This third entry in the Principles and Practice series, begun by Barbara K. Stripling for Libraries Unlimited, enables school library media specialists to clarify and expand their role in the national school reform movement. Chapters offer a description of the school reform initiative and implications for practice and a discussion of how to implement in your practice. Readers will be able to: identify current school reform efforts in the United States; understand the role of the school library media specialist in school reform; connect current school reform efforts to the national guidelines for school media programs suggested in Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning (ALA, AECT 1998); and adapt strategies for participating in school reform to their educational settings by acting as change agents. Grades K-12.

Completely revised with even more contributions added by practicing school librarians, this book further examines the responsibility to lead in many areas and identifies the real-world, day-to-day application of established theory and best practices. In today's educational landscape, school librarians need to lead the way in many areas, including advocacy, literacy, technology, curriculum, vision, collaborative instruction, and intellectual freedom. All of these areas are vital to building and sustaining a school library program that enhances and encourages student achievement, as well as to providing enhanced services to students and faculty. This revised edition of The Many Faces of School Library Leadership offers invaluable insights from recognized leaders in the field of school librarianship that detail leadership roles embraced by accomplished practitioners and consider the research regarding best practices. An essential read for practicing school librarians as well as for pre-service school librarians, it offers today's school librarians actionable advice for strengthening their roles, underlining their value, and protecting their future—all while boosting student learning and achievement. The expert guidance and perspectives in this book will bolster those who are facing enormous challenges to meet them and allow school library staff to protect their jobs and to save school library programs from extinction.

Practicing librarians and library educators demonstrate the power of inquiry to achieve the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and promote school librarians as key partners in implementing this type of critical teaching and learning in K-12 schools. With the adoption of the CCSS in most of the nation's schools, educators and administrators at K-12 schools have a pressing need to find the best ways to implement these rigorous and comprehensive standards that challenge students to understand informational text and digital content at increasing levels of complexity. This text provides faculty with much-needed support in achieving this critical goal, thoroughly describing inquiry learning and how it links to the CCSS. The authors-nearly 30 contributors total, comprising librarians, library media specialists, educational leaders, teachers from the kindergarten level to college professors, and administrators, each with direct experience and knowledge regarding the subject matter-explain how the standards' emphasis on in-depth investigation and evidence-based reading and writing skills dovetail perfectly with inquiry-based learning initiatives. Acclaimed thought leaders such as Jean Donham, Kristin Fontischiaro, Leslie Maniotes, and Barbara Stripling clearly define and illuminate the librarian's role in school initiatives today and share lesson plans that have been proven effective in actual practice. Features a foreword by Allison Zmuda, former public high school teacher, renowned education consultant, president of Competent Classroom, member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), and author of numerous publications about learning, including Breaking Free from Myths about Teaching and Learning Defines and elaborates on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as they relate to inquiry learning Describes the role of the school librarian in implementing the CCSS and inquiry learning in the school Introduces examples of inquiry-focused learning approaches, including guided inquiry design and project-based learning Provides lesson plans that will spark more practical ideas for inquiry-based instruction that address the CCSS

Presenting examples of school librarians leading professional learning in numerous contexts and for diverse learning goals with remarkable success, this book will inspire other practitioners to initiate and refine professional learning in their schools and districts. School administrators are recognizing that school librarians are ideal to lead professional development because they service the entire school network, from the students and faculty to families and the community. As a national downturn in educational funding is diminishing districts' ability to optimally staff libraries, investing energy in professional development is a sound strategy to bring information literacy skills to every student-especially in buildings with part-time librarians, or districts with only a single librarian of record. Growing Schools: Librarians as Professional Developers stands apart from other works as the first book that directly addresses the potential role of the school librarian as a staff developer. Within the chapters, the authors relate their professional development journeys, collectively representing experience within K-12 public and private institutions, district and regional units, and universities across the United States and Canada. The work provides various approaches to professional development with a range of processes and techniques that have been proven effective in different contexts and in achieving diverse learning goals. Practitioners at the building and district levels as well as school principals, state and district personnel, and library educators will find this book insightful and instructive.

In this book, theory is blended with practical application to provide a concise, up-to-date explanation of how school librarians can work with students and teachers to assess for learning in 21st century schools. Coauthors Harada and Yoshina authored the first text that focused on learning assessment in a school library context. In this revised and expanded version of Assessing for Learning: Librarians and Teachers as Partners, they continue to shed light on the issue of school librarians helping students to assess for learning. The book begins with a brief discussion of national reform efforts and the importance of assessment for effective learning within this context. The balance of the book provides numerous strategies and tools for involving students as well as library media specialists in assessment activities, emphasizing the importance of students assessing for their own learning. It also provides specific examples of how assessment can be incorporated into various library-related learning activities. All chapters in this second edition have been updated with additional information, and three new chapters on assessing for critical thinking, dispositions, and tech-related learning have been added.

Zmuda and Harada explore the increasing number of job descriptions in schools for learning specialists with the accompanying difficulty in effectively leveraging these roles to positively affect student learning. School librarians have been one of these learning specialists for decades. The ranks have expanded in recent years to include many other content area specialists. Grant Wiggins' foreword emphasizes the relevance of learning specialists is grounded in their ability to deliver results on mission-critical measures. This title incorporates quotations, exemplars, and findings from experts in both mainstream and librarian-focused education literature in an inclusive approach making the text accessible and credible for any leader charged with improving the system's ability for improved student achievement. There are an increasing number of job descriptions in schools for learning specialists - certified teachers with specialized areas of expertise whose job it is to improve student performance. While these positions are attractive ideas in theory, there are real challenges in effectively leveraging such roles to positively affect student learning. School librarians have been one of these learning specialists for decades. The ranks have expanded in recent years to include reading specialists, literacy coaches, writing coaches, technology specialists, mathematics specialists, science specialists, and teachers of English Language Learners. References included throughout the book incorporate quotations, exemplars, and findings from experts in both mainstream and librarian-focused education literature. This inclusive approach makes the text accessible and credible for any leader charged with improving the system's ability for improved student achievement. Grant Wiggins' foreword emphasizes the premise that the relevance of learning specialists is grounded in their ability to deliver results on mission-critical measures.

This is the book that high school media specialists have been asking for! Finally, a project-based approach to student learning in high school featuring the school library media specialist in a starring leadership role in the school improvement process! This is the book that high school media specialists have been asking for! Finally, a project-based approach to student learning in high school featuring the school library media specialist in a starring leadership role in the school improvement process! * Includes how-to directions for project-based learning for high school students * Find scientifically-based research incorporated into actual practice * See both theory and practice in active collaboration to bring authentic examples of the school media specialist's leadership role in school improvement * Use the best rubrics and plans you can ever imagine today with your students and teachers Experienced and award-winning librarians collaborate to bring you the book you need to employ best practices with high school students. It is all here in this book-the why, the what, and the how. Allow these wise authors to affirm what the school librarian knows: that collaborating with teachers to guide high school students in inquiry-based learning is an effective practice. Watch learning soar as students are deeply engaged in their meaningful school work.

Begin a school-wide movement toward collaborative instruction and ultimate student success! Challenge yourself and teachers to build learning environments that focus on realistic issues and themes. Build a strong case for the role of the library media specialist in implementing curriculum changes.