2015 Judy Serritella Exemplary Library Media Program Self-Evaluation Rubric

Part 1: Memo to Principal

MEMO

TO: Principal, John Doe Schools

FROM: Media Specialist and Library Media Practicum Student, John Doe Schools

DATE: October 4, 2015

SUBJECT: Media Center Self-Evaluation

Mr. Principal,

Recently, the Media Specialist and the Library Media Practicum Student evaluated John Doe’s media center. The evaluation tool used was the 2015 Judy Serritella Exemplary Library Media Program Self-Evaluation Rubric. The purpose of the self-evaluation was to determine areas of strengths and weakness within John Doe’s media center. This self-evaluation rubric is a comprehensive tool and evaluates media centers within the following six categories: Student achievement & instruction, technology, staffing, facilities, access, & resources, administrative support, and staff development. The rubric allows for media centers to be rated basic, proficient, or exemplary in twenty-one areas within these six categories. John Doe’s media center rated well with six areas meeting standards within the exemplary, or highest, rating. Additionally, eleven areas were rated as proficient. The remaining four areas received basic ratings, suggesting some areas of needed improvement.

The Media Specialist Practicum Student has developed an action plan to move these four areas rated as basic to the proficient level. Additionally, an action plan was developed to move one proficient area to the exemplary rating. Please see the attached plans to be implemented at John Doe’s media center to move it toward exemplary status.

Part 2: Action Steps for All Areas Rated Basic

Four areas within the self-evaluation rubric were rated as basic. The following are action steps to move these areas to the proficient level:

Category 1- Student Achievement and Instruction

3. Professional library media staff are engaged in active teaching roles.

Current Basic Status: The Library Media Specialist makes recommendations to students for class projects and pleasure reading. The Library Media Specialist provides basic orientation and instruction on information location skills.

Action Plan: The goal is for the Library Media Specialist and teachers plan and teach collaboratively so that the library media program is an extension of classroom instruction. In order to achieve this goal, the media specialist will commit to attending at least one grade level meeting per month. This will allow the media specialist to be aware of upcoming units and provide the ability to collaboratively plan with classroom teachers.

6. Student achievement is routinely assessed.

Current Basic Status: The classroom teacher is responsible for assessing student achievement.

Action Plan: The goal is for the Library Media Specialist to collaboratively assess students along with the classroom teachers. This can be accomplished in tandem with the action plan for item #3, which will see the media specialist planning with classroom teachers. The media specialist will assist in developing assessment methods including rubrics, self-evaluations, and student presentations. The media specialist can be the leader in providing information on using Web 2.0 tools to incorporate as part of assessments.

Category 4- Facilities, Access, and Resources

10. There shall be a plan for flexibly scheduled library media center access for students and teachers in groups or as individuals simultaneously throughout each instructional day. Accessibility shall refer to the facility, the staff, and the resources and shall be based on instructional need.

Current Basic Status: Flexible scheduling makes resources and assistance available at the time of learning need, but school schedules may override this preferable flexibility. Library media staff is available to teachers and students for most of the school day.

Action Plan: The goal is to provide additional access to stakeholders. The media center was rated basic because it is not open either before and/or after school. The action plan calls for opening the media center before and after school. This would require the media clerk to be pulled from more duty in the lunchroom and the media specialist to be pulled from dismissal in the hallway. Providing access to the media center before and after school would allow more interaction with students and teachers. However, the largest increase would likely be in parent visits to the media center. With the current hours, parents would have to visit during the school day to be able to visit the media center. Extended hours will likely increase circulation. Another added bonus with extended hours may be an increase in parent volunteers as new parents may be able to visit the media center and find opportunities to become more involved.

15. One of the national education technology golas states: “Effective and engaging software and online resources will be an integral part of every school’s curriculum.” The GALILEO Virtual Library provides Georgia students and teachers access to exceptional online resources at no cost to the local school district.

Current Basic Status: Students will be given instruction in accessing GALILEO. The password will be provided in a timely manner.

Action Plan: Students and teachers will be provided with instruction on the use and promotion of GALILEO. For students, this can be accomplished in the beginning of the year library orientation each class attends. Instruction will be age-appropriate. Additionally, the media specialist will collaborate with teachers and instruct students on research techniques, including GALILEO, when appropriate for learning units. As an additional way to promote the use of GALILEO, the media specialist will employ the use of an online tool to manage research resources and passwords needed for these. This will allow teachers to access many databases from one source.

Part 3: Action Plan to Move One Area from Proficient to Exemplary

One area that meets criteria for proficient status was selected for development of an action plan to move toward exemplary status. The following was selected:

Category 1- Student Achievement and Instruction

4. The library media center resources encourage and support reading, viewing, and listening.

Current Proficient Status: The library media center offers events and activities that appeal to a wide range of interests. Attendance statistics verify students’ use.

Action Plan: The media specialist will collaborate with classroom teachers to co-teach reading and/or language arts lessons. This will be accomplished through author studies that are co-taught in the classroom and the media center. An additional step to move this area to exemplary will be for the media specialist to partner with each grade level for a literature study. The media specialist will meet with each grade level and determine the literature the grade level wants to read. The media specialist will order a class set of the literature out of her media center budget and then collaborate with teachers on its study.