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2011 - 2012 Parkway North High Library Annual Report Spotlight on the World History/Library Collaborativ e Learning Team Summative Assessment: World War II Primary Sources One of the highlights of this year for the library was our collaborative work in the World History CLT. We collaborated with World History teachers Renee Boyd and Jim Hubbard to create a World War II summative assessment on primary sources. Students were asked to work as historians to analyze and research replicas of World War II documents, maps, and artifacts. After analyzing the primary sources, students presented their findings to the class. Students also answered an exit slip which asked, “How did the primary sources give you a different insight into World War II?” The essential questions guiding students’ work were:

• How can we understand moments in history by looking at the perspective of people from the past? • How does an individual’s personal record of history reflect a larger history?

Our CLT’s Priority Standard addressed by this lesson and assessment was:

• Students will be able to interpret maps, statistics, charts, diagrams, graphs, timelines, pictures, political cartoons, audiovisual materials, continua, written resources, art and artifacts.

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A. Mission and Goal Statements Parkway School District Mission Statement and District Library Program Mission Statement The mission of the Parkway School District is to ensure all students are capable, curious and confident learners who understand and respond to the challenges of an ever-changing world. School Mission and Vision Statements MISSION: The mission of Parkway North High School is to develop self-directed, creative, critical thinkers who are socially responsible people prepared for an ever-changing world. VISION: We succeed when our students:

• Request opportunities to learn beyond what is required and transfer their learning to new situations • Recognize patterns and connections in order to create thoughtful solutions • Read, listen and respond as critical consumers of information and ideas • Communicate effectively using verbal, written, and technological means for various audiences and

purposes • Seek to understand multiple perspectives • Act upon their responsibility to others • Create a climate of non-violence, peace and social justice • Make choices that support a healthy and responsible lifestyle

School Library Mission Statement The mission of the Parkway North High Library is to ensure that students are effective users of ideas and information so that students may become life-long learners. Parkway School District Goals, 2011-2016 Accomplish Mission

1. All students are capable learners who transfer their prior learning to new demands, in and out of school. 2. All students are curious learners who understand and respond to the challenges of an ever-changing world. 3. All students are confident learners who are increasingly self-directed, skilled, and persistent as learners.

Honor Commitments 4. Develop and support strong professional development communities that utilize data, knowledge, experience

and research to improve practice and accomplish goals. 5. Recruit, employ, develop and retain an exceptional staff dedicated to and representative of Parkway’s

diverse community. 6. Responsibly and efficiently allocate resources including finances, facilities, personnel and time.

District Library Goals, 2011-2012 All students are Capable Learners who transfer their prior learning to new demands, in and out of school.

1. Develop and support strong professional communities that utilize data, knowledge, experience and research to improve practice and accomplish goals.

School Goals 1. All students are Capable Learners who transfer their prior learning to new demands, in and out of school. 2. All students are Curious Learners who understand and respond to the challenges of an ever-changing world. 3. All students are Confident Learners who are increasingly self-directed, skilled, and persistent as learners.\ School Library Program Goal. Essential Element: Assessment for Learning Goal: By the end of the 2011-12 school year, the North High librarians will collaborate with the World History CLT to create 2 lessons that will increase student understanding of primary and secondary sources. This will be measured using the various assessments created with our CLT. This goal is aligned with our district, library, and school goals that deal with student transfer of learning. After our lessons, students should be able to understand the difference between primary and secondary sources and be able to analyze and interpret them as part of their study of history. This understanding will transfer to any other subject where primary and secondary sources are used.

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School Library Instructional Goal: to increase student achievement. The district high school librarians have created two formative and one summative assessment to measure our Library Power Statements: 1. I can independently implement an effective research process. 2. I can independently locate and use resources in various formats (books, databases, websites, etc.). 3. I can independently evaluate a source for accuracy, credibility, bias and relevance. 4. I can independently recognize when I need more information in order to make an informed decision. 5. I can choose and effectively use technology tools to find, organize and share information. 6. I can self-assess my research process and product for completeness, strengths and weaknesses. 7. I can independently apply the concepts of intellectual property. 8. I can independently select materials for leisure reading and to satisfy personal interests. We administered our common assessments to Ms. Surinsky’s English I classes. See section D of this report for the results. B. Overview of the Library Program Library Staffing and Schedule The library is open from 7 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Thursday, 7 am to 2:30 pm on Friday, and is open to students during lunch. Scheduling is completely flexible, allowing librarians and teachers to collaborate on information literacy lessons for classes at point-of-need.

Chris Johnston, Library Media Specialist and Department Leader Eve Diel, Library Media Specialist and Library Webmaster Dite Totarsky, Library Secretary and Principal’s Newsletter editor Fred Friedman, Computer Resource Specialist Polly Weidhas, Computer Resource Specialist Volunteers: two parent volunteers

Librarian’s Professional Activities Professional Memberships:

� Missouri Association of School Librarians – Eve and Chris � American Library Association – Eve � American Association of School Librarians – Eve

Professional development, training sessions or other presentations delivered to staff

� Eve presented in a Lesson Study presentation with other Parkway librarians at the American Association of School Librarians conference in Minneapolis, MN on Oct 28, 2011.

� Eve and Chris presented on library services and resources during New Teacher Orientation � Eve helps update and maintain Webbuilder library pages and the Library Resources Moodle

Professional development attended as a participant

� METC Education Technology Conference, Eve and Chris � Professional Development CLT with the Social Studies department, Eve (CLT Leader) and Chris � Librarians and Assessment meetings, Eve & Chris � Library Lesson Study coach meetings, Eve � Learning by Design on PD Days, Eve & Chris

Service on Parkway committees

� North High Building Technology Committee, Eve & Chris � Building Leadership Team meetings, Chris � Purple Pride Awards Ceremony committee, Eve & Chris � Prom Committee, Chris

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Library Program Highlights Mrs. McMullen’s Historical Fiction Book Club The librarians collaborated with Mrs. McMullen on a historical fiction book club, also known as literature circles. We read several possible titles and then selected seven historical fiction books to use with her Modern US History classes. The books were purchased with several different funding sources: library materials budget, Social Studies Department funds, and outside funding through a grant that Mrs. McMullen received through Maryville University. These seven books were set in the time periods studied by Mrs. McMullen’s classes during the semester. The books covered the Progressive Era, early Immigrant experience, World War I, the 1920’s, and Great Depression. We booktalked the books for the students, and they selected their top three choices. The book clubs met four times during the semester. Prior to their book club meetings, students completed an online journal on Google Docs with guided prompts written and graded by the librarians. At each meeting, students were given role sheets to guide them through their book discussion (see attached role sheets). They also completed a Daily Group Record Sheet after the discussion to highlight what they learned, and to do a brief self-assessment of how their literature circle went. Both librarians and the teacher roved around the room to observe the book club meetings, and took notes on what we saw. Our observation goals were:

1. Students stay focused on discussion of book and actively participate. 2. Discussion moves beyond plot to historical relevance and connections.

The librarians and teacher took notes on each student and how well they met the two goals. Then the librarians and teacher gave grades to the students based on their preparation for the meeting as well as their participation. The librarians and teacher felt that the book club was a success. Students showed evidence of making connections between events in the book and the history they studied in class. We saw evidence during their book discussion and in their online journal prompts, where students made connections to historical topics like the Great Depression, the women’s suffrage movement, and World War I.

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Library Usage Another highlight of our library program is the high usage of the library. During second semester, the library computers were used 89% of the time by classes. During the school year, we had 1391 students working the library after school. During Ac Lab, 5384 students worked on assignments in the library. Before school each morning we have between 75-150 students checking out books and finishing up their research and other projects on the computers.

Department # of Classes Periods Lessons Assessment

Art 0 0 0 0

Drama/Speech 0 0 0 0

English 61 369 45 4

FACS 3 7 0 0

Foreign Language 8 19 0 0

Math 15 28 0 0

Physical Education/Health 2 2 0 0

Science 4 6 1 0

Social Studies 49 252 24 12

Special Education 2 2 0 0

Miscellaneous 5 5 0 0

Total 149 690 70 16 Library Curriculum The library curriculum, which was approved by the Board in April 2010 and added to the Online Curriculum Guide, is taught in collaboration with classroom teachers. This semester we have focused on collaborating with teachers to teach lessons that will enable students to be successful in the future. The topics of these lessons include: online search strategies, internet evaluation, primary and secondary sources, citing sources, and historical fiction.

Lessons Taught Eng. 1 Eng. 2 Eng. 3 Eng. 4 World His. US His. Ecology

Keyword searching 13 1 2 1 Web credibility 10 1 4 Internet search & evaluation 3 Database lessons 6 3 1 2 2 Mythbusters 4 Primary sources 6 World War II / Primary sources 6 Historical Fiction Lit circles 4 Parenthetical Citations 1

Total 36 4 2 3 14 10 1

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Eng. 1

Eng. 2

Eng. 3

Eng. 4

World His.

US His.

Ecology

6

Purchases 2011-12

Dewey

July

11

Jan.

12

Sept.

11

Apr.

12 Total Percent

0-200 7 11 4

22 2%

300 15 71 8 1 95 10% Social issues

500 4 11 1

16 2%

600 5 21 9 2 37 4% Medicine/social

700 44 34 56

134 14% Art/Sports/Graphic novels

800 104 23 27

154 17% Literature (weeded area)

900 31 44 13 3 91 10% History

Fiction 97 152 94

343 37%

Bio. 15 16 2

33 4%

Total 315 372 210 6 925

The largest purchases we made reflect the subjects most frequently taught in the library, namely English and Social Studies. Both of these subject areas also incorporate projects involving social issues. Our graphic novel and fiction collections support recreational reading, which is another focus of our curriculum. Circulation Statistics The book checkout statistics are down 20% from 2010-11. The dropoff occurred first semester; second semester totals were in line with last year. The major issue seems to be that junior checkouts were down 60% and sophomore checkout was down 30%. We need to work with the junior and sophomore teachers to get more students in to the library for independent reading and research. Students check out almost twice as much fiction as non-fiction. This is not too surprising given the large amount of reliable research sources available online and in library databases. However, the library has numerous non-fiction resources that may be more in-depth than some of the material found online; we need to work with teachers to promote the use of more books as sources in student research.

1st Semester 2nd Semester Total

Books 3116 2304 5420

Audio/Visual 172 213 385 Reference 72 56 128 Professional 7 5 12 Periodical 254 155 409 In-House 319 1001 1320

Total 3940 3734 7674

Female 1736 1069 2805

Male 1497 1172 2669

Freshman 1273 777 2050 Sophomore 874 553 1427 Juniors 422 297 719 Seniors 662 605 1267

Total 3231 2232 5463

Collection Maintenance A project we are continuing this year is updating our library collection. Maintaining the collection is an ongoing process that includes both purchasing new materials and withdrawing outdated materials. From fall 2011 to spring 2012 we withdrew 1108 outdated or damaged books and added 925 new books. This helped us raise the average age (copyright year) of our entire collection from 1990 to 1992.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

0-200 300 500 600 700 800 900 Fiction Bio.

Purchases

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Aug

.

Sep

t.

Oct

.

Nov

.

Dec

.

Jan.

Fe

b.

Ma

r.

Apr

.

Ma

y.

To

tal

No

. o

f C

hec

kou

ts

Months

2011-12

Fiction Total

Non-Fiction Total

Graphic Novels

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C. Assessment: Documenting Progress (Program Goal) School Library Program Goal. Goal: By the end of the 2011-12 school year, the librarians will collaborate with the World History CLT to create two lessons that will increase student understanding of primary and secondary sources. This will be measured using the various assessments created with our CLT. Assessment Plan Implementation We set the priority standard for our World History CLT work:

a. Interpret maps, statistics, charts, diagrams, graphs, timelines, pictures, political cartoons, audiovisual materials, continua, written resources, art and artifacts. (World History CLE, Tools of Social Science Inquiry 7Fa)

Formative Assessment In November, we used formative assessment through a pre-test to see if students have a basic understanding of the difference between primary and secondary sources. We used the pretest with Misti Benson, Jim Hubbard, and Renee Boyd’s World history classes. The pre-test consisted of six questions administered through Quia: 1. What is a primary source document?

a. a book or article written by a historian about something that happened in the past b. a research paper discussing an important historical event c. a letter, record or other document created during the period that is being studied d. a world history reference book or textbook

Which of these is an example of a primary source?

a. a book about the Middle Ages b. a magazine article about the Ancient Pyramids c. a picture taken by a soldier at the liberation of Auschwitz d. an encyclopedia article about World War II

What can you learn from primary sources in history?

a. Current expert opinions on an important historical topic b. How a historical event impacted people at the time c. First-hand information from someone who saw an event happening d. Both B and C

What is a secondary source document?

a. a letter, record or other document created during the period that is being studied b. an original document, such as a birth certificate, will, or marriage license c. original material that historians may base their research on d. information that was created later by someone who did not experience a historical event first-hand

Which of these is an example of a secondary source?

a. A diary of an explorer b. the Bill of Rights c. a letter from a World War II soldier d. a book about Ancient Greece

What can you learn from secondary sources in history?

a. Expert opinions and analysis of an important historical topic b. How a historical event impacted people at the time c. First-hand information from someone who saw an event happening d. Both B and C

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On the pretest, the classes scored as follows (average scores): Mrs. Boyd’s Classes: 80.9% Mrs. Benson’s Classes: 76.2% Mr. Hubbard’s Classes: 67.9% We felt that for students to show understanding of primary sources, they needed to have an average score of at least 90%. We presented a lesson on primary/secondary sources to improve their understanding of these sources. The lesson (see attached lesson plan) involved showing students examples of primary and secondary sources. Students then worked in groups with six definitions to decide which definitions described primary sources and which described secondary sources. We also used a Smartboard interactive exercise, calling on students to sort various sources into categories: Primary, Secondary, or Could Be Either One. After the lesson, we gave the students a post-test (using the same questions as on the pre-test). The post-test average scores were as follows: Mrs. Boyd’s Classes: 93.4% Mrs. Benson’s Classes: 90.6% Mr. Hubbard’s Classes: 93.5% This improvement indicates to us that most of the students now understand the difference between primary and secondary sources. We felt that they were ready to use and analyze primary sources. Summative Assessment The summative assessment in December involved students researching various primary sources from the American and French revolutions. Then students worked in groups to create a Venn diagram to compare the two revolutions. Students also responded to an exit slip: “What is the recipe for revolution?” Examples of Primary Sources, Venn Diagram, and students engaged in the summative assessment: D. Assessment: Documenting Progress (Instructional Goal). D. Assessment: Documenting Progress (Instructional Goal).

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Results of First Summative Assessment As a group, the World History CLT analyzed our summative assessment. By looking at the answer sheets students filled out when researching the primary sources as well as the Venn diagrams and exit slips, we determined that about 75% of the students had reached mastery of the standard “Interpret maps, statistics, charts, diagrams, graphs, timelines, pictures, political cartoons, audiovisual materials, continua, written resources, art and artifacts.” The other 25% showed difficulty in interpreting the importance of some of the primary sources they were given. Second Semester CLT Work We created a SmartGoal to guide our work for second semester: Our Goal: By the end of second semester, at least 85% of World History students in Renee Boyd and Jim Hubbard’s classes will master the standard “Interpret maps, statistics, charts, diagrams, graphs, timelines, pictures, political cartoons, audiovisual materials, continua, written resources, art and artifacts” as measured through our formative and summative assessments. Second Formative Assessment Since many of the students in the classes changed second semester, we started with a formative assessment to see how well the new group of students could use and analyze primary sources. We used Senteo clickers, showed students various examples of different types of sources, and asked them to choose if the sources were primary or secondary. We also asked questions about what they can learn from the different types of sources when studying history. The results of the formative assessment were:

Boyd Average 81.7

Hubbard Average 83.1

We felt that these scores showed that the majority of students were ready to use and analyze primary sources in the upcoming World War II unit. Since we tracked the student results by name, we were able to see which students were still struggling and will give them extra support during the summative assessment and activities leading up to the summative. Second Semester Summative Assessment Our CLT created a World War II summative assessment on primary sources. Students were asked to work as historians to analyze and research replicas of World War II documents, maps, and artifacts. After analyzing the primary sources, students presented their findings to the class. Students also answered an exit slip which asked, “How did the primary sources give you a different insight into World War II?” The essential questions guiding students’ work were: • How can we understand moments in history by looking at the perspective of people from the past? • How does an individual’s personal record of history reflect a larger history? Using the primary source analysis worksheets for the World War II summative assessments, the exit slips, and the class presentations, we determined that about 85% of Mr. Hubbard’s and Mrs. Boyd’s World History students had reached mastery of the standard “Interpret maps, statistics, charts, diagrams, graphs, timelines, pictures, political cartoons, audiovisual materials, continua, written resources, art and artifacts.” These students were able to make connections between the primary source documents and the larger history of World War II that they studied in class. The majority of students reported on their exit slips that the primary sources gave them a more personal understanding of World War II and how it affected individuals.

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D. Assessment: Documenting Progress (Instructional Goal). The district high school librarians have created two formative and one summative assessment to measure our Library Power Statements: 1. I can independently implement an effective research process. 2. I can independently locate and use resources in various formats (books, databases, websites, etc.). 3. I can independently evaluate a source for accuracy, credibility, bias and relevance. 4. I can independently recognize when I need more information in order to make an informed decision. 5. I can choose and effectively use technology tools to find, organize and share information. 6. I can self-assess my research process and product for completeness, strengths and weaknesses. 7. I can independently apply the concepts of intellectual property. 8. I can independently select materials for leisure reading and to satisfy personal interests. First common assessment. We administered our first assessment to Ms. Surinsky’s English I classes. The questions were as follows: 1. In English class, your group is researching and creating a pamphlet about child abuse. Select the correct order for these research steps: (1 point) (Students are given a mixed-up list of the items below. They must put them into the correct order shown).

a. Determine the focused topic of your research b. Locate appropriate resources c. Evaluate and record information from a variety of resources d. Organize information and create a rough draft version of your pamphlet e. Create a final version of the pamphlet f. Review the success of your research and final pamphlet

2. When you are beginning a research project, you are often given a broad subject and asked to narrow the focus before selecting your paper's topic. From the two topics below, select the topic that is narrower. (1 point)

a. Professional sports b. Major League Baseball

3. If you want to find books about Shakespeare's life and times, what kind of catalog search should you try? (1 point)

a. Subject search b. Title search c. Author search

4. You are writing a report on Cleopatra. Which source below will provide the most authoritative information on your topic? (1 point)

a. Personal web page created by a fan of Cleopatra b. "Discovering Collection," one of the library's databases c. The Shakespeare play, "Antony and Cleopatra" d. Wikipedia entry on Cleopatra

5. Using effective key words is critical to successful research. Which words below would NOT be helpful for locating information about teen psychology? (1 point)

a. Teenage mental health b. Teen habits c. Adolescent psychology d. Youth psychology

6. Why is it necessary to cite the sources you use? (1 point)

a. To avoid committing plagiarism b. To give credit to the work of the original authors or creators c. Because my teacher requires it d. All of the above are correct

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7. If you are writing a paper on animal rights, and you use information from a web site produced by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which web site evaluation criterion is most important to consider? (1 point)

a. Currency b. Bias c. Related links d. URL/Domain (e.g. .com, .edu, .gov, .mil, .net, .org)

8. Which of the following is NOT an example of plagiarism? (1 point)

a. Buying and downloading a completed paper from the Internet to turn in for credit b. Copying and pasting text from a web page without using quotation marks c. Using an author's exact wording without using quotation marks d. Paraphrasing (rewording) an author's idea with citation information

9. The library subscribes to a variety of research databases, such as "Credo Reference" and "Global Issues in Context." What do library databases NOT contain? (1 point)

a. Information from professionals or experts in the field b. Published works where facts are checked c. Pop-ups and advertisements d. Frequent updates which include date of publication and citation information

10. While researching gun control, you continuously find website articles opposing gun control. What is the next step you should take in your research? (1 point)

a. Look for a fiction book dealing with gun control issues b. Locate a library database that provides credible information on opposing viewpoints c. Start writing the paper d. Assume that the argument against gun control is the only correct argument

11. After unsuccessfully looking around the library for a book on photography, you _____ in order to determine the location of the book in the library. (1 point)

a. Use Google b. Use a database c. Use the library catalog d. Use the Internet

12. While working on a group research assignment, you decide to share your database articles with all of your group members. What is the most efficient way to do this? (1 point)

a. Login to your email account and copy and paste the articles into an email message b. Save the articles on a flash drive and post on Facebook from home c. Use the email feature on the database to send articles directly to other members of the group d. Save the articles to a file and attach them to an email message from your email account

13. While gathering articles on your research topic, you realize there is too much information for you to cover in a five-page paper. How would you handle this situation? (1 point)

a. Write an overview paper on the topic b. Write a paper using a third of your articles c. Write a paper on a specific aspect of your research topic d. Write a paper using all of your research

14. While self-assessing your research paper, which of the following questions should you ask yourself before considering the paper complete? (1 point)

a. Have I used a variety of sources in my paper? b. Have I use at least 3 quotes per paragraph? c. Have I cited all my sources? d. A and C e. All of the above

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15. While writing a paper on Martin Luther King, Jr., you notice that one of your sources says he died in a different year than what is given in another source of yours. What do you NOT do? (1 point)

a. Pick the source you like best b. Consider the publisher of the source c. Continue researching to see what other sources say d. Decide if the conflict of information is critical to the assignment

16. What are two ways to find a book that you would want to read? (2 points) (open-ended question) ________________________________ ________________________________ Results. Overall average score (percent correct) on Library Common Assessment: 65.2% Specific Question results: Q1: 29.5% Q2: 80% Q3: 50% Q4: 70% Q5: 38% Q6: 67% Q7: 25% Q8: 80%

Q9: 83% Q10: 76% Q11: 79% Q12: 57% Q13: 58% Q14: 29% Q15: 70% Q16: Average score of 1.44 points out of 2 possible points.

Strategies. As a group of high school librarians from all four high schools, we analyzed the questions that students performed most poorly on. We felt that Questions 1 and 14 were not a result of student misunderstanding, but rather a problem with the questions. They were either poorly worded or misleading. Of the other questions most frequently missed, Questions 3 and 5 dealt with Search Strategies, and question 7 dealt with Evaluating Sources. Our strategy to improve student performance on these questions was to collaborate with Ms. Surinsky to teach her classes a lesson about researching various social justice issues. (See attached lesson plan.) To address the questions that students most frequently missed, we taught students to search two databases and also used an essential question that dealt with evaluating sources and the importance of using expert information. Second common assessment. The high school librarians from the four high schools revised the common assessment slightly before giving it the second time. We clarified the questions that we felt were confusing or misleading. We still assigned two common assessment questions to each of the 8 Library Power Statements. The questions were as follows: 1. In English class, you are researching and writing a paper about cloning. Select the correct order for your research steps: (1 point) (Students are given a mixed-up list of the items below. They must put them into the correct order shown).

a. Review your success after your paper is returned, and determine how to improve your next research paper b. Evaluate and record information from a variety of resources c. Edit your draft and create a final version of your paper d. Locate appropriate resources for your research e. Organize your information and write a draft of your research paper f. Determine the focused topic of your research

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2. When you are beginning a research project, you are often given a broad subject to research. From the four topics below, select the topic that is broader than the others. (1 point)

a. World War I b. War c. Vietnam War d. Bombing of Pearl Harbor

3. If you want to find books by Walter Dean Myers, what kind of catalog search should you try? (1 point)

a. Title search b. Author search c. Subject search

4. You are creating a PowerPoint on the civil rights movement. Which source below will provide the most authoritative information on your topic? (1 point)

a. Wikipedia entry on the Civil Rights Movement b. A blog created by a civil rights activist c. "Credo Reference," one of the library's databases d. A middle school class's website about Civil Rights

5. Using effective keywords is critical to successful research. Which words below would NOT be helpful for locating information about animal rights? (1 point)

a. animal habitats b. animal cruelty c. animal experimentation d. animal welfare

6. Why is it important to cite the sources that you use? (1 point)

a. To avoid committing plagiarism b. To give credit to the author or creators c. To show that you have researched the idea d. All of the above are correct

7. You are writing a paper about UFOs, and you find a website that seems to have great information. Which web site criteria listed below should you investigate before using the site as a source? (1 point)

a. Authority (Author or sponsor) of the site b. Accuracy of the information c. Bias of the creators of the information d. All of the above

8. You find a unique idea in an article, so you use it in your paper. You don't bother to cite the source of the idea because you've expressed it in your own words. Is this plagiarism? (1 point)

a. Yes b. No

9. The library subscribes to a variety of research databases, such as "Credo Reference" and "Global Issues in Context." What do library databases NOT contain? (1 point)

a. Magazine and newspaper articles b. Advertisements and spam c. Published works written by experts d. Multimedia, such as video clips and photos

10. While researching the use of the atomic bomb on Japan in World War II, you can only find research that supports the dropping of the bomb by the US. What is the next step you should take in your research? (1 point)

a. Start writing the paper b. Ask your teacher if you can change your topic c. Assume that the argument in favor of dropping the bomb is the only correct argument d. Locate a library database that provides credible information on opposing viewpoints

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11. Your friend recommended a great book that you should read. How would you find out if the library has the book? (1 point)

a. Use the library catalog b. Use Google c. Use the Internet d. Use the "Discovering Collection" database

12. What is the best way to design a meaningful, professional Powerpoint or other technology presentation?

a. Use several different fonts and lots of funny clipart to draw attention b. Use many contrasting colors, animations, and transitions to keep the audience awake c. Use only important pictures and short phrases to get your message across d. Copy and paste your entire research paper onto the presentation so you don't forget anything

13. While gathering articles on your research topic, you realize there is too much information for you to cover in a five-page paper. How would you handle this situation? (1 point)

a. Write an overview paper on the topic b. Write a paper using a third of your articles c. Write a longer paper using all of your research d. Write a paper on a specific aspect of your research topic

14. While self-assessing your research paper, which of the following questions should you ask yourself before considering the paper complete? (1 point)

a. Have I used a variety of sources in my paper? b. Have I written a strong conclusion? c. Have I cited all my sources? d. All of the above

15. You are writing a paper on recent advances in DNA research for science class, and you realize that the most current resource you have cited was published in 2008. What should you do at this point?

a. Look for database articles or a book published within the current year. b. Continue writing your paper anyway. c. Switch to a different topic. d. Expand your topic to include other types of scientific research.

16. Where could you get ideas for a book you would want to read? (2 points) _____________________________________ (open-ended question) Results. Overall average score (percent correct) on second Library Common Assessment: 79.8%. This shows a 22.3% increase over the first Library Common Assessment score of 65.2%. Comparison of Specific Question results of the first and second assessments: First Assessment Second Assessment First Assessment Second Assessment Q1: 29.5% Q2: 80% Q3: 50% Q4: 70% Q5: 38% Q6: 67% Q7: 25% Q8: 80%

Q1: 68% Q2: 70% Q3: 91% Q4: 89% Q5: 62% Q6: 68% Q7: 79% Q8: 70%

Q9: 83% Q10: 76% Q11: 79% Q12: 57% Q13: 58% Q14: 29% Q15: 70% Q16: Average score of 1.44 points out of 2 possible

Q9: 89% Q10: 89% Q11: 94% Q12: 77% Q13: 47% Q14: 87% Q15: 96% Q16: Average score: 1.787 out of 2 possible

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On the first common assessment, we felt that the frequently missed Questions 1 and 14 were not a result of student misunderstanding, but rather a problem with the questions being poorly worded or misleading. After rewording these questions for the second assessment, students’ scores went up from 29.5% to 68% correct on Question 1. They went up from 29% to 87% correct on Question 14. Of the other questions most frequently missed on the first assessment, Questions 3 and 5 dealt with Search Strategies, and question 7 dealt with Evaluating Sources. We taught a lesson to Ms. Surinsky’s classes during their Social Justice research project to address these topics. On the second assessment, Question 3 went from 50% to 91% correct. Question 5 went from 38% to 62% correct. Question 7 went from 25% to 79% correct. This shows that a combination of designing a better test as well as delivering effective library instruction makes a difference in student understanding. Analysis of the Second Common Assessment In looking at the second assessment, the questions students performed most poorly on were Questions 5 and 13. Although they did much better on Question 5 than in the previous assessment, it seems that students need more keyword searching instruction. However, in observing the students as they took the quiz, I had a number of students ask me what the words “animal welfare” and “animal habitats” meant, so the misunderstanding might be due to vocabulary and not keyword searching. In analyzing Question 13: “While gathering articles on your research topic, you realize there is too much information for you to cover in a five-page paper. How would you handle this situation?” about half of the students chose incorrect response A, which was “Write an overview paper on the topic.” While this is not the best answer, it could potentially be a valid strategy when faced with the given scenario. We may want to consider rewording this question also. We also observed that the students’ scores went down from 80% correct to 70% correct on Question 2 and Question 8 from the first assessment. Question 2 dealt with broadening/narrowing a topic, and Question 8 dealt with plagiarism. We will keep this in mind as we continue working with Ms. Surinsky’s classes, since they still need some work on these concepts. Strategies. As Ms. Surinsky’s class delves further into doing research during second semester, we plan to teach more lessons focused on keyword searching to make sure they understand this concept. Since the overall scores for Question 1 (dealing with the research process) and Question 6 (dealing with plagiarism) were also lower than 70% correct on the second assessment, we will teach specific lessons to address these topics as well. Third Common Assessment The high school librarians from the four high schools revised the second common assessment slightly before giving it the third time. We clarified the questions that we felt were confusing or misleading. We still assigned two common assessment questions to each of the 8 Library Power Statements. The questions were as follows: 1. In English class, you are researching and writing a paper about cloning. Select the correct order for your research steps: (1) a. Choose a specific topic and come up with important keywords

b. Locate a variety of sources c. Takes notes from the sources d. Organize the information and write the paper e. Judge the success your research and your final paper

2. When you are beginning a research project, you are often given a broad subject and asked to narrow the focus before selecting your topic. From the four topics below, select the narrowest topic. (1)

a. Lung cancer b. Infectious diseases c. Diseases d. Cancer

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3. You need to independently read a novel for English class. In which collection will you find one? (2) a. Biography b. Fiction c. Non-fiction d. Reference

4. You are creating a Power Point on the civil rights movement. Which source below will provide the most authoritative information on your topic? (3)

a. A middle schools class’s website about civil rights b. “Credo Reference,” one of the library’s databases c. A blog created by a civil rights activist d. Wikipedia entry on the civil rights movement

5. Using effective keywords is critical to successful research. Your teacher asks you the following question, “What are three leadership qualities of President Woodrow Wilson?” Which database search below would most efficiently locate information on this topic? (2)

a. What are three leadership qualities of Woodrow Wilson? b. leadership Woodrow Wilson c. 3 important leadership qualities of President Woodrow Wilson d. “ldrshp pres wilson”

6. Why is it important to cite the sources you use? (7)

a. To avoid committing plagiarism b. To give credit to the authors or creators c. To show that you have researched the idea d. All of the above

7. You are writing a paper about UFOs, and you find a website that seems to have great information. Which web site criteria listed below should you investigate before using the site as a source? (3)

a. Authority (Author or sponsor) of the site b. Accuracy of the information c. Bias of the creators of the information d. All of the above

8. You find a unique idea in an article, so you use in in your paper. You don’t bother to cite the source of the idea because you’ve expressed it in your own words. Is this plagiarism? (7)

a. Yes b. No

9. The library subscribes to a variety of research databases, such as Credo Reference and Issues and Controversies. Library databases contain which of the following? (5)

a. Information that has been fact checked by experts b. Citation tools c. Credible information d. All of the above

10. You are researching an assignment about the pros and cons of gun control and all the information that you find is in favor of gun control. What do you do next? (4)

a. Assume that most people are in favor of gun control and complete your assignment with the information that you have found b. Try expanding/revising your search strategy to look for some sources that may contain a different viewpoint c. Consult Wikipedia to see if you can find any more information d. Contact your local police station to see if you can obtain more information

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11. Your friend recommended a great book that you should read. How would you find out if the library has the book? (8)

a. Use the Discovering Collection b. Use the library catalog c. Use Google d. Use the internet

12. What is the best way to design a meaningful, professional PowerPoint or other technology presentation? (5)

a. Use several different fonts and lots of funny clipart to draw attention b. Use only important pictures and short phrases to get your message across c. Copy and paste your entire research paper onto the presentation so you don’t forget anything d. Use many contrasting colors, animations, and transitions to keep the audience awake

13. While researching the Great Depression, you realize that all of your sources were published in the 1980s and 1990s. What would strengthen your research? (6)

a. Primary sources from the Great Depression, such as newspaper articles printed during this time period b. Journal articles about the Great Depression that are more recent, published within the last three years c. Both a and b

14. While self-assessing your research paper, which of the following questions should you ask yourself before considering the paper complete? (6)

a. Have I used a variety of sources in my paper? b. Have I written a strong conclusion? c. Have I cited all my sources? d. All of the above

15. You are writing a paper on recent advances in liver cancer treatment for science class, and you realize that the most current resource you have cited was published in 2009. What should you do at this point? (4)

a. Switch to a different topic b. Continue writing your paper anyway c. Look online for articles or a book published within the current year d. Expand your topic to include other types of cancer treatments

16. Determine the genre of the given book from the image and the summary: “In October, 1942, seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hübener, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people.” (8)

a. Science Fiction b. Adventure Fiction c. Historical Fiction d. Fantasy Fiction

Results We wanted to compare apples to apples, so we took only the average scores of those students who took all three assessments. Their results were as follows: First Assessment Second Assessment Summative Assessment 59.1 77.6 77.3

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We were disappointed that the scores on the summative assessment went down slightly from the second assessment. We analyzed which questions the students did most poorly on. Question 1: 64% In English class, you are researching a topic to write a paper on cloning. Select the correct order for your research steps: Choose a specific topic and come up with important keywords

Locate a variety of sources Take notes from the sources Organize the information and write the paper Judge the success of your research and your final paper

Students have had problems with this question since the very first assessment. Usually they flip-flop just two of the choices, and then they have missed the entire question. We are not sure if this is the best way to test how well students understand the research process, so we may need to re-evaluate this question for the next assessment. Question 3: 56% You need to independently read a novel for English class. In which collection will you find one?

a. Biography b. Reference c. Non-fiction d. Fiction

We were surprised that so many students chose Non-Fiction for this answer. However, the vocabulary word “Novel” is not something we taught to this class. Question 13: 68% While researching the Great Depression, you realize that all of your sources were published in the 1980s and 1990s. What would strengthen your research?

a. Primary sources from the Great Depression, such as newspaper articles printed during this time period b. Journal articles about the Great Depression that are more recent, published within the last three years c. Both a and b

Again, primary and secondary sources was not a topic we taught Ms. Surinsky’s class this semester, so students would have been merely guessing on this question. Because the questions students did the most poorly on did not address the power statements that we taught to this class, we decided to take a look at student scores on just those questions that we DID teach them this semester. These questions and the results were as follows: Question 2: 71% Question 4: 84% Question 5: 75% Question 7: 84%

Question 9: 83% Question 10: 87% Question 12: 74% Question 15: 79%

All of these results were in the 70-80% range. Although we wish these scores were higher, they show that students are overall understanding these concepts. As they continue throughout their high school career, these scores should continue to rise as they build on the more challenging skills. Strategies Our strategy for next year is to improve our common assessments in our Librarian PLC group. We also want to figure out how to measure whether students are learning what we are teaching. Many of the common assessment items are not taught to the students before they take the assessments. We may need to analyze the results overall and also look at the results of just those items that were directly taught to see how well the students improved as a result of our instruction. Next year, we will again reach out to at least one English I teacher to have his/her English I students take the library common assessments. We also want to work with as many English II teachers as we can to make sure we are building on the skills that we taught the English I students this year.

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E. Annual Summary and Reflections. Summary of progress toward the 2011-2012 program and instructional goals. School Library Program Goal. Essential Element: Assessment for Learning Goal: By the end of the 2011-12 school year, the North High librarians will collaborate with the World History CLT to create 2 lessons that will increase student understanding of primary and secondary sources. This will be measured using the various assessments created with our CLT. This goal is aligned with our district, library, and school goals that deal with student transfer of learning. After our lessons, students should be able to understand the difference between primary and secondary sources and be able to analyze and interpret them as part of their study of history. This understanding will transfer to any other subject where primary and secondary sources are used. Summary of Data for School Library Program Goal: First Semester Formative Assessment: On the pretest, the classes scored as follows (average scores): Mrs. Boyd’s Classes: 80.9% Mrs. Benson’s Classes: 76.2% Mr. Hubbard’s Classes: 67.9% After the lesson, we gave the students a post-test (using the same questions as on the pre-test). The post-test average scores were as follows: Mrs. Boyd’s Classes: 93.4% Mrs. Benson’s Classes: 90.6% Mr. Hubbard’s Classes: 93.5% First Semester Summative Assessment: As a group, the World History CLT analyzed our summative assessment. By looking at the answer sheets students filled out when researching the primary sources as well as the Venn diagrams and exit slips, we determined that about 75% of the students had reached mastery of the standard “Interpret maps, statistics, charts, diagrams, graphs, timelines, pictures, political cartoons, audiovisual materials, continua, written resources, art and artifacts.” The other 25% showed difficulty in interpreting the importance of some of the primary sources they were given. Second Semester Formative Assessment:

Boyd Average 81.7

Hubbard Average 83.1

Second Semester Summative Assessment: Using the primary source analysis worksheets for the World War II summative assessments, the exit slip, and the class presentation, we determined that about 90% of Mr. Hubbard’s and Mrs. Boyd’s World History students had reached mastery of the standard “Interpret maps, statistics, charts, diagrams, graphs, timelines, pictures, political cartoons, audiovisual materials, continua, written resources, art and artifacts.” These students were able to make connections between the primary source documents and the larger history of World War II that they studied in class. The majority of students reported on their exit slips that the primary sources gave them a more personal understanding of World War II and how it affected individuals. Reflection on the Attainment of our School Library Program Goal: Our goal was to have World History students increase their ability to analyze and interpret a variety of primary sources. We believe that we were successful in attaining this goal, since about 90% of students scored a C or higher on the primary source analysis and the class presentation. School Library Instructional Goal: to increase student achievement. The district high school librarians created two formative and one summative assessment to measure our Library Power Statements.

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Summary of Data from School Library Instructional Goal: We wanted to compare apples to apples, so we took only the average scores of only those students who took all three assessments. Their results were as follows: First Assessment Second Assessment Summative Assessment 59.1 77.6 77.3 Because the questions students did the most poorly on did not address the power statements that we taught to this class, we decided to take a look at student scores on just those questions that we DID teach them this semester. These questions and the results were as follows: Question 2: 71% Question 4: 84% Question 5: 75% Question 7: 84%

Question 9: 83% Question 10: 87% Question 12: 74% Question 15: 79%

Reflections on Attainment of the School Library Instructional Goal: We feel that our goal was not fully attained since student achievement did not increase from the second assessment to the third assessment. However, their achievement did improve on just those questions that we directly taught. As these students continue throughout their high school career, their abilities in these areas should improve as they continue to practice these skills through more research opportunities. Tentative Goals for 2012-2013 School Library Program Goal: Essential Element: Collaboration - Student learning is ensured through the collaborative efforts of the library media specialist and other educators in the school and district.

• Increase collaboration with English teachers by piloting two new lessons: a Senior Transition to College workshop and a Google Tips & Tricks / Keyword searching lesson. Design assessments for these lessons to see if students are learning what we are teaching.

• Increase collaboration with Social Studies teachers by incorporating more historical fiction through

literature circles into their units. School Library Instructional Goal: Identify priority standards dealing with student research skills. Increase student achievement in research skills as measured through common formative and summative assessments created by our librarian MSPLC. Submitted by Eve Diel and Chris Johnston 24 May 2012