Research and Statistics

Educational Research Applied to the Shared Foundations: A Report of the CLASS II Research Project click here to open a pdf of the report
CLASS II researcher and practitioner teams worked together to investigate causal relationships between school libraries staffed by professionally prepared school librarians and student learning. The research report features syntheses of select findings as they relate to the Shared Foundations from AASL’s National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries (2018). Each synthesis includes a brief topical overview, narrative descriptions of relevant research studied, and recommendations for operationalizing research on the topic. Sidebar queries on these findings promote continued partnerships between scholars and practitioners for robust and rigorous research that further defines the elements of school librarianship that advance learning.

An executive summary highlights select key findings in each Shared Foundation. See the complete research report for full abstracts, additional findings and queries, field studies, and conjecture maps illustrating each of the Shared Foundations. This research was funded by AASL and Institute of Museum and Library Science grant RE-00-15-0114-15.


Causality: School Libraries & Student Success (CLASS) White Paper click here to open a pdf of the report
The purpose of this white paper is to report on the convening of the nation’s leading school library and educational researchers at the Causality: School Libraries and Student Success (CLASS) forum and to propose a national agenda to demonstrate the positive influences of effective school librarians and quality school libraries on student learning. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant number LG-62-13-0212-13.


School Library Research
School Library Research 
(ISSN: 2165-1019) is AASL's scholarly refereed research journal. Its purpose is to promote and publish high quality original research concerning the management, implementation, and evaluation of school library programs. The journal also emphasizes research on instructional theory, teaching methods, and critical issues relevant to school libraries and school librarians.