In fall 2011, LRS analyzed school library staffing data and Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) reading scores over time. The findings indicated that Colorado schools that either maintained or gained an endorsed librarian between 2005 and 2011 tended to have more students scoring advanced in reading in 2011 and fewer students scoring unsatisfactory, compared with schools that either lost their librarians or never had one. In 2011, schools with at least one FTE endorsed librarian averaged significantly higher advanced CSAP reading scores and significantly lower unsatisfactory scores than schools with less than one FTE endorsed librarian. These findings remained significant when controlling for poverty.
These findings and more are discussed in our newest Closer Look Report, “Change in School Librarian Staffing Linked with Change in CSAP Reading Performance, 2005 to 2011.”
~Linda