AASL Information Power Action Research Project
Background and Timetable

The Information Power School Library Action Research Project seeks to assist individual schools to collect, analyze and disseminate information about the impact of the school library on academic achievement and to judge how the implementation of Information Power has affected student achievement. Three major sources of data are recommended for comparative and interpretive purposes:

Local academic achievement data from local, state, or national tests
Power reader student survey
Power learner student evaluation/Power learner teacher, library media specialist and administrator evaluation

All schools in the nation are invited to use the instrumentation for their own locally-based action research studies. Data collection instrumentation will be mounted on the world wide web and will be instantly analyze for internal use and also for comparative purposes across schools.

At least nine schools (three at each level) from each state may participate in the national data collection project. The national project recommends data from upper elementary, a middle school grade, and grade 10-11.

School library media specialists will receive training annual conferences of ALA. Watch the programs for possible sessions.

Data collection began in pilot test form, Spring, 2000. Participating schools will continue to collect data in ensuing school years.

Schools not in the national project may use the same web data for self-analysis or for comparison to the national sample or other schools participating in their own action research studies.

Brief descriptions of the data collection instrumentation are as follows:

Local academic achievement data from state or local tests

Data from whatever tests administered at the local school will be used in the research. These will include composite achievement scores and/or sub scores such as reading.

Power reader student survey data instrument

Students will be asked to log their own analysis of their position as a power reader indicating such things as amount read, variety of genres read, and other activities associated with reading. From this instrument, a power reader score will be generated to use for correlation to academic achievement and the other two measures. Two instruments will be used; one for elementary, the other for middle school grades and high school.

Power learner student data instrument

Students doing projects in the library will be asked to complete a rubric reflecting on he process and the product of their library research. Teacher, administrators, and the library media specialist will also be asked to score projects on a simple rubric. From this instrument, a power learner score will be generated to use for correlation to academic achievement.

Responsibilities of the State Affiliate:

Through the AASL Affiliate Assembly, the participating states will be solicited. If your state wishes to participate, send a letter with the name of a contact person for your state (State Research Committee Chair or other person) to:

AASL Research and Statistics Committee
50 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-2795

State Contacts will have the nine schools identified in their states.

Participating states will meet at ALA Annual Conference to review the documents and make recommendations. Representatives from all states are invited to attend.