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MIDDLE SCHOOLS PROVIDE MAIN REASONS FOR HIGH LIBRARY BOOK CIRCULATION By Jack Humphrey Middle Grades Reading Network |
The Southern Regional Education Board at its
15
th
Annual Staff Development Conference in Atlanta on
July 10-13 provided 7000 participants with a comprehensive improvement
framework to improve middle schools. One
of its goals for middle schools is that students read 25 or more books or
equivalents a year.
A survey of 173 Indiana middle schools in May 2000 revealed that the average
school had 618 students and circulated 11,240 books, or 18.2 books per student,
for the year.
The 43 middle schools in the top 25 percent had an average circulation of 35.2 books per student.The 43 middle
schools in the bottom 25 percent circulated 5.4 books per student.
The 43 schools in the top 25 percent were asked to list the main reasons why their library circulation was in the highest quartile of Indiana middle schools. The results were tabulated, and the ten main reasons they reported for high library book circulation are:
Other reasons included close contact with the public library; displaying new books; support for reading program from principal, families, and community; special collections by topics and reading levels; and expenditures for books well beyond the minimum required by the state.