Bill Text: PA HR987 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging the State Board of Education with the Department of Education to conduct a study of the Commonwealth's public school library services for students in kindergarten through grade 12, measuring and comparing access to print and electronic resources, professional support and instruction in the use of information and research among this Commonwealth's public school entities and evaluating how funding and resources are allocated for school library services in relation to student and community circumstances.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-10-05 - Adopted [HR987 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HR987-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 4440
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 987 Session of2010
INTRODUCED BY LONGIETTI, OCTOBER 5, 2010
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, OCTOBER 5, 2010
A RESOLUTION
Urging the State Board of Education with the Department of
Education to conduct a study of the Commonwealth's public
school library services for students in kindergarten through
grade 12, measuring and comparing access to print and
electronic resources, professional support and instruction in
the use of information and research among this Commonwealth's
public school entities and evaluating how funding and
resources are allocated for school library services in
relation to student and community circumstances.
WHEREAS, Up-to-date school libraries include printed
materials, computers and technology, video and audio materials,
research tools and professional instruction and support for
students; and
WHEREAS, Effective school libraries include a variety of
instructional and educational programs designed to meet the
needs of all students, including gifted students, students with
disabilities, English as a second language students, students in
poverty and students from different racial and cultural
backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, Students and teachers need high-quality school
library services and related educational resources in order to
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meet this Commonwealth's academic standards for research and
learning in all core academic subjects, specifically addressing
competencies in Pennsylvania's Standards Aligned System that
require students to be able to "analyze and evaluate information
from a variety of sources for relevance to the research
question, topic or thesis"; and
WHEREAS, In a study of this Commonwealth's school libraries
conducted in 1999-2000, a significant correlation between
Pennsylvania System of School Assessment reading test scores of
students and schools with quality school library programs and
staffing proved the impact of school libraries on improved
student achievement; and
WHEREAS, Similar studies in 19 other states conducted over
the past 16 years have supported the findings of this
Commonwealth's study and demonstrated the role that school
libraries play in student learning; and
WHEREAS, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has
identified information, media and technology skills necessary
"to ensure that students emerge from our schools with the skills
needed to be effective citizens, workers and leaders in the 21st
century"; and
WHEREAS, Not all of this Commonwealth's students attend a
public school that has a school library, and this is
particularly true in impoverished rural and urban communities
with larger numbers of at-risk children; and
WHEREAS, Access to and instruction by a certified school
librarian is also nonexistent in many schools or limited in
school districts where librarians serve in multiple buildings,
thus reducing hours the school library is open and available to
students and teachers; and
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WHEREAS, This Commonwealth does not have any requirements for
public schools to operate a school library or to have certified
staffing, although the Public School Code does require school
libraries and staffing for private schools; and
WHEREAS, This Commonwealth does not provide or require
dedicated funding for school library services, such as New York,
which provides $6.25 per student for school library resources
and, therefore, this Commonwealth is at a disadvantage compared
to neighboring states, a disadvantage which results in school
library resources and school library conditions that vary widely
across this Commonwealth; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education with the
Department of Education be urged to conduct a study of public
school library resources and services in this Commonwealth for
students in kindergarten through grade 12, measuring and
comparing funding, facilities, access to print and electronic
resources, professional support and programming and instruction
in the use of information and research among this Commonwealth's
public schools and districts and evaluating how these elements
are allocated in relation to student and community
circumstances, such as poverty, disability, race and English
language ability; and be it further
RESOLVED, That, in addition, the study is urged to include an
analysis of the following for this Commonwealth, measured and
quantified, when possible, per student, per school, per district
and Statewide:
(1) The number of public schools without a centralized
school library collection in the building under the
administration of a certified school librarian assigned full
time to that building.
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(2) The ratio of certified school librarians to
students.
(3) The assignment of other support staffs to work in
school libraries, the number of such other staffs and their
qualifications.
(4) The number of hours that students have access to the
school library in their building per day.
(5) The amount of up-to-date and useful print and
electronic resources to which students and teachers have
access through school library services.
(6) The average age and condition of books and
technology in school libraries.
(7) The amount of funding from all sources being spent
annually over the past ten years for school library resources
and services.
(8) The availability of up-to-date, functional,
Internet-connected computers for student use in school
libraries.
(9) The kinds of other library services and programs
provided by school libraries to support students and
teachers.
(10) Additional aspects of school libraries related to
the overall purpose of this study;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Commonwealth libraries provide available
support for this study as requested by the State Board of
Education with the Department of Education; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education with the
Department of Education be urged to request the assistance of
the following organizations in conducting this study: the
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Education Committee of the Senate, the Education Committee of
the House of Representatives, the Pennsylvania School Librarians
Association, the Pennsylvania State Education Association and
the Pennsylvania Federation of Teachers; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education with the
Department of Education be urged to provide recommendations
necessary or desirable to improve and update public school
library resources, services and facilities for all students in
this Commonwealth, including recommendations for appropriate
levels of resources, staffing and hours of access; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education with the
Department of Education be urged to provide recommendations
necessary or desirable to provide all students with the school
library resources, facilities, programs and instruction to
enable them to become successful readers, learners, researchers
and consumers and producers of information; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education with the
Department of Education be urged to provide recommendations
necessary or desirable to address school library inequities or
insufficiencies affecting disadvantaged students and
communities; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education with the
Department of Education be urged to conduct at least three
public roundtables to receive input about a draft of the study
and its recommendations; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education with the
Department of Education be urged to report to the House of
Representatives the result of its study and recommendations
regarding the status of this Commonwealth's school libraries and
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student access to them and file the report with the Chief Clerk
of the House of Representatives no later than June 30, 2011.
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