Colter Elementary School, Wyoming Snapshot Day 2016
The numbers are in: the results of the Wyoming School Library Survey 2016-17 have been released and may be found on the WSL library statistics page.
Annually, the Wyoming State Library conducts a voluntary survey of school libraries to collect basic information on staffing, budgets, student use of the library and other measures. A large body of research has shown that a strong school library program—with sufficient staffing, collections and budget—is associated with higher student test scores.
The response rate for this year’s survey was lower than in 2015-16. Part of the decline may be because of budget and staffing cuts that have left many school libraries without certified librarians. Collecting instructional time continues to be a challenge, as the data provided is often inconsistent with the amount of library media specialist staffing reported by the Wyoming Department of Education. This year, the question on planning time was dropped and the question on instructional time was clarified to define it as formal teaching time.
Questions about the survey, or about other school library issues, may be directed to Paige Bredenkamp, WSL School Library Consultant, at paige.bredenkamp@wyo.gov or (307) 777-6331.