Project SLIDE: The School Librarian Investigation—Decline or Evolution?

“I think the dirty little secret here is that parents are assuming that kids have access to libraries and school librarians and districts are not telling them otherwise, but the data speaks for itself,” says Project SLIDE Director Debra E. Kachel, a faculty member at the School Library Media Endorsement Program at Antioch University Seattle. She joins us from Pennsylvania along with SLIDE Principal Investigator Dr. Keith Curry Lance, a consultant at the RSL Research Group, joining us from Colorado. Co-host Deeth Ellis is the Head Librarian at Boston Latin School and a doctoral student at Simmons University who volunteered on Project SLIDE. Deeth joins Luke for a look at data and possible avenues for addressing uneven development and equity around school librarians in Massachusetts. We begin with background and a discussion of the health of data reported to the National Center for Education Statistics, and move into Massachusetts-specific elements of the study and resources to access them, and, finally, possibilities for advocacy. We hope the episode provides some talking points for you in your district, and use the links below for additional context: Project SLIDE website Project SLIDE Massachusetts Data Deeth's Academic Column on SLIDE (MSLA Forum) National Center for Education Statistics Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us: When schools have high-quality library programs and librarians who share their expertise with the entire school community, student achievement gets a boost Apr. 2018, Phi Delta Kappan (Vol. 99, Issue 7) The Sower: Interview with Keith Curry Lance, 2007, SLJ