Measuring managing marketing documenting and proving your worth

Measuring, managing, marketing, documenting and proving your worth! Joyce Kasman Valenza

Warning! • This is a hybrid presentation! • Listen and think about what you want to explore later. • Download this presentation at: • http: //mciu. org/~spjvweb/treefalls. ppt

Why? • Data is important to prove your worth • To understand your impact • To reflect on your practice

Would anyone hear it?

About pies They just don’t get bigger!

Who is slicing your pie?

For the sake of your learners. . . • You must figure out how to get an appropriate slice • Or bake another pie!

Perception is critical! You must: • Craft “reporting forms” that show you at your best • Demonstrate your impact on learners and learning • Demonstrate how you have made teachers’ jobs easier, more effective. • Demonstrate your vision for the program Money tends to flow where success is, where the excitement it!

Does that person who slices the pie really know what you do? Does he or she understand your contribution to the learning community?

Quick: Name something important you do for learners that no one knows you do!

According to an SLJ survey: • Only 37% of principals said that the teacher-librarian made them familiar with current research of library programs and student achievement. • Only 35% of principals were made familiar with current research on reading development • Lau, Debra. “What Does Your Boss Think About You. ” SLJ Sept. 2002.

More from the SLJ survey: • Only 47% believed there was a direct link between an effective media center and student achievement • Only 26% believed that librarians taught regularly scheduled classes • Only one third believed that librarians took a pro-active role in the school • Half said their librarian’s primary role was “caretaker. ”

Gary Hartzell’s response: Though expressing support for the media center is the “socially preferred” response, when you dig deeper “the truth comes out. . . Principals think they should say that but they don’t back it up with a budget or appropriate staffing. ”

According to SLJ: “The message is clear: librarians must make themselves more visible by better articulating their mission and the impact they have on student learning. ”

Administrators value outcomes!

We all value and protect the things and people that make us more successful, make our jobs easier, and make us look good. Convincing your principal that you and your library can do those things will go a long way toward making clear that it's in his or her best interests to give you the time and tools you need to sustain a quality library media program. Gary Hartzell, Professor, Department of Education Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Do you know. . . what keeps that person up at night?

Supporting those who support you: Concerns How you can help

Put others first • Our projects and practices should benefit others • Do no appear self-serving • Take part in school activities and meetings— decisions are made by those who show up • Make others look good

Library’s “outputs” "[Librarians] need to talk about how many research lessons they presented, how many books they booktalked, and detail the collaborations they've had with teachers. " Mike Eisenberg. "This Man Wants to Change Your Job. " SLJ. September 2002)

One LM_Netter • Goal? Flexible scheduling Is that the goal?

Your outcomes (should) impact learners, the whole school!

How are you perceived? • As an add-on or drop-and-run special? or • As an instructional partner who directly impacts student learning?

Is the perception. . . That your library and its initiatives make a difference in student learning? Do teachers and administrators say, “We need to see more of this!”? That the library contributes to the continuous improvement of the school program?

Two weapons “You really need two psychological weapons when fighting to make your program a budget priority: a thick skin and a deep-felt mission. Without them, you’ll get eaten alive; with them, you can accomplish anything. ” Doug Johnson

It’s about mission

Your mission: • Guiding principles that state goals, values, and vision • Should be achievable • Consider larger mission of the school • Should be a mission the whole school can endorse

Goals concentrate our energy!

Libraries don’t exist in vacuums. It’s about others! Faculty goals: Principal’s goals: Needs of Parent goals: learners: Others?

Setting goals • Building • Instructional • District • Professional and. . . • Teaching and learning • Program Administrative • Information access and delivery Mid-year and end-year updates

SMART Guidelines for Goal Setting • Specific: What exactly do you wish to accomplish? • Measurable: benchmarks? How will you know you have reached them? • Attainable /Action Oriented: what specific steps will you take? • Realistic • Timely: Set target date(s) Examples? * Michael Angier

Let’s create a SMART goal.

Making Instruction Explicit! “Pedagogical intervention is at the core of being a teacher-librarian. ” “If school libraries do not contribute to learning outcomes, and if teacherlibrarians cannot articulate what these outcomes are, then school libraries are on shaky ground. ” Ross Todd, IASL, 2003

A cut-back scenario When asked why teacher-librarians were cut, the director of human resources said: “these proposed cuts will not affect student learning and will not disrupt the learning process. ”

How is learning demonstrated? 1. What the student knows 2. What the student can do with what he or she knows 3. The student’s confidence and motivation in carrying out the demonstration. Spady and Marshall. “Light not heat on OBE. ” ASBJ Nov. 1994

Ask your learners • • Cognitive Affective Social Physical

Video--Baseline

Two years later

Last year

Surveys as powerful tools • • Student satisfaction Faculty satisfaction Plagiarism / academic integrity Readers’ interest

Surveys • Student feedback is very revealing! • Surveys reflect attitudes, confidence • Baseline and comparison • • First grade and fifth grade Before and after a unit Freshmen and senior Before and after an initiative • Paper • Video focus groups

Two-question survey: • During this term, how did the library best help you learn? • During this term, how could the library help you learn better? Ross Todd, IASL, 2003 (quoting one teacher-librarian’s feedback survey)

Your two- or three-question survey?

http: //surveymonkey. com

Need to Communicate! • Newsletters • Frequent, targeted emails • Intrude politely on meetings • Decisions are made by those who show up • Get invited, offer to host meetings • USE your website! • As your teaching portfolio • As a dynamic public relations tool • As a knowledge management site with you as CIO

Share success • Document • Memos • Goals and updates • Newsletters • Reports “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil” Web. Shots. com 26 May 2003 http: //www. webshots. com/g/25/522 -sh/18287. html No one will know what you are doing unless you report it!

How do we measure and share impacts & outcomes?

Essentials! • Skills with • Spreadsheets • Desktop publishing • Presentation • HTML editors, blogs • Importance of library assistants!

Power. Point as a Chart Creator

How many pathfinders this year?

How do you share new experiences / resources?

Types of reports • Full written report--give to board, administrators, tech director, advisory team • Oral presentation to board, building level meetings, department meetings • “Executive” summary share with full staff • Survey results--baseline, over time • Summaries of anecdotal research • Observations, video interviews, samples of student work, journals, etc.

The annual report • http: //mciu. org/~spjvweb/annualreport 05. pdf • OLA Template • http: //accessola. com/osla/toolkit/home. h tml

From the OLA Toolkit

Who uses you?

Jacquie Henry’s Daily Schedule and Attendance Stats Period 1 2 3 4 Classes / Activities A. ___# students using library before school, homeroom, lunch B. __# independent study hall students C. __#after school users D. __#total independent users (A +B+C) 5 E. __# classes today (E X 25? ) 6 F. __# students in research classes After school G. __Grand total using the LMC today (D + F) From LMC, January 2006

Your Web use stats—easy! Extreme Tracker http: //extremetracking. com/open? login=jvalenza

Database use statistics MONTHLY USAGE SUMMARY Summarizes activity For the month of December 2005 Inside Usage Total Sessions 1676 Connect Time (min) 14836 Avge Session Time (min) 9 Total Fulltext 2070 Total Retrievals 3227 Total Searches 12411 Total Turnaways 0 Remote Usage Total Usage 314 1990 2884 17720 9 9 525 2595 701 3928 2613 15024 0 0

MONTHLY DATABASE USAGE by database For the month of December 2005 Sessions FT Retrievals Searches Expanded Academic ASAP (Inside) (Remote) Gale Biography Res Center (Inside) (Remote) General Ref Ctr Gold (Inside) (Remote) Literature Resource Center (Inside) (Remote) Opposing Viewpoints (Inside) (Remote) Science Resource Center (Inside) (Remote) 71 62 9 304 261 43 102 81 21 260 204 56 251 237 14 19 12 7 123 111 12 348 285 63 90 71 19 637 478 159 258 241 17 21 6 15 147 135 12 568 463 105 119 96 23 1021 791 230 638 609 29 52 27 25 162 149 13 1661 1377 284 170 138 32 1636 1319 317 2892 2752 140 206 69 137 How would you use this data?

Library Evening Usage *Dec 2002 - Snow Day/Bomb Scare Day *Jan 2003 – 1 weather day / 1 - bomb scare / Feb 26 & March 5 Ice-closed

Teacher Librarian Toolkit for Evidence Based Practice http: //accessola. com/osla/toolkit/home. html C: Documents and SettingsJoyce ValenzaDesktopResources. htm

From: Power Tools Recharged ALA Editions, 2004

From a librarian: “I do not let an opportunity go by when I let staff know about what the library contributes to learning. I always quote some of the things the students have said to illustrate my points. The school has got the idea that what I am about is helping kids learn. The key thing, in my view, is to have something to say that goes beyond gut reaction. The student survey does just that. The teachers hear what students have to say. ” (Ross Todd, 2004)

Results are used to: • Make decisions on improving services • Identify learning gaps • Design future information literacy instruction • Plan the whole-school agenda

Why evaluate your program? • • Help increase budget Refocus on goals Improve program Critical for long range planning

Response to this year’s report: Dear Joyce, What an impressive annual report. Thank you for all you have done this year. I have been sending information about our library to my friend and mentor, . . . , Superintendent of Schools in West Chicago. He is assembling a team to review his library and make recommendations. I'd like to talk with you about participating on the team. I don't think they could have anyone better. Thanks once again for your outstanding work. You have certainly 'raised the bar' for not only the libraries in the nation, but our High School. What you do has an impact on the entire school. I don't have to tell you that, but I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you how much you are valued. Have a nice summer. You have certainly earned it. Roseann Joyce, The library report is excellent - and the accomplishments are outstanding. Congratulations to Michelle, Joan and you for a great year. Thanks Joe

Video as evidence • Rubrics • Senior exit interviews • Baseline • Annual • School issues and growth • Be part of this research Video--Seniors

Evidence-based practice is reflective practice! Our measurements and study should improve our practice!

Reflective practice is: • • honest multi-sourced based on systematic analysis involves thinking about and learning from your own practice and from the practices of others • offers new perspectives • improves judgment • increases the probability of taking informed action when situations are complex and uncertain.

In most professions • Colleagues learn by sharing with each other • Colleagues learn by evaluating products • Teams of workers critique each others’ work • Architects • Lawyers • Writers

“Looking at student work is a way to move out of complacency. Looking at student work brings you face to face with your values. ” Daniel Baron, Director Outreach Services, Harmony School Education Center.

Librarians have a major stake • However hard you are teaching, do you have any real evidence that students are learning those skills and adopting those behaviors? • Student products are evidence of their true level of information fluency • Consider what pieces of products you might examine—works cited, thesis statements, etc.

The video Looking at Student Work: A Window Into the Classroom is available from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform's Looking at Student Work Web page or by calling 401 -863 -7990.

Tuning Protocol in action

Why use protocols? • Creates a structured environment for speaking listening, and questioning • Makes the most of limited time • Promotes deep, meaningful conversation about teaching and learning

From Joyce’s principal:

If you want the support of your administrators: • Show them your impact on student learning / achievement • Document tangible learning outcomes • Do not advocate for libraries; advocate for learners • This evidence may not exist • You must gather it!

Getting started! • • Do the job. Live Information Power! Plan explicit lessons. Use explicit rubrics. Document collaborative plans Paper trail. • • • Collect samples of student work Survey Lesson plans Checklists Portfolios Rubrics

From Information Power: Simple checklist strategies: check levels of student info literacy and tech skills, knowledge, attitudes before and after instruction • Ask student to rate level of skills: thesis development, documenting sources, note cards, evaluation, etc. • Look for general statements, opinions “More than 75% of the class described dramatic improvement in their ability to evaluate sources. ”

From Information Power: Conferencing strategies: devise activities where students can reflect on their work, their skills, and the benefit of library instruction “We conferenced with all the senior seminar students, examining their preliminary bibliographies and tentative thesis statements. Students felt far more confident about continuing their research. At the end, we noted fewer incidents of plagiarism, very few ‘research holes, ’ and more focused products. ”

From Information Power: Rubric strategies: Evaluate students based on a set of criteria that clearly defines the impact of your lessons “In evaluating student essays, we discovered that more than 80% of the students developed proficient thesis statements, an increase of 30% over the first assigned essay in the fall. ”

Rubrics to document learning • Make sure that information literacy goals are integrated into all research-based assignment rubrics (offer to help write and assess) • Look at rubrics and work at beginning and end of semester or school year • Look at one criteria at a time • Is documentation improving? Are students’ questioning skills improving?

More Information Power Journaling strategies: Document your instruction and the outcome of your instruction. “Student research journals revealed 35% more students used our subscription databases since we introduced them in instruction. Among their comments. . ‘I never knew how many scholarly articles I could find in EBSCOhost!’”

More Information Power Portfolio strategies: Gather samples of students’ work over a period of time and match them to your school’s curriculum goals and information literacy requirements. “Suzie’s sixth grade writing shows growing mastery of careful documentation. She is developing an analytical voice as a writer. ”

Tell stories! • Anecdotal evidence is evidence! • Stories make arguments easier to understand more memorable • Connect emotionally with audience • Have your teachers (and your students) share their stories too • Plagiarism • Rubrics • Diversity

Ben’s Story Ø Information need: Conditions in Civil War prisons Ø A good searcher Ø 300 books! Ø Problem: Not every student is as motivated as Ben

Michelle’s Story Thesis: Hitler’s personality was the primary reason for the Holocaust Research holes: Mein Kampf, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Lesson: A search engine is not a reference librarian Human intervention is still critical!!! Problem: Kids/people don’t know what they don’t know

Your voluntary focus on evidence-based practice: • Demonstrates your commitment to learning • Convinces the “pie-slicers” of the worth of funding libraries, evidence of your value to the learning community • Enables you to better plan more effective instructional intervention • Moves you to more scientific practice, beyond the hunch, beyond library advocacy • Improves your practice as a teacher-librarian!

Accountability forward thinking!

How are you visioning? How are you leading? • What new tools are you planning to incorporate this year? • How are you responding to the read/write Web? • Blogs • Wikis Equity: • Open Source • Academic readiness?

More important issue: What if I don’t do it? This is an opportunity!

Game plan for change • Issue (Pick just one for now!) • Vision • Anticipate the resistance • Plan the first steps

“Energy and persistence alter all things. ” Ben Franklin