I thought that I could add this as an addenda to my other post!
In my school, ISAT test scores as well as IOWA test scores are available =
to everyone on our staff. If classroom teachers don't share info or are =
not sure of a student's ability, I can check scores. I often do this when =
working with teachers to plan activities. Just to make sure that I have =
adequate material for the activity. If not, I can contact some of the =
elementary schools to borrow books that are appropriate and "beef" up our =
collection.
Readingly yours,
Chris
Christine L. Evans, librarian
Library/Media Center
Barrington Middle School - Station
cevans@cusd220.lake.k12.il.us
847-381-0464
>>> Chris Evans <cevans@CUSD220.LAKE.K12.IL.US> 07/09/04 17:14 PM >>>
Debbie, =3D20
I read the response of the Library Department Manager and his story/concern=
=3D
has merit. But.... I still believe that my (and every librarian's) time =
=3D
is better spent collaborating with teachers and familiariing myself with =
=3D
the students' abilities rather than leveling all of the books. It's my =
=3D
job as a professional to know my collection and make sure that we have =3D
materials available for all readers -- especially when it comes to making =
=3D
sure we have materials that satisfy assignments for teachers' assignments. =
=3D
=3D20
Coming from a classroom of 28 years to be a LMS, I knew my students' =3D
abilities and asked the librarian to help some of my students locate the =
=3D
"perfect" books for them. That's what I do now. My colleagues are great =
=3D
and trust me to recommend appropriate materials.
No student..... especially in high school.... should carry around a book =
=3D
that marks that child as a poor or below grade level reader. If each of =
=3D
us are doing our jobs, students will not have to be embarrassed by be =3D
"marked" by their book choice!
Readingly yours,
Chris
Christine L. Evans, librarian
Library/Media Center
Barrington Middle School - Station
cevans@cusd220.lake.k12.il.us
847-381-0464
>>> Debbie Hall <debhall@SWBELL.NET> 07/09/04 15:17 PM >>>
Our district is looking into using Lexile data to help students who are =
=3D
=3D3D
not reading on grade level. I shared some of the e-mails from thread on =
=3D
=3D3D
Lexiles with our Library Department Manager, Mr. Jim Hundemer. Most of =
=3D
=3D3D
the comments that I shared were fairly negative. Mr. Hundemer asked that =
=3D
=3D3D
I share his viewpoint with you.=3D3D20
A Response to Target: Lexiles
=3D3D20
On a recent visit to one of our high school libraries I was visiting =3D3D
with the librarian and she related to me the following incident. A =3D3D
young man had finished his assignment and had his head down on the table =
=3D
=3D3D
so she went over to the shelves, selected a book she thought might =3D3D
interest him and gave it to him to read. He opened the book and began =
=3D3D
to read. About 10 minutes later he threw the book across the room and =
=3D3D
walked out of the library and left the campus. The next day she saw the =
=3D
=3D3D
student and asked him what "that" was all about. He said, "You gave me =
=3D
=3D3D
book I can't read." The student was a junior and she had given him a =
=3D3D
book that she felt any high school student could read and was a popular =
=3D
=3D3D
title. She later discovered that he is reading at the 5th grade level. =
=3D
=3D3D
She also found out this student had been abandoned by his mother and was =
=3D
=3D3D
sleeping on the streets. This is just one of the realities facing an =3D3D
urban school system that challenges our librarians. =3D3D20
=3D3D20
I asked the librarian later about how she found out about the reading =
=3D3D
levels of her students and of the over 2,500 kids on her campus, how =3D3D
many of them did she know. She said that she would know if she worked =
=3D3D
on a project with the student or the teacher shared the information if =
=3D3D
the teacher knew it. She said that she only knew the reading levels of =
=3D
=3D3D
the students that used the library on a regular basis, and that =3D3D
represented only about a fourth of all students.
=3D3D20
This got me wondering how serious a problem this might be so I contacted =
=3D
=3D3D
the "best of the best" librarians in my district, elementary, middle, =
=3D3D
and high school, and asked if they knew the reading levels of their =3D3D
students. Even librarians with 500 students at an elementary school =3D3D
said that they knew maybe half of the students reading levels. All =3D3D
shared that there were many students that were not reading anything =3D3D
especially in middle and high school. We have severe academic =3D3D
deficiencies in this large, urban school system and the data clearly =3D3D
points to poor reading skills. In talking with teachers, they face =3D3D
reading levels all across the board and they indicated having reading =
=3D3D
level data for all of their students would be very helpful.
=3D3D20
I determined to do something about this and the first task is to get =3D3D
reading levels for 212,000 students. The best way is to use a test that =
=3D
=3D3D
all of our students had taken and that is the SAT 10 test. I will =3D3D
receive lexile scores for every student in the district. I am =3D3D
challenging all of my librarians to know the reading level of every =3D3D
child in their buildings, and to help them select books that are =3D3D
appropriate and on a subject that interests them. I am really concerned =
=3D
=3D3D
about students that are not reading anything. If a student is a reader =
=3D
=3D3D
I don't care what he or she is reading. There should be no restrictions. =
=3D
=3D3D
Test/Don't test-that is not the focus. Further, I am working to =3D3D
automate the entire process so librarians don't have to label any book =
=3D3D
in the library. The student lexile information will be in the student =
=3D3D
record of the library automation system that we use. I am also working =
=3D
=3D3D
with our automation vendor to match lexiled books with lexile scores of =
=3D
=3D3D
our children. The student will put in their student I.D. and click on =
=3D3D
"Give Me Five Books" or something like that, and seamlessly the books =
=3D3D
will appear on the screen. The books will be at lexile level, above and =
=3D
=3D3D
below. If he or she doesn't like the selection, the student can ask for =
=3D
=3D3D
another group to look at. I want to challenge all of my librarians to =
=3D3D
ensure that every child in our system is reading and to help them become =
=3D
=3D3D
better readers. The librarian will become the true partner with the =3D3D
principal and the staff to improve reading on the campus for ALL =3D3D
children. Too many children are dropping through the cracks and nobody =
=3D3D
is doing any thing about it.=3D3D20
=3D3D20
Now, why lexiles. Our state has adopted the use of lexiles as a measure =
=3D
=3D3D
determined from the results of our statewide test, the TAKS. I refer you =
=3D
=3D3D
to the Texas Education Agency's website and the letter of endorsement =
=3D3D
from Deputy Commissioner, Susan Barnes. So with the state signed on it =
=3D3D
seemed logical to continue with lexiles. I looked at the website for =
=3D3D
lexiles, www.lexile.com, and it made it very clear that the Lexile =3D3D
Framework has been designed to determine the degree to which a reader =
=3D3D
can access the text-it places a reader and text on the same scale. The =
=3D3D
website further states, "The student's interests, parental views on what =
=3D
=3D3D
constitutes age-appropriate material and teacher's instructional aims =
=3D3D
are also vital issues in managing a reader's growth." Lexiles are just =
=3D
=3D3D
another tool to help with the reading experience. The various grade =3D3D
levels that are assigned refer to text demand at each level, not what is =
=3D
=3D3D
recommended for each grade, and gives me and 276 libraries, staffed by =
=3D3D
almost 300 librarians, a way to get a handle on this and help all of our =
=3D
=3D3D
students. The whole idea is to make our readers better readers, to get =
=3D3D
our non readers reading, and to help librarians make a better match for =
=3D
=3D3D
those students that need the help. In the future, I look forward to our =
=3D
=3D3D
students having lexiled databases and textbooks as additional resources.
=3D3D20
So if you are a librarian in a school district where everyone is reading =
=3D
=3D3D
don't stop doing anything you are doing. Just buy more books.
=3D3D20
Jim Hundemer
Manager,
Library Services
Houston Independent School District
jhundeme@houstonisd.org
Deborah A. Hall
Library Technology Supervisor
Houston ISD
debhall@swbell.net
http://www.hisdlibraryservices.org
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