Successful School Librarian Stories from the Land Of Smiles

2018 ◽  
pp. 386-390
Author(s):  
Wanpen Asakit
Keyword(s):  
School Librarian ◽  
Successful School

scholarly journals Using Your Outside Voice: Action Research Speaks for the School Librarian

2021 ◽  
pp. 372-385
Author(s):  
Jennifer Robins
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
School Library ◽  
School Librarian ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Careful Planning ◽  
Reflective Process ◽  
Reflective Practitioners ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Successful School

Successful school library programs occur through careful planning and reflection. School librarians who are reflective practitioners observe how learning occurs in the library and the classroom and consider ways to improve it. They consult research and collaborate with teachers so students are more successful. This reflective process is improved when it is applied in a systematic way, through action research. With action research, reflection is based on evidence, using data collected by the practitioner.This study presents cumulative outcomes from 156 action research projects conducted by 39 school librarians. It also includes results from a follow-up survey completed by 19 of the 39 school librarians that demonstrates how conducting action research affects their sense of professional efficacy.

Successful leadership in a rural, high-poverty school: the case of County Line Middle School

2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 422-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans W. Klar ◽  
Curtis A. Brewer
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Leadership Strategies ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Principalship ◽  
Successful School

Purpose – In this paper, the authors present a case study of successful school leadership at County Line Middle School. The purpose of the paper is to identify how particular leadership practices and beliefs were adapted to increase student achievement in this rural, high-poverty school in the southeastern USA. Design/methodology/approach – After purposefully selecting this school, the authors adapted interview protocols, questionnaires, and analysis frameworks from the International Successful School Principalship Project to develop a multi-perspective case study of principal leadership practices at the school. Findings – The findings illustrate the practices which led to students at this school, previously the lowest-performing in the district, achieving significantly higher on state standardized tests, getting along “like a family,” and regularly participating in service learning activities and charity events. A particularly interesting finding was how the principal confronted the school's negative self-image and adapted common leadership practices to implement a school-wide reform that suited its unique context. Research limitations/implications – While the findings of the study explicate the specific ways the principal adapted leadership strategies to enhance student learning, this study also highlights the need to understand how principals become familiar with their community's needs, cultures, norms, and values, and exercise leadership in accordance with them. Practical implications – The case offers an example of the need for context-responsive leadership in schools. In particular, it illustrates how this principal enacted leadership strategies that successfully negotiated what Woods (2006) referred to as the changing politics of the rural. To realize this success, the principal utilized his understanding of this low income, rural community to guide his leadership practices. Critically, part of this understanding included the ways the community was connected to and isolated from dominant sub-urban and urban societies, and how to build enthusiasm and capacity through appeals to local values. Originality/value – While it is widely acknowledged that school leaders need to consider their school and community contexts when making leadership decisions, less research has focussed on understanding how this can be achieved. This case provides rich examples of how this was accomplished in a rural, high-poverty middle school.

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