Charter Schools and Information Literacy: What Higher Education Should Know About Information Literacy in U.S. Charter High Schools

Type of Presentation

Individual paper/presentation

Conference Strand

Outreach and Partnership

Target Audience

Higher Education

Second Target Audience

K-12

Location

Ballroom B

Relevance

Charter schools may take different approaches to information literacy than traditional public or private schools. They are less likely to have school libraries and often have school cultures that focus on different priorities than traditional schools. My study looked at two charter schools to see how they approach information literacy. Understanding how their approaches are similar to and different from traditional schools helps higher ed instructors and librarians support information literacy in dual-enrollment charter school students and undergraduates who graduated from charter schools. Insights from the sector, like the way a focus on SEL seems to develop IL dispositions, can also inform practices for teachers and librarians in traditional high schools.

Proposal

Charter high schools are unique and can approach information literacy differently than traditional public or private schools. In my dissertation I conducted an institutional ethnography in two South Carolina charter high schools to explore their approaches to information literacy. In this presentation I will share some findings from my research and suggest implications for instructors and librarians in higher education.

In my study four themes emerged that supported the information literacy practices at the participating charter high schools: teacher leadership, varied career and college preparation programs, social and emotional support for students, and library program or partnership. I observed teacher leadership empowering teachers to introduce and share school policies and practices that contribute to information literacy like developing a school-specific AI policy and creating science novel studies. The schools approached career and college preparation differently, but each provided various pathways that included information literacy instruction tailored to students’ vocational or academic goals. Both participating schools valued social and emotional support; school-wide SEL in one school developed student dispositions associated with information literacy. Both schools also fostered caring environments, so students trusted their teachers to help identify disinformation and navigate a challenging information landscape. The excellent school library at one school provided information literacy leadership. While the other charter school did not have a school library, a partnership with the local public library supplemented teachers’ information literacy instruction somewhat. Although both schools had dual-enrollment programs, neither collaborated with higher-education partners on information literacy. I found these charter schools are building student information literacy skills and dispositions, but there is always more to do and more to learn.

In this presentation I will share my insights about US charter schools, school libraries in the charter sector, and information literacy approaches in secondary school. Some charter school graduates could be better prepared than their peers from traditional schools, but many could have gaps that need to be addressed for college success. An understanding of charter schools and the variation represented in the sector is useful for those who wish to help dual-enrollment and first year college students succeed in post-secondary courses.

Short Description

In this session I will share insights about US charter schools, school libraries in the charter sector, and information literacy approaches in secondary school from my dissertation study. Teacher leadership, varied college and career preparation, social and emotional support, and libraries seemed to contribute to information literacy.

Keywords

charter schools, school libraries, information literacy, social-emotional support, teacher leadership, dual-enrollment, library partnerships

Publication Type and Release Option

Presentation (Open Access)

Share

COinS
 
Feb 6th, 10:15 AM Feb 6th, 11:00 AM

Charter Schools and Information Literacy: What Higher Education Should Know About Information Literacy in U.S. Charter High Schools

Ballroom B

Charter high schools are unique and can approach information literacy differently than traditional public or private schools. In my dissertation I conducted an institutional ethnography in two South Carolina charter high schools to explore their approaches to information literacy. In this presentation I will share some findings from my research and suggest implications for instructors and librarians in higher education.

In my study four themes emerged that supported the information literacy practices at the participating charter high schools: teacher leadership, varied career and college preparation programs, social and emotional support for students, and library program or partnership. I observed teacher leadership empowering teachers to introduce and share school policies and practices that contribute to information literacy like developing a school-specific AI policy and creating science novel studies. The schools approached career and college preparation differently, but each provided various pathways that included information literacy instruction tailored to students’ vocational or academic goals. Both participating schools valued social and emotional support; school-wide SEL in one school developed student dispositions associated with information literacy. Both schools also fostered caring environments, so students trusted their teachers to help identify disinformation and navigate a challenging information landscape. The excellent school library at one school provided information literacy leadership. While the other charter school did not have a school library, a partnership with the local public library supplemented teachers’ information literacy instruction somewhat. Although both schools had dual-enrollment programs, neither collaborated with higher-education partners on information literacy. I found these charter schools are building student information literacy skills and dispositions, but there is always more to do and more to learn.

In this presentation I will share my insights about US charter schools, school libraries in the charter sector, and information literacy approaches in secondary school. Some charter school graduates could be better prepared than their peers from traditional schools, but many could have gaps that need to be addressed for college success. An understanding of charter schools and the variation represented in the sector is useful for those who wish to help dual-enrollment and first year college students succeed in post-secondary courses.