Performance-based evaluations and ELL research projects studied in new School Library Research

For Immediate Release
Mon, 07/06/2015

Contact:

Jennifer Habley

Manager, Web Communications

American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

312-280-4383

jhabley@ala.org

CHICAGO – Two new research articles are now available in the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research. The articles cover the topics of performance-based evaluations and the factors that impact the way English language learners’ complete research. Articles can be found on the AASL website at www.ala.org/aasl/slr.

In the article, “Performance-Based Evaluation and School Librarians,” Audrey Church documents her three-year study of the implementation of performance-based evaluations for school librarians in Virginia. Based on survey results taken after three consecutive school years, Church finds the majority of participants were evaluated using teacher-performance standards and that the majority write teaching goals as opposed to school library program goals. Church recommends further research to compare state-to-state evaluations and to explore the use of student performance data to provide local evidence of the school librarian’s impact on student learning.

Sung Un Kim used a questionnaire, process surveys, interviews and observations to complete the research in her article “Enablers and Inhibitors to English Language Learners’ Research Process in a High School Setting." Kim followed 48 high school ELL students, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and a biology teacher through a research project conducted in English. Her findings indicated that at the end of the research process more students reported difficulties looking for specific information, understanding hard vocabulary, evaluating information and summarizing and writing than they did in the middle stage of the research process.

“Church’s paper on performance-based evaluation of school librarians in Virginia is both timely and important with implications for librarians nationwide,” said Ruth Small, SLR co-editor. “Focusing on enablers and inhibitors, Kim offers readers a glimpse into the diverse approaches to research taken by high school ELL students.”

School Library Research (ISSN: 2165-1019) is the successor to School Library Media Research (ISSN: 1523-4320) and School Library Media Quarterly Online. The journal is peer-reviewed, indexed by H. W. Wilson's Library Literature and by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology. The purpose of School Library Research is to promote and publish high quality original research concerning the management, implementation and evaluation of school library programs.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.