Summary of the Initiative
Statewide assessments of reading achievement show that the proportion of students proficient in reading declines as they move from elementary and middle school to high school.
In May 2008, the Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning launched a multi-year initiative that will champion high-quality teen services and build momentum behind Wisconsin's drive to create the most literate, well-educated citizenry and workforce in the nation.
This Initiative began with a leadership conference on May 15, 2008. The Leadership Conference included system and resource library directors, system youth services liaisons, and teen services librarians, as well as DPI staff and other invited guests.
Following the Leadership Conference, DLTCL worked with the regional library systems in Wisconsin to arrange for training workshops that addresses the broad issues of adolescent literacy. The training sessions will take place between July 2008 and June 2009.
In addition the Division will use this web page to keep librarians around the state up to date on issues related to adolescent literacy and teen services that support school efforts.
Advisory Committee
Peg Burington, Waupaca Area Public Library
Linda Jerome, La Crosse Public Library
Kim Johnson, Milwaukee Public Library
Amber McCrea, Racine Public Library
Rebecca VanDan, Middleton Public Library
Marcia Sarnowski, Winding Rivers Library System
Adolescent Literacy Leadership Conference
To view handouts from the Adolescent Literacy Leadership Conference, click the item title.
Booktalks 2008 for 7th, 8th and 9th grades (ages 12-15)--Rebecca Van Dan, Middleton Public Library
English Language Learner Booktalks 2008--Rebecca Van Dan, Middleton Public Library
High School English Language Learner Booktalks 2008--Rebecca Van Dan, Middleton Public Library
Manga 102 Bibliography--Amber McCrea, Beloit Public Library
T.A.B Birthday Cake Boxes Project for the Local Food Pantry--Georgia Jones, C.A. Friday Memorial Library, New Richmond
Teen Book Discussion Kits at the Madison Public Library--Karen Lucas, Madison Public Library
Teen Titles by Wisconsin Authors--Linda Jerome, La Crosse Public Library
Targeted Groups of Adolescents
Primary Targeted Groups. Adolescents who:
- Live in poverty.
- Are members of an ethnic minority group.
- Have disabilities, especially learning disabilities, and/or are enrolled in special education classes or alternative high school programs
- Use English as a second language.
Secondary Targeted Groups. Adolescents who:
- Are parents.
- Are part of the foster care system, especially those who are approaching the age at which they will leave the system.
- Are involved with the juvenile justice system, or who are inmates in county jails or detention facilities, state juvenile detention facilities, and/or state or federal prisons.
- Have run away or who have been "thrown away" by their families, or are homeless with their families
- Have been expelled from their school.
Baseline Data on Public Library Services for Teens in Wisconsin
DLTCL collected baseline data on services to teens in Wisconsin on the 2007 annual report. Click this link to read a summary report of the data collected.
Summary of 2007 Annual Report Questions Regarding Services to Teens
Wisconsin Student Information
Wisconsin Student Test Results
Results for statewide testing, released in 2008, show an overall upward trend for mathematics, stable scores in reading, and a slight narrowing of several achievement gaps. This three-year trend comes at a time when poverty is continuing to increase among Wisconsin students. Information on WKCE/WAA-SwD results is featured on the Department of Public Instruction homepage http://dpi.wi.gov. Complete results are available on the news release website at http://dpi.wi.gov/eis/prmenu.html.
State Superintendent's Adolescent Literacy Plan
The Adolescent Library Initiative for Public Libraries is intended to complement the State Superintendent's Adolescent Literacy Plan. Key elements of the plan are summarized in Highlights of the State Superintendent's Adolescent Literacy Plan 
.
State Superintendent's Adolescent Literacy Plan
Recent Wisconsin Events Related to Teens and Literacy
Electronic Gaming Events
The Waukesha County Federated Library System used LSTA funds from their Innovative Technology grant to host Eli Neiburger from the Ann Arbor Public Library in Michigan to train librarians on how to set up gaming tournaments for teens. Eli then set up and managed two tournaments at the Waukesha Public Library and the Pauline Hass Public Library in Sussex. To view the YouTube video of the tournament at Sussex, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqIaMTkU2ko.
At the Alice Baker Public Library in Eagle, the electronic gaming equipment borrowed from the Waukesha County Federated Library System brought together teens and senior citizens who wanted to try out the equipment. The teens helped the seniors but eventually some seniors became so good at bowling they were able to beat the teens. The library has hosted Wii bowling events once a month since June 2008. To see pictures of the gaming events go to the library's Flickr site at www.flickr.com/photos/72888997@N00/.
The Kenosha County Library System was part of a multi-System 2008 LSTA Innovative Technology grant with Manitowoc-Calumet, Eastern Shores, and Lakeshores systems. They used funding from the grant to purchase the electronic gaming equipment to help encourage teens at risk to visit the library. Kenosha has a gamers' blog that includes pictures of their gaming events. To visit the blog, go to http://kclsgamers.wordpress.com.
The Manitowoc-Calumet Library System used 2008 LSTA funds to purchase gaming equipment as part of their efforts to reach teens at risk of illiteracy. Libraries in the System used the funding to purchase Wiis, projectors, and related equipment in an effort to encourage teens who would not typically visit a public library to at least check things out in terms of the gaming events. The intent is to then interest the teens in other library materials as well. Photos of the gaming tournament at the Lester Public Library in Two Rivers are available at: www.flickr.com/photos/lesterpubliclibrary/sets/72157607885083794.
LSTA Projects Serving Teens At-Risk
Indianhead Federated Library System--Reaching Out to Youth At-Risk
• Barron Public Library--Collaboration with an Alternative High School
• Frederic Public Library--Book Discussion Group in a Mental Health Treatment Center for Teen Girls
• Polk County--Working with Teen Parents
ALA Great Stories Grants
Seven Wisconsin libraries have won ALA Great Stories CLUB grants. Wisconsin public libraries receiving the grants are Frederic, Milton, and Platteville. School libraries receiving the grants are Verona Integrated Program, Harvey Philip Charter School in Waukesha, Waunakee High School, and the Detention Center School in Wauwatosa. The Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens and Books) is a reading and discussion program designed to reach underserved, troubled teen populations through books that are relevant to their lives. Read more about the Great Stories CLUB program and grants at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/adolit-wisconsin.html.
Gaming Resources
Articles and websites with information about various aspects of videogaming and public libraries.
"Choices, Choices..." by Caitlyn Konze, Gaming Assistant, La Crosse Public Library, July 2009 edition of Whirlpools, Winding Rivers Library System's electronic newsletter.
www.wrlsweb.org/Whirlpools0709/Gaming.htm
Getting Started with Library Gaming
Combined bibliography on Videogaming
Demographic Information about Videogaming
Educational Value of Videogames
Health and Medical Uses of Videogaming
Issues Involved in the Development of Educational Videogames
National Data on Adolescent Literacy
Public Libraries and Videogaming
Social Value of Gaming
Workplace Value of Games Article Summary
Teens and Gaming
A new Pew Research Center study which is the first national survey of its kind, finds that virtually all American teens play computer, console, or cell phone games. The gaming experience is rich and varied, with a significant amount of social interaction and potential for civic engagement. The survey was conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. To read the results of the study, go to www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/263/report_display.asp.
Symposium: Complex Games Lead to Complex Thinking
Modern games aren't trivial, and librarians who dismiss them as such do their patrons a disservice, presenters told some 215 attendees of the second annual ALA "TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium," hosted by the American Library Association in Oak Brook, Illinois, on November 2-4, 2008.
Christopher Harris and Brian Mayer of the Genesee Valley (N.Y.) Board of Cooperative Educational System shared their work in identifying the ways in which 50 games meet specific performance indicators in New York State education standards and in ALA's "Standards for the 21st Century Learner."
Paul Waelchli of the University of Dubuque in Iowa focused on how games can meet ALA's "Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education."
Amanda Lenhart, research specialist at the Pew Internet and American Life Project, presented results from Pew's new "Teens, Video Games, and Civics" survey. The survey found that games that incorporate civic experiences--identified as games where players help or guide each other, think about social or moral issues, or help to organize or run a guild or community--have a correlation with higher levels of civic engagement, as does playing games with other people in the same room.
The text of the full article is at www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2008/november2008/2008gaming.cfm
YALSA Electronic Resources
Websites and discussion lists
Resources for Homeless Teens
Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) http://dpi.wi.gov/homeless/
Wisconsin Association for Runaway and Homeless Youth (WAHRS) Patricia Balke, Executive Director, 2318 E Dayton St, Madison WI 53704, pbalke@sbcglobal.net, (608) 241-2649
Vail, Kathleen. "Where the Heart Is." American School Board Journal. June 2003. http://dpi.wi.gov/homeless/pdf/heartis.pdf
"National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week." PowerPoint presentation.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction http://dpi.wi.gov/homeless/ppt/hung_hmls_aware.ppt 
Additional Adolescent Literacy Resources
10 Reasons Not to Write Off Reading From A Screen
Michael Bhaskar, Digital Publishing Executive at Pan Macmillan, gives ten reasons that reading on a computer is likely to increase. Among the reasons are that those who read books read the most online, electronic reading devices are likely to continue to improve, the cost of paper is increasing, and the Internet offers new ways of consuming content. He says that reading from one type of screen or another is not about to replace books, rather electronic reading is a creative challenge, a commercial opportunity, and new way for readers to enjoy texts. August 11, 2008. http://palgrave.typepad.com/writers_handbook/2008/08/10-reasons-not.html
Adlit.org Project
AdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers. AdLit.org is an educational initiative of WETA, the public television and radio station in Washington D.C. Visit the website at www.adlit.org.
Boys Drawn to Summer Reading Program at the Capitol Library Branch in Milwaukee
The Capitol Library Branch on Milwaukee's northwest side hosted a pilot reading club during the summer of 2008. The news release by the WUWM Public Radio Station in Milwaukee describes the program that targeted young minority boys to encourage a love of reading and learning. It was created by Venice Williams, who makes kids want to read, even in the summer. --Bence, Susan. "Boys Drawn To Summer Program." WUSM Public Radio. August 13, 2008. http://www.wuwm.com/programs/news/view_news.php?articleid=3256 (click Continue to Site).
High School Dropout Research
A new brief from the California Dropout Research Project (CDRP) checks in with California students who were scheduled to graduate in 2004 but who dropped out after the tenth grade. It finds that in 2006 over one third of these students were doing absolutely nothing--neither going to school (high school or college) nor working--two years after their scheduled graduation date. Nationwide, 30 percent of dropouts were not in school and not working four years after leaving school. To read the brief, go to www.lmri.ucsb.edu/dropouts/download.php?file=statisticalbrief-10.pdf.
The article "Some California Dropouts Finish High School But Don't Succeed Beyond, Study Finds," is available at http://edunews100.blogspot.com/
For questions about this information, contact Barbara A. Huntington (608) 267-5077
Last updated on 11/24/2009 1:24:13 PM
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