In a climate of increased interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), school libraries have unique opportunities to grow collections and cultivate partnerships in the sciences. At the federal level and in many states, STEM initiatives encourage hands-on exposure to technologies and open the door for student-led discovery of…

This study attempts to investigate the stakeholders' perceptions of quality and prospective improvements in the learning resources centres (LRC) at Omani basic education schools. It focuses on different aspects of the LRCs: organisation, human resources, technological, and educational aspects along with the difficulties faced by these LRCs and…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to improve the academic success of students through the utilization of differentiated teaching within a specialized Learning Resource Center. The research study site is a private coeducational K-11 school located in Northern Georgia. The school provides motivated and disciplined students with a rigorous…

Assuming the responsibility of ensuring that hundreds or thousands of students obtain the instruction and knowledge that they will need to be successful in life is a serious undertaking. Courageous school principals who accept this challenge are held responsible for providing the organization and leadership that provides the foundation for an…

This study analyzes data collected between 2000 and 2013 from the annual National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) Local Education Agency (School District) Universe Survey; the NCES Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS); and the U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Survey (SAIPE). The findings…

At the request of New Business Item: 89 (NBI: 89) adopted at the 2015 NEA Representative Assembly, this study examines the extent to which students have access to public school library/media centers with qualified staff and up-to-date resources. The study explores trends in library/media center openings and closings as well as staffing patterns…

Over 10 percent of all students in K-12 schools in the United States are English Language Learners (ELLs) today, and, according to the Educational Testing Service, that number is expected to grow to 25 percent by 2025. Much of that growth is happening in communities (and in schools) that do not have a history of large immigrant populations. Given…

Emphasizing the intersection of policy and politics, this paper uses Theda Skocpol's polity-centered approach (1992) to analyze two key moments in the history of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program: (1) 1998, when the program's budget grew from $40 million to $200 million; and (2) 2003, when President Bush attempted to cut…

Between recent threats by a Florida pastor to burn the Quran, the nation's ongoing presence in Afghanistan, and protests at the planned site for Park 51, an Islamic community center and mosque set to be built two blocks from the World Trade Center site, the topic of Islam is a tricky one, especially in K-12 schools, say many educators. For…

This report is intended to give the reader an overview of the Schools and Staffing Survey(SASS) data for the school year 2003-04 through tables of estimates for public, private, and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)-funded schools and their staff. The tables contain estimates from schools, teachers, principals, districts, and school library media…

Presents suggestions for starting a computer software collection that will serve the needs of the curriculum. General software evaluation criteria are provided as well as criteria for three categories of software--tool and utility, drill and practice, and simulation. (MES)

The library program of an independent elementary and secondary school serving 550 students is summarized. (PF)

Presents an evaluation form that library media specialists, teachers, and students can use to rate their school library media center. (WD)

A checklist of furnishings and equipment from guidelines recently published by the Kentucky Department of Education for its Merit Media Program. (Author)

Presents a historical background of the publication of "Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs." Highlights include the histories of the American Library Association (ALA), the National Education Association (NEA), and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT); and a review of…