Area Librarian Receives National Recognition

SPRING HILL - A curious thing has happened at Springstead High School since media specialist Kathleen Hicks implemented the school's Accelerated Reader program.
Reading has become "cool" again.
A library that previously drew disgruntled students working on class assignments has been transformed to a center of bright-eyed teenagers, eager to look for titles by their favorite authors or browse for new books in a series. Students clamor to check out books on their lunch breaks, content to curl up with their favorite novel or discuss the latest plot with friends.
"We have a lot more students reading (than before), with a very significant increase in circulation numbers," Hicks said. "Some students come to high school and tell me they haven't picked up a book in years, but when they start reading something they're interested in, they get captivated by reading."
Hicks recently received national recognition for outstanding support of reading education from Renaissance Learning, a Wisconsin-based company that creates computerized assessments for K-12 schools for the national AR program, implemented in 2005 at Springstead.
"It's a fairly new program at our school, but it's been very successful in encouraging our students to read," Hicks said. "We particularly like it because it allows students to choose books they like and are interested in, as well as books that are at their reading level."
Adopted by more than 72,000 North American schools nationwide - including many schools within the district - students are invited to choose from hundreds of titles to read, as long as it has an AR logo on the binder. The books cover all reading levels, and range from romance novels to science fiction and history.
"The program was formed years ago by parents who wanted to encourage their kids to read," Hicks said. "It's always been based on choice and reading level, rather than grade level, because we want something that shows kids that reading can be fun. Reading is the basis for achievement in all academic areas, so if we can improve (that), they'll do better in all of their classes."
When students are finished reading, they log in to the Web-based AR program and take a short comprehension quiz online. If they pass the quiz, they earn points. Those points then accumulate for prizes and incentives.
"At the end of the semester, students who have scored a certain level on their test are invited to a celebration," Hicks said. "Each student has an individual goal, and some teachers also do incentives throughout the year, with classes competing against each other for ice cream socials or muffin parties. It's very big at our school."
Specifically, Hicks earned the Reading Model Library award, indicating that Hicks' efforts to support teachers have resulted in measurable improvements in student performance at Springstead.
"It's impossible to estimate (how much) reading has gone up, but kids are definitely reading more, and coming back to get more books because they like to read," Hicks said.
To receive Renaissance Library certification, librarians must document that their practices encourage student access to a wide variety of books, as well as supporting reading practice and self-directed learning. The librarian must also be actively working with individual students to meet national recommended standards for reading achievement.
And in doing so, Hicks said she has seen some dramatic changes take place.
"I've had students who haven't been interested in reading come in and go into (a state of) intensive reading," she said. "They get really caught up in a particular series, and suddenly they're getting all the 'star reader' awards and become very proud of their achievements."