Study on the impacts the introduction of the Lexile Framework has had upon the systems and processes of school libraries in the Canterbury region

Abstract

This research project describes the need for a study on the Lexile Framework in a New Zealand context, the research methodology used and the results of the investigation into the impacts, either positive or negative, that the introduction of the Lexile Framework for Reading has had upon the systems and processes in school libraries in the Canterbury region. The research took a qualitative approach and used face-to-face interviews as the method of data collection. A content analysis took place on the manuscripts of the transcribed interviews and identified the main themes and categories of the data collected. These were based on the four sub-research questions looking at changes that have occurred in the school library since the introduction of the Lexile Framework, the impact on collection management and collection development policies, policy development and the role of the school librarian in the adoption of the Lexile Framework. According to the results, there is the potential for the Lexile Framework to have an enormous impact on the school library in terms of the workload required to keep the programme running smoothly and efficiently and in providing Lexiled materials to students. The impacts increase or decrease in regards to how involved with the Lexile Framework the school library is.