What is The Special Commission on School Library Services in Massachusetts?
This Commission, charged by the Joint Legislative Committee on Education in 2014, set out to use a specific set of measures to determine if school library services and resources were equitable for all students in Massachusetts public schools. The Commission worked with researchers from the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL) at Rutgers University to conduct a rigorous study to
assess equity of access in public schools, and was comprised of:
The study and the Commission’s recommendations based on its findings was published as The Massachusetts School Library Study: Equity and Access for Students in the Commonwealth, and was provided to the Legislature in February 2018.
The Researchers Who Supported, Designed and Conducted the Study
Dr. Carol A. Gordon, Ed.D., Principal, Gordon Consulting
Dr. Robin Cicchetti, Ed.D., Head Librarian, Concord-Carlisle Regional High School Library
Dr. Ross J. Todd, Ph.D. Director, CISSL
Xaiofeng Li, Doctoral Candidate, CISSL Scholar
The School Librarians of the Commonwealth who participated in the study
Members of the Massachusetts Legislature
Representative Sean Garballey, Sponsor of the Commission
Kenneth Donnelly, [1950-2017] Sponsor the Commission
Representative David Vieira
Senator Donald F. Humason, Jr.
Special Commission on School Libraries in Massachusetts
Maureen Ambrosino, Westboro Public Library Director, Massachusetts Library Association
Kendall Boninti, School Librarian, Massachusetts School Library Association
Dan Callahan, Training and Professional Learning Specialist, Massachusetts Teachers Association
Laura Carah, Sturgis Charter School, Hyannis, Massachusetts
J.D. Cheslaw, Boston Business Round
George Comeau, Esq., Commissioner, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Laura Koenig, Children's Services Team Leader, Boston Public Library, Massachusetts School Library Association
Jonathan Landman, Teaching and Learning, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Judith Marcella, Assessment Publication and Records Specialist, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Frank Murphy, Esq., Commissioner, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Judi Paradis, School Librarian, Massachusetts School Library Association
Greg Pronevitz, Executive Director, Massachusetts Library System
Mary Rose Quinn, Head of Programs, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Carole Shutzer, School Librarian, American Federation of Teachers
Geoff Swett, Division VII Chair, Massachusetts Association of School Committees
Dr. Mitchell D. Chester, [1952-2017] Commissioner of Education, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Senator Cindy Freeman
Alida Hansen, Copy Editor
Ryan Justice, Aide to Representative Garballey
Derek Keenan, Aide to Representative Garballey
James M. Lonergan, Director, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Shelagh Peoples, Psychometric Coordinator, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Chris Power, Communications Director for Senator Donald F. Humason
John Rosenberry, Aide to Sean Garballey
Mary Rose Quinn, Head of State Programs, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Liz Phipps Soiero, Legislative Liaison, Massachusetts School Library Association
Kendra Winner, Research and Evaluation Coordinator, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Jeff Wulfson, Acting Commissioner of Education, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
The Commission acknowledges the contributions of the following:
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate, and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth. The nine MBLC commissioners set policy and conduct official business. The MBLC staff administers a wide array of statewide programs and services for libraries and residents. The Special School Library Commission included MBLC representatives.https://mblc.state.ma.us/ -
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education [DESE].
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education aims “To strengthen the Commonwealth’s public education system so that every student is prepared to succeed in postsecondary education, compete in the global economy, and understand the rights and responsibilities of American citizens, and in so doing, to close all proficiency gaps.” Its work includes; Strengthen standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment; Promote educator development; Support social-emotional learning, health, and safety; Turn around the lowest performing districts and schools; and Enhance resource allocation and data use. http://www.doe.mass.edu/commissioner/default.html -
Massachusetts Library System [MLS] is a state-supported collaborative, that fosters cooperation, communication, innovation, and sharing among member libraries of all types, e.g., school, public, academic, and other libraries. The MLS promotes equitable access to excellent library services and resources for all who live, work, or study in Massachusetts. MLS Services include online magazines, encyclopedias, newspapers, books, physical delivery, interlibrary loan, training, consulting, and cooperative purchasing. http://www.masslibsystem.org
Massachusetts School Library Association [MSLA] works to ensure every school has a school library program that is fully integrated at all grade levels across the curriculum and has a significant and measurable impact on student achievement. MSLA promotes school librarian leadership and school library programs that provide resources, instruction, and opportunities for collaboration that maximize student learning. Board Members provided support with distribution and promotion of the survey. http://www.maschoollibraries.org
Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey [CISSL]. CISSL is the leading international center dedicated to school libraries worldwide, provides an arena for the international community of school library scholars and practitioners to generate, produce, and share a substantial body of rigorous research on the dynamics and impacts of school libraries on student learning. CISSL enables the adoption, adaptation, and transformation of systematic research to practice. The center provides professional development that supports the implementation of research findings to the learning-centered practice of school libraries. At the foundation of the center’s planning is a strong financial foundation that supports its short and long-term research and research-to-practice agenda. http://cissl.rutgers.edu/ -