[CALIBK12] HIT: AR matching service & arguments against AR

Mon Dec 8 16:43:12 PST 2008

All that said, and I agree with George on many points, especially the
disincentive that can occur when AR points are used as a club on kids,
we have found reading programs to be fairly benign or positive in their
impact in SAUSD.  Many principals DO buy LOTS of books for AR which go
into our libraries. It's odd to me, but they find money for library
books when there's a quiz somewhere in the picture, even if the quiz is
only used for a short time or in a limited way. Often the software is
used aggressively for a year or two and then languishes when the initial
"implementer" moves on, leaving the books behind.  In other cases, the
program is implemented well, with flexibility and compassion as it has
been by our stellar Santa Ana High School Librarian, Marilyn Frenz.
SAHS's reading scores are always higher than district average and we
give Marilyn the credit - in public and out loud, whenever possible. Why
not turn this into good PR for libraries? My feeling is that reading
motivation programs make principals feel good so it's better to be on
board and "spin" the programs in ways that we know support the research
than to refuse to cooperate. 

Maggie Barnes
District Librarian
Santa Ana Unified School District
1601 E. Chestnut Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-480-4784, x74784
margaret.barnes at sausd.us

-----Original Message-----
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
[mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Pilling, George
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 4:24 PM
To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] HIT: AR matching service & arguments against AR

I, too, am mostly opposed to AR. But it is being forced on us by
teachers who have been sold a bill of goods by Renaissance Learning
("This is the solution that will fix all the reading problems") Our
principals are buying in, too, even though they don't have money or
sometimes space for libraries (How can you even use AR if there are no
books?) I always tell them about the research against it, the huge
hidden costs, etc. until they no longer ask me. We are not interested in
research unless it already supports what we want to do... Ultimately,
though, I have to support my library clerks who are caught in the
middle. The Marc Magician service matches the books and adds the 526
fields needed in the records, plus it provides labels for every book - a
huge time saver for my already overworked library staff.

Save the Children has given Enterprise AR to 4 schools in Visalia, plus
some money for books. Who is pushing them into ignoring the research? 

That said, when AR is used minimally and not as a total reading program,
it does get some kids reading who have never read much before. I have
seen kids who did not like to read (i.e. weren't good enough at it to
enjoy it) become good readers with the little spur that the competitive
nature of AR gives them. I have seen just as many frustrated by the
restrictions of AR and refuse to read anything, just fake it through the
tests. 

I work in a district where there are no site-level Teacher Librarians,
so there is often no one to recommend and promote good books. In
California it is not required to know anything about children's books to
become a teacher - as a result most teachers are ignorant of anything to
recommend to their students. We have acquired these "incentive" programs
because we have removed all other possible incentives for reading. 

George Pilling
District Library Media Supervisor
Visalia Unified School District
5000 W. Cypress Avenue
Visalia  CA  93277

(559) 730-7349
FAX (559) 730-7693
gpilling at visalia.k12.ca.us
http://visalia.k12.ca.us/library
www.tucolib.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
[mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Kelly Sunderman
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 3:38 PM
To: skrashen at yahoo.com; calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] HIT: AR matching service & arguments against AR

I would be very interested in this information.  I am very concerned
about the way AR is managed at my site.  I am constantly recommending
titles to students for their AR book, only to have them then check the
list, realize it's not the "right" level, and dejectedly put it back on
the shelf only to pick a book at a higher level that is of no interest
to them.  I hate that my conversations about books with kids have to
begin with, "What level does it have to be?"  I have shared this
information with my colleagues, but it doesn't seem to have an impact on
the way they structure their AR requirements.  Perhaps some data would
help.

-----Original Message-----
From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
[mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Stephen Krashen
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 2:32 PM
To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: [CALIBK12] HIT: AR matching service & arguments against AR

I hope schools are also interested in at least looking at the extensive
counterarguments and data against AR, which I will be happy to repost.

--- On Mon, 12/8/08, Pilling, George <GPilling at visalia.k12.ca.us> wrote:

> From: Pilling, George <GPilling at visalia.k12.ca.us>
> Subject: [CALIBK12] HIT: AR matching service
> To: "Calib listserve" <calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu>
> Date: Monday, December 8, 2008, 2:26 PM Any schools that have AR, 
> especially if you have recently adopted it will be interested in this 
> service.
> Marc magician www.mitinet.com will match up to 25,000 library records 
> and add to them AR levels and points - as part of your reasonably 
> priced subscription to this excellent tool.
> So - in addition to providing MARC records for almost any library 
> materials - videos and CDs included - and giving you a way to easily 
> manipulate large batches of records, they have another bargain 
> service.
>
> George Pilling
> District Library Media Supervisor
> Visalia Unified School District
> 5000 W. Cypress Avenue
> Visalia  CA  93277
>
> (559) 730-7349
> FAX (559) 730-7693
> gpilling at visalia.k12.ca.us
> http://visalia.k12.ca.us/library
> www.tucolib.net <http://www.tucolib.net/>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CALIBK12 site list
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>
> For information about the Calibk12 listserve, please visit 
> http://www.calibk12.net.

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