't always keep up with the demand of the new technology. And learning the new technology and gaining enough proficiency in using it.” Interview: Jill Kasper Library Policies at SHS • Circulation Policy: • 4 week checkout 7-day grace period before fines start • Minimum fine = 70 cents / Maximum fine = $5.00 • Reference materials can be checked out overnight no grace period fine = 25 cents every day late • “If students have a fine they need to pay a minimum of a quarter each time they check out.” - Jill Kasper • Book challenges: Form for challengers to fill out determining reasons for the challenge and other information; forms analyzed accordingly • [Forms tend to deflect challenges] Interview: Jill Kasper Resources at SHS • Subscription Databases: Databases paid for by the district; cheaper price • Only have two databases Infotrac and SIRS • Multilingual Resources: Books in English and Spanish. Dictionaries in multiple languages; though placed in separate section. Interview: Jill Kasper Librarian Resources SHS Image: http://www.ala.org/Images/blist/booklist_logo.jpg • Parapros part-time library aids; can be students or others Image: http://www.voyamagazine.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/03/first-voya-229x300.jpg • Young Adult Resource Aid Databases Booklist, VOYA Interview: Jill Kasper Resource Management at SHS No longer buy any new reference; weed fiction every couple of years Recent population shift in school earlier years = 10% Hispanic current = 50% Hispanic Must buy new resources that correlate to community needs Interview: Jill Kasper Student Assessment at SHS TRAILS = online assessment of information literacy • Every student gets a username and password • Program rates class in order to determine areas that need improvement and areas that are satisfactory Librarians and teachers collaborate together to pick one area that needs improvement. Then, they focus on ways to develop skills that students were lacking. Interview: Jill Kasper Library Budget SHS “Budget is set by School Department, a group of teacher representatives from each department and administration who collaborate.” – Jill Kasper Interview: Jill Kasper Teacher Collaboration at SHS How do you collaborate with teachers? Will you describe one collaborative project you developed? What was the result? “As teachers come to sign up for the library, I will use that time to discuss the project and ways we can collaborate. Sometimes when I get new ideas after attending a conference I will approach a teacher who I feel would be interested in it. As an example, when I learned about TRAILS, an assessment of information literacy skills, I approached a freshman teacher about having her classes use the online assessment. After the students took the assessment and I got the scores back, we had an online review of the questions with the students. Then the teacher and I sat down and worked to develop a three-day research project to specifically address two of their weakest skills. We then reassessed the students. There are five areas with 25 questions. Next time I may decide to focus on one area instead of all five. (Weakest area was evaluating online sources)” - Jill Kasper Interview: Jill Kasper Librarian as Teacher at SHS How do you teach library/information literacy skills? “Library/information literacy skills are taught within the context of a research unit.” - Jill Kasper Example: - Citations using Easy Bib, databases, and Power Point presentations What is your relationship with other school librarians in your district? “ The secondary librarians will meet as often as possible to discuss issues, new books, etc.. We often use email when we have questions or need ideas for different research projects.” – Jill Kasper Interview: Jill Kasper Prospective Projects SHS Project 1 • Keeping various bibliographies of books and reading lists representing various topics Project 2 • Booktalks representing specific research units both fiction and non-fiction Interview: Jill Kasper Library Limitations SHS • Difficult to develop all areas of librarianship: budgeting, programming, events, collection development, etc., when there is only one librarian in the school • Difficult to collaborate with teachers due to lack of time • Pressure of reviewing and choosing resources alone • School doesn’t provide much money to the library • Administration under pressure from district District heads are business people, not educators Money focus as opposed to student focus leads to lack of library aid • Personal limitation increase use of technology in schools makes job difficult due to a lack of understanding of technology and social media Interview: Jill Kasper Recommendations for Enhancing Library Programs at SHS • Accelerated reading marketing • Author festival program promotion of various authors through cheap marketing • Grace-period for overdue books less stress for students who check books out; incentive to visit library more often Library Action Plan: Bookclub The action plan for Streamwood High School’s Library is to initiate a Bookclub. The creation of a Bookclub would be inexpensive, constructive, considerable of time constraints, and beneficial to student learning. Library Action Plan: Objectives • • • • • • • • • • Foster/encourage a love of reading in students Develop a student’s relationship with books Expand genres of student reading Develop relationships among students with common reading interests Provide a safe environment for students to accentuate and explore reading materials Get students to become involved in outside reading programs Show students the benefits reading can have Prove how books connect across genres Prove how books connect to outside experiences Encourage life-long learning Library Action Plan: Tasks • • • • • • • • • • Promote Bookclub through posters, flyers, etc. made by library aids, librarian, and students Provide information about outside reading programs, bibliographies, other booklists, etc. Meet on a regular basis with a pre-determined booklist quality content, award-winners Provide refreshments for students at every meeting Develop a questionnaire system to ensure the flow of discussion prior to every meeting Get more students to participate in reading the minimum number of ABE LINCOLN titles (4) so they can vote for titles to be implemented in the next year’s program • Voting occurs annually in February/March Implement and plan one lunch party for voting event mentioned above Provide little prizes for students for every book they read; examples: candy, pens, stickers, etc. works as incentive to read more Themed meetings relating to the books students are reading potluck, small plays, debates, etc. Explore books in multiple formats to expand/enhance literacy Library Action Plan: Resources Resource: ABE LINCOLN master lists • • • • • • • Abraham Lincoln Award: Illinois’ Grades 9-10 Reader’s Choice Award “Adult and Young Adult fiction/non-fiction titles must be nominated by teachers or librarians and vetted by the nomination committee” Overall quality of the work considered most important component when determining lists High school librarians + teachers + public librarians + students = Annual panel that determines final master list 22 titles Schools must register to promote master lists Students who read 4+ titles can vote “The award is named after former President Abraham Lincoln, an avid reader and noted author, is sponsored by ISLMA (Illinois School Library Media Association) and administered by the ALHSBA steering committee.” Information: ISLMA Lincoln Award Library Action Plan: People The primary people involved in this action plan include the school librarian and the students interested in and/or are a part of the program. Administrators may also be involved when librarians need permission for in-school “field trip” opportunities. Library Action Plan: Timeframe and Funding Timeframe: • Meetings before or after school once a month throughout school year • Initial meeting August • Lunch Party February • Last meeting April Funding Estimations: • ABE LINCOLN list $10/year • Refreshments $15/meeting depending on group size • Single lunch party event $50 • Small prizes $5/meeting • Can and WILL vary this is a purposeful overestimation in hopes to save money at the end of each year Library Action Plan: Timeframe and Funding Graphical Representation August September October November December January February March April ABE LINCOLN list $10 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Refreshments n/a $15 $15 $15 $15 $15 n/a $15 $15 Lunch Party n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a $50 n/a n/a Prizes n/a $5 $5 $5 $5 $5 $5 $5 $5 $10 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $55 $20 $20 MONTHLY TOTAL Estimated Annual Budget: $205 Library Action Plan: Ties to Mission Statement “As an integral part of the educational program of School District U-46, it is the mission of the library to provide the learning community with a broad range of print and electronic materials, build information literacy skills, support library and classroom curriculum, foster a love of reading, and to encourage life-long learning.” –U46 Library Mission Statement • ABE LINCOLN resource Ties: • “This program is designed to encourage high school students to read for pleasure and to become lifelong readers.” – ismla.org/Lincoln • Frequent reading information literacy skills • Objective/Task Ties: • Foster/encourage a love of reading in students • Encourage life-long learning • Explore books in multiple formats to expand/enhance literacy Library Action Plan: Potential Obstacles • Bus-driven district difficult to have programs and events after school, especially when competing with other after-school activities; i.e. sports, meetings, buses, clubs, etc. • Lack of money and time to promote and provide extra plans and programs • Lack of professional aid too much responsibility for one librarian to manage for an entire school • Lack of care from students and administration Resources • "The Abraham Lincoln Award: Illinois' Grades 9-12 Readers' Choice Award. "Illinois School Library Media Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <http://www.islma.org/lincoln.htm>. • Kasper, Jill. "Action Plan: Interview with Jill Kasper." E-mail interview. 19 Apr. 2014. • Kasper, Jill. "Action Plan: Interview with Jill Kasper." Personal interview. 7 Apr. 2014. • “Streamwood High School (9-12)." Illinois Report Card. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <http://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx?schoolId=310450460220003>.
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