Today school library media specialists operate in an environment of daily challenges and controversies. "No Child Left Behind" established mandates that all educators are scrambling to meet. No matter how people feel about the way the legislation is being carried out, it is difficult to argue against its purpose--that all educators must…

The author's school had just been labeled a failing school by No Child Left Behind when its new principal arrived in the fall of 2007. In this demoralizing climate, teachers can get frustrated and choose to give up, or they can rise to the challenge, create a plan for improvement, and plunge into uncharted waters. This article discusses how the…

American education is failing many students, but especially students of color, from low-income families, with disabilities or those who have limited English proficiency. These students are the focus of "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), the 2001 revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), which was signed into law…

This book provides an in-depth exploration of the topics that are currently relevant in K-12 curricula, including the school librarian's role in dealing with these issues, collaborating with teachers, and connecting to classrooms. The role and responsibilities of the library media specialist in the 21st century continue to expand. Since the…

The national guidelines for school library media programs clearly establish that the goal of the school library media specialist is to provide an instructional program that helps students and faculty become efficient and effective users of information. Along with running the library at a technical level as the program administrator, the school…

Collaboration between classroom teachers and library media specialists will help overcome problems of increasing workload faced by teachers, students and parents in the aftermath of the No Child Left Behind program. One such experiment resulted in transforming a tedious assignment into an exciting and memorable project.

Library media specialists can help achieve several goals of the No Child Left Behind Act. Of particular importance is helping students to achieve high test scores, as this would influence the level of federal funds meted out to schools.

Discusses the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the role of the school library media specialist in keeping the school district informed about the new federal education legislation and funding opportunities. Suggests seven steps to become familiar with the law; describes the ten titles within the law; and lists additional resources. (LRW)

The Improving Literacy through School Libraries (LSL) Program was established by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 under Title I, Part A, Subpart 4 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The purpose of the program is to improve the literacy skills and academic achievement of students by providing them with increased access to…

Teacher-librarians are awash in data. Studies on the impact of school library programs on student achievement have now been replicated in 12 states (more are in the works) with amazingly consistent results, these are added to studies dating from the early 1960s that support the importance of school library programs to student achievement and the…

Calls for proper assessment of students' abilities are on the rise in the U.S. and the No Child Left Behind Act is one example of the efforts undertaken at the state and national level. The role of library media specialists in the authentic assessment of students where they perform tasks that demonstrate their grasp of essential knowledge and…

From accountability to scientifically based research to adequate yearly progress, the No Child Left Behind Act has had educators scrambling to understand and comply with its daunting regulations. Although President Bush's education reform law is written with teachers in mind, media specialists have an equally important role to play in improving…

No Child Left Behind and state testing mandate the study of government officials, at local, state, and federal levels, in judicial, legislative, and executive branches. At Wattles Elementary School in Troy, Michigan, test scores indicated that this was a weak area--not surprising since this always has been primarily a high school subject. In this…

Meeting the demanding requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) falls most heavily on the school principal. A variety of credible studies prove that schools with good library programs have students who do better academically as measured by standardized test scores. Administrators may not be aware that they have a powerful ally in the school…

In 1997, the National Institute of Child Health Development, under the direction of Congress and the Secretary of Education, created the National Reading Panel to study scientifically based reading research. The Reading First initiative under President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act focused on five of the panel's research topics: phonemic…