New York's high performing schools spend more on school
library materials to achieve better results
- Large gaps in performance between students in high and low-need districts exist.
- High-need schools rely heavily on State School Library Materials Aid to provide library materials to students.
- The Court of Appeals decision in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case determined adequate school libraries to be part of a “sound, basic education” and recommended funding for up-to-date school libraries as one means of achieving equitable access to a basic education for students in low-income communities.
- The average age of books in school libraries ranges from 21 to 25 years old across the six regions of the state surveyed, with the average book year being 1986.
- There is a strong positive correlation between student achievement on standardized assessments and fully funded school library media programs.
School libraries improve educational outcomes:
The impact of school libraries on student performance is well researched. Studies show:
- Students in schools with good school libraries get better grades and score higher on standardized tests than those in schools without libraries.
- School libraries with strong collections and Internet access raise student reading scores by 10% - 20%.
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