Report 2016-112 Recommendation 23 Responses

Report 2016-112: School Library Services: Vague State Laws and a Lack of Monitoring Allow School Districts to Provide a Minimal Level of Library Services (Release Date: November 2016)

Recommendation #23 To: Education, Department of

To better understand the condition of school libraries statewide and to raise stakeholders' awareness of the State Education Board's adopted model standards, Education should identify school districts that reported employing significantly fewer teacher librarians in fiscal year 2015-16 than in previous years and verify the accuracy of their fiscal year 2015-16 reports.

1-Year Agency Response

There are no additional comments for this recommendation. As stated in previous responses, Education extracted certified CALPADS Fall 2 staffing data for 2014-15 and 2015-16 to identify LEAs with a significant decline in teacher librarian staff. However, Education determined it was not useful to contact LEAs to verify the accuracy of the data they submitted because the 2015-16 CALPADS Fall 2 submission and amendment window had already been closed for an extended period of time. Instead, Education provided extensive guidance to over 3,700 users in the CALPADS Update Flash #125 (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/sp/cl/calpadsupdflash125.asp).

Additionally, Education provided training on how to properly submit librarian data to CALPADS. The training slides are posted at the following locations:

http://csis.fcmat.org/Documents/TrainingResources/FY1617/Fall2-ARC/Fall-2-Reporting-Advanced-notes.pdf

http://csis.fcmat.org/Documents/TrainingResources/FY1617/Fall2-DP/Fall-2-Data-Population.pdf

Education considers this recommendation closed and no further updates will be provided.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Will Not Implement

We stand by our recommendation to California Department of Education that it should identify school districts that reported employing significantly fewer teacher librarians in fiscal year 2015-16 than in previous years and verify the accuracy of their fiscal year 2015-16 reports. As we note on pages 26 and 27 of our report, Education's past attempt to instruct districts about the changes in the way they should report teacher librarians, Education updated its data guide and provided multiple CALPADS trainings. However, according to Education's school library technology consultant, the number of reported teacher librarians dropped by 75 percent. We, therefore, believe that Education should assess the accuracy of its reports by following up with school districts that report employing significantly fewer teacher librarians than they had before Education changed its way of collecting data.

6-Month Agency Response

Education extracted certified CALPADS Fall 2 staffing data for 2014-15 and 2015-16 to identify LEAs with a significant decline in teacher librarian staff. However, Education determined it was not useful to contact LEAs to verify the accuracy of the data they submitted because the 2015-16 CALPADS Fall 2 submission and amendment window had already been closed for an extended period of time. Instead, Education provided extensive guidance to over 3,700 users in the CALPADS Update Flash #125 (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/sp/cl/calpadsupdflash125.asp).

Additionally, Education provided training on how to properly submit librarian data to CALPADS. The training slides are posted at the following locations:

http://csis.fcmat.org/Documents/TrainingResources/FY1617/Fall2-ARC/Fall-2-Reporting-Advanced-notes.pdf

http://csis.fcmat.org/Documents/TrainingResources/FY1617/Fall2-DP/Fall-2-Data-Population.pdf

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Will Not Implement

We stand by our recommendation to California Department of Education that it should identify school districts that reported employing significantly fewer teacher librarians in fiscal year 2015-16 than in previous years and verify the accuracy of their fiscal year 2015-16 reports. As we note on pages 26 and 27 of our report, Education's past attempt to instruct districts about the changes in the way they should report teacher librarians, Education updated its data guide and provided multiple CALPADS trainings. However, according to Education's school library technology consultant, the number of reported teacher librarians dropped by 75 percent. We, therefore, believe that Education should assess the accuracy of its reports by following up with school districts that report employing significantly fewer teacher librarians than they had before Education changed its way of collecting data.

60-Day Agency Response

Education extracted certified CALPADS data for 2014-15 and 2015-16 and is in the process of reviewing the relevant CALPADS data submitted and certified by LEAs to identify those with a significant decline in teacher librarian staff. Based on a review of comparison data, Education will determine if it would be necessary to contact the school districts to follow up and verify the accuracy of the data.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

At the time of Education's response, its implementation of this recommendation was pending.

All Recommendations in 2016-112

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.