Special Education Services for Students in
the
Susan L. Peyton
Southern
Abstract
A review of the
literature regarding special education students’ use of the library media
center suggests that the media center should be viewed as an extension of the
classroom in which students’ access to information is enhanced, particularly in
middle and high school. This study
addresses the services provided to special education students in middle and
high school library media centers in
Introduction
Much research has been conducted on the impact of school
library media centers on academic achievement, particularly standardized test
scores (e.g Loertscher,
1993; Manzo, 2000; Todd, 2003). The impact of media
centers on special education students, however, has not been the focus of as
much attention, although the research does demonstrate that special education
students benefit from a strong school library media center. A key study,
conducted over a 4 year span in
A search of the Educator’s Reference Complete and Ebsco databases revealed limited research on services for
special education students in the library media center in the
Although students at all grade levels benefit from the
library media center, it becomes particularly important for special education
students at the middle and high school levels. Prior to this time, students
primarily receive all of their academic instruction in one classroom;
therefore, additional resources are likely to be provided to them in that
setting. (
Much of what can be provided for students in the media
center is referred to as “assistive technology.” The federal government
includes in its definition of assistive technology “any device that helps a
person with a disability function in a given environment.” (State
of
The library media specialist’s knowledge of both students
and resources plays a large role in offering services for special education
students. He or she often has contact with these students year after year, as
opposed to teachers who only have them for one year or one semester. This
contact allows the media specialist to learn about student strengths and
weaknesses, as well as their areas of interest. In addition, the media
specialist has first hand knowledge of what the media center has to offer, and
how it can be utilized by students with disabilities (Downing, 2006). This
person should be viewed as a resource for all students in the school community.
It is the role of the media specialist to assist students
in learning about and using the resources available in the library media
center. (
One of the many
roles of the media specialist is to acquire appropriate materials for students
with disabilities. These include, but are not limited
to, items such as large print books, audio books, captioned videos, and books
that are high interest but low reading level (
In addition to providing materials in alternative formats,
school library media centers are able to provide specific assistive technology
for special education students. Some of the devices available include
headphones, screen reading software, magnification devices, adaptive keyboards,
scanners, and cassette recorders (Hopkins, 2003; Peters, 2006; Neal, 2006;
Hopkins, 2006) Even though all of these options may not be needed at the
present time, library media specialists should be aware of their existence, and
be able to obtain them when necessary. They should also stay informed about the
diverse needs of the students in their school, as they are in a position where
they can assist all students through the resources they make available (Neal,
2006).
Although the school library media center can play a key
role in providing assistive technology for the special education students in
the school, this does not always occur. In researching this topic,
However, when it comes to providing service, there are many
other barriers that can not be solved simply by increasing funding; they
require physically redesigning the library. These include issues such as
doorways that are not wide enough for wheelchair access; shelves that are too
close together; and shelving that is too high for a physically handicapped
student to reach. As Downing (2006) pointed out, “(o)ften, the first barriers encountered by students
with disabilities attempting to use the library are physical ones.” In
addition, furniture needs to be suitable for use with a wheelchair, which is
another large expense if it does not already exist.
There are ways of providing assistance to special education
that do not entail large expenditures of money. Simple steps such as having
basic supplies available (Neal, 2006); color coding (
The majority of literature available points to one
additional key element to providing services for all students: the importance of
collaborating with the special education teachers in the school (e.g. Downing,
2006; Hopkins, 2003, Jurkowski, 2006). The Australia
study found that, although the most successful library media programs for
students with disabilities occurred in situations in which the media specialist
and the special education teachers worked closely, this does happen in all
schools (Murray, 2000b; Murray, 2000c) Media specialists need to be made aware
of the variety of disabilities that students in their school possess, and how
to best provide for their needs. This can only occur through contact with the
special education staff. In addition, Hopkins (2003) pointed out that special
education teachers can make the media specialist aware of which students are
not using the media center and why, so that the media specialist can deal with
these issues.
Collaboration between the regular education teachers and
the media specialist is also important. The Ontario Ministry of Education deems
it important enough to include as a directive that media specialists are to
“partner with teachers to develop strategies and accommodations for our
exceptional students” (Jouzaitis, 2004). As the
“information expert” of the school, as well as one of the people most familiar
with the assistive technology available, the media specialist needs to work
with all teachers in order to allow their expertise to impact all of the
students. In addition, as schools focus more on information literacy and
promoting learning as a lifelong process, it becomes even more important for
the media specialist to work with the entire school community (Jurkowski, 2006). As mentioned earlier, the media
specialist has the opportunity to know the strengths and weaknesses of all
students in the school, and can provide assistance in all subject areas.
It is apparent that the school library media specialist can
work with both special education and regular education teachers to improve the
education of students with disabilities. However, it is up to the media
specialist to advocate for his or her program. The media specialist needs to
make teachers aware of the resources available in the media center, as well as
the value of collaboration (Jouzaitis, 2004). This
can be done in a variety of ways, but the most important factor is letting the
teaching staff know that the media specialist is willing to work with them.
Collaborating with the media specialist can take some of the burden off of
regular education teachers who must provide for both regular education and
special education students in their classroom (
To effectively collaborate with teachers on educating
special education students, it is imperative that media specialists truly
understand the needs of the students. There should be open communication with
special education staff to determine what materials and instruction are
appropriate for specific students (Jouzaitis, 2004).
The media specialist should also have access to student Individualized
Education Plans, so they are aware of what services must be provided (Jouzaitis, 2004). In addition to communication, more formal
training is also important.
The importance of the media center and its staff being
properly equipped to assist students with special needs is apparent. However,
in order to benefit from the services available, students must actually go to
the media center. It must provide a welcoming environment where students feel
comfortable spending time (
The library media
center and the services provided there can have a positive impact on the
education of students with disabilities. The
assistive technology available improves their opportunities for learning, both
now and throughout their lives, which is important for increasing their
independence (Hopkins, 2003; Hopkins, 2004). Through collaboration with other
teachers, the media specialist can increase students’ educational experiences
as well as relieve some of the burden on the teachers (Downing, 2006). School
media centers can also go beyond education and information provision by
allowing special education students to develop vocational skills through
working in the media center, where they can feel productive while learning
skills that can be used in an employment situation (Murray, 2000a; Jurkowski, 2006).
However, it is unclear whether media centers in the
This study focuses on middle school and high school media
centers throughout the state of
Method
Subjects
The subjects for this study were library media specialists
from middle and high schools in the state of
Instrument
A survey was constructed to gather information about resources available to special education students in the library media center and any training that library media specialists receive on this topic (see Appendix C). Included in the survey were questions on collaboration with special education teachers and access to Individualized Education Plans by the media specialist. An online version of the survey was created using Survey Monkey.
Procedure
The
State of
A total of 254 schools were surveyed; 104 were sent hard copies of the survey along with a postage-paid return envelope, and the other 150 were emailed a link to an online version of the survey using Survey Monkey. Many of the schools had more than one media specialist. For schools receiving a hard copy, only one copy was sent to the school with all names listed on the envelope. For schools with multiple media specialist email addresses, all were contacted, resulting in 170 emails being sent. However, in the cover letter the media specialists were instructed that if there were more than one media specialist at the school that only one survey should be completed.
Fifteen out of the total of 170 emails sent were returned as “undeliverable,” either due to a spam blocker or to the address being incorrect.
Results
Overall,
library media centers in the state of
Structural
Accommodations
In the area of structural accommodations, the majority of media centers surveyed are physically accessible for all students, with enough room between shelves for wheelchair access (78%), wide doorways (84%), and furniture that is handicapped accessible (71%). In addition, 63 percent of media centers report having appropriate lighting, which is important for students with visual impairments. The greatest physical limitation is that, in 46 percent of the media centers surveyed, there are shelves that a student in a wheelchair would be unable to reach. This is most apparent in the high schools, in which only 38 percent report having their entire shelving wheelchair accessible. It appears that this issue is dealt with by having staff available to assist these students when needed, which occurs in 81 percent of the media centers.
Materials Available
The
library media centers surveyed are providing some basic resources for special
education students. A great majority
(92%) report having materials that are high interest/low reading level and many
also provide audio books for students use (72%). The majority of schools (76%) also provide
books that present disabilities in a sensitive and meaningful way. A variety of other materials are provided to
a lesser degrees, including videos with captioning, large print
books, and books for
Technology
The provision of technology devices and adaptations is fairly limited, as there are only two items that are provided in the majority of library media centers: headphones (81%) and scanners (66%). Although a wide variety of devices and adaptations were listed on the survey, only one other is present in more than 25 percent of schools, which is a card catalog that accommodates remediate reading materials. A few media specialists commented that certain materials are brought to the media center from another location, such as the special education department; however, having these materials and services available within the media center is of benefit to all students. Although several of the resources listed in the survey do not cost additional money, such as use of appropriate web browsers, they are not being utilized in a significant number of schools.
Training Available
The media specialists were surveyed regarding whether they had received training on the needs of special education students within the past five years. Ten people chose not to answer this question, several of whom commented that they had not been in their position long enough to be able to answer accurately. Those who did answer were fairly evenly divided, with a slight majority (53%) having received no training in the area during the last five years. Of those who did receive training, the vast majority (84%) report having received in-house training. In addition, 42 percent report outside speakers being brought into their school; 16 percent report attending outside professional development, such as conferences; and 15 percent report attending area or regional presentations on this topic.
Collaboration
Collaboration between the library media specialist and the special education teachers in the building does not appear to be of high priority in many of the schools surveyed. Many media specialists (73%) report that they meet with them on an as-needed basis. Less than 2 percent have regular scheduled meeting times; 7 percent meet with them only at the start of the school year; and 22 percent report having no time to meet with the special education teachers at all.
Additional Information
In addition to the above areas, the survey also included more general questions. The majority of the media specialists surveyed report that they do not provide materials for the parents of special needs students (74%), nor do they provide structured ways in which special education students can interact with their non-disabled peers (64%). The majority of media centers are able to borrow materials for these students from other libraries when needed (86%). However, only 56 percent of media specialists report that they have access to student IEPs, which is important when planning programming for students with special needs. A few media specialists commented that access to IEPs is not needed, as they work closely with teaching staff that are familiar with them.
Discussion
The
results of this survey which was completed by middle and high school media
specialists indicate that, although school library media centers in
The library media centers surveyed are also providing basic resources for special education students, such as high interest/low level reading materials, audio books, headphones, and scanners. However, greater attention should be paid to this issue. For example, including large print books in the collection for visually impaired students, which can also be used by the rest of the student population. Some of the accommodations available do not cost any money, but are not being done in many of the schools. For example, having students use the accessibility features that are built into common software, such as the voice recognition capabilities of Microsoft XP, or simply having students use internet search engines that help scaffold their learning.
Of particular concern is the lack of training provided for media specialists on the needs of students with disabilities. Less than half of the schools surveyed provided this type of training within the past 5 years in any format, and the vast majority was in-house training. Although this can be beneficial, the training required by media specialists to enhance the provision of services in the media center often involves issues new to the school, and thus must be provided by outside presenters. For example, as research in this area progresses, new developments in assistive technology frequently become available, and the media specialist must know how to use them or they do not benefit the students. They should be provided with opportunities to learn about the new technology available for students with disabilities, including time to conduct their own research and visit other media centers.
An additional area of concern is the lack of collaboration that occurs with the special education teachers. The majority of media specialists mention that they are able to meet on an “as needed” basis. However, the best scenario is to have regularly scheduled collaboration times throughout the year, so that working together is ensured. Very few media specialists report that this occurs. Most concerning is that almost one quarter of the media specialists surveyed reported that they have no time to meet with the special education staff. This has been shown to be best way to provide services for special education students in the media center, and requires only the time to do so, but it is not happening on a consistent basis.
Making many of the changes necessary for the media center to adequately serve all students in the school requires administrative support. Media specialists must be provided with the training needed to determine what is needed and how to use it effectively with students. Collaboration with special education teachers needs be a priority, with time designated for this purpose on a regular basis, as media specialists must be aware of the needs of the student body. Finally, the funding for needed assistive technology must be provided in order to ensure that all students received an appropriate education.
References
Downing,
J. (2006). Media centers and special education:
Introduction to the special
issue. [Electronic version]. Intervention
in School & Clinic, 42(2), 67-78.
Hopkins, J. (2003, March). Assistive technology for the school library. [Electronic
version]. Library Media
Connection, 21(6), 46.
Hopkins,
J. (2004). School library
accessibility: The role of assistive
technology.
[Electronic
version]. Teacher Librarian, 31(3).
Hopkins, J. (2005). Extending inclusive learning: Library and special education
collaboration. [Electronic version]. Library Media Connection, 23(6), 17-19.
Hopkins, J. (2006). Assistive technology: 10 things to know. [Electronic version].
Library Media Connections, 25(1), 12-14.
Jones, P. (2000). Come on in! Ways
to welcome special needs kids into your library.
[Electronic version]. Book Report, 18(5), 10.
Jouzaitis, V. (2004). Serving the needs of our students with LD in the school library.
[Electronic
version]. School
Libraries in
Jurkowski, O.
L. (2006). The
library as a support system for students. [Electronic
version]. Intervention in School & Clinic, 42(2),
78-84.
Loertscher, D. V.
(1993). Objective:
achievement - Solution: school libraries.
[Electronic version]. School Library Journal, 39(5), 30-34.
Manzo, K.
K. (2000). Study shows rise in test scores tied to
school library resources.
[Electronic version]. Education Week, 19(28), 27.
Murray, J. (2000a). How School Librarians can contribute to the personal growth of
students with disabilities. [Electronic version]. Orana, 36(2), 5.
Murray, J. (2000b). School libraries and special
education: An evaluation. [Electronic
version]. The Australian Library Journal, 49(4), 357.
Murray, J. (2000c). Training school library staff to cater for diversity. [Electronic
version]. Education for Information, 18(4), 313.
Murray, J. (2002). The implications of inclusive schooling for school libraries.
[Electronic version]. International Journal of Disability,
Development, and
Education, 49(3), 301-322.
Neal, J. & Ehlert, D. (2006). 20 ways to add technology for students with disabilities to
the
library or media center. [Electronic version]. Intervention in School or
Clinic, 22(2), 119-123.
Peters, T., &
version]. Computers in Libraries, 26(9), 38-40.
Selverstone, H. (2003, June). Tech for kids with disabilities. [Electronic version]. School Library Journal, 49(6), 36.
State of
State of Connecticut-Department of Education & Department of
Mental Retardation. (n.d.). Promoting school success for your child with a disability. Retrieved
Todd, R. J.
(2003). Irrefutable evidence. [Electronic version]. School Library
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Appendix A
Cover Letter for Survey Distribution by Mail
My name is Susan Peyton. I am an
I am requesting that you take the time to complete the enclosed questionnaire. Any and all information obtained from you will be confidential. Your privacy will be protected at all times. You will not be identified individually in any way as a result of your participation in this research. The data collected, however, may be used as part of publications and papers related to services for special education students in school library media centers.
Participation in this survey is completely voluntary. There is no penalty for refusal to participate. Returning this survey indicates your permission for me to use this data for research purposes.
This survey
should take about 15 minutes to complete.
Please make sure to complete both sides of the page. I have enclosed a self-addressed stamped
envelope in which you can return the survey.
If there is more than one media specialist in
your media center, please complete only one to avoid duplication of results.
Please return this survey by
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your participation is greatly appreciated, and is helping me to complete my Master’s degree in library science. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Dr. Mary E. Brown, Susan Peyton, Graduate Student
Buley 416 Dept. of Information & Library Science
Southern
501 Crescent Street 521
E-mail: brownm6@southernct.edu Email: speyton1619@yahoo.com
Phone: (203) 392-5781 Phone: (890) 974-2195
Appendix B
Cover Letter for Online Survey Distribution
My name is Susan Peyton. I am an
I am requesting that you take the time to complete a survey on this topic. Any and all information obtained from you will be confidential. Your privacy will be protected at all times. You will not be identified individually in any way as a result of your participation in this research. The data collected, however, may be used as part of publications and papers related to services for special education students in school library media centers.
Participation in this survey is completely voluntary. There is no penalty for refusal to participate. Completing this survey indicates your permission for me to use this data for research purposes.
This survey
should take about 15 minutes to complete, and is available online at If there is
more than one media specialist in your media center, please complete only one
survey to avoid duplication of results. Please complete this survey by
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your participation is greatly appreciated, and is helping me to complete my master’s degree in library science. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Dr. Mary E. Brown, Susan Peyton, Graduate Student
Buley 416 Dept. of Information & Library Science
Southern
501 Crescent Street 521
E-mail: brownm6@southernct.edu Email: speyton1619@yahoo.com
Phone: (203) 392-5781 Phone: (890) 974-2195
Appendix C
Survey
Services for Special Education Students
In the
I. General Information
Grade level of school
______Middle
School/Junior High School
______Other
(please specify grade levels :_____________)
What type of setting is your school located in?
______Urban
______Suburban
______Rural
How do special education students visit the library media
center?
(Please
check all that apply)
_____With
their general education class
_____With a
small group of students
_____Individually
_____Other
(please specify:_________________________________)
II. Physical Accommodations
What structural accommodations does your library have for
special education students?
(Please
check all that apply)
______Wide
doorways
______Adequate
room between shelves
______Shelves
low enough for wheelchair access
______Appropriate
lighting
______Separate
section for materials for special education students
______Other
(Please specify:____________________________________)
What items are provided to assist special education students
to use the media center?
(Please check all that apply)
_____ Large signs
_____Appropriate furniture (i.e.
OPAC at wheelchair height)
_____Visual reminders of rules or
routines
_____Other
(Please specify:____________________________________)
What materials does your library offer for students?
(Please
check all that apply)
______Large
print books
______Audio
books
______High
interest/low reading level books
______Fiction
that presents disabilities in a sensitive and meaningful way
______Books
for
______Videos
with captions
______Other
(Please specify:____________________________________)
What technology devices or adaptations are available in the
library media center?
(Please
check all that apply)
_____Magnification
devices
_____Headphones
_____Scanners
_____Portable
keyboards (e.g. Alpha Smart)
_____Speech
output system for visually impaired students
_____Specialized
software (Please specify:____________________________)
_____Bookmarked
websites tailored to special education students or teachers
(e.g.
Bookshare.org, which provides access to previously scanned books)
_____Use of
accessibility features of common software
_____Use of
web browsers which help scaffold information
_____Card
catalog that accommodates remediate reading materials
(e.g. Accelerated
Reader)
_____Other
(Please specify:____________________________________)
Within the past 5 years, have you been offered training
regarding the needs of special education students?
Yes No
If yes, what type of training was offered to you?
(Please
check all that apply)
______In
house training
______Outside
presenters brought into your school
______Area/regional
presentations
______Outside
professional development (i.e. conferences)
______Other
(please specify:______________________________________)
Are you provided time to meet with special education
teachers in your building?
(Please
check all that apply)
______No,
time is not available
______Yes,
at the start of the school year
______Yes,
there is regularly scheduled meeting times throughout the year
______Yes,
I meet with them on an as-needed basis
IV. Other Information
Does your media center provide information for parents of
special education students?
Yes
No
Does your library provide structured ways for special
education students to interact with
their
non-disabled peers?
Yes No
Is support staff available to assist special education
students in the media center?
Yes No
Are you able to borrow materials from the public library or other
location for special
education
students?
Yes No
Does your library policy reflect elements of inclusion?
Yes No Don’t
know
Do you have access to student IEPs?
Yes No
V. Comments
Please use this section to add additional information that
you feel is applicable to this study, including additional information on any
of the questions above.