Accelerated Reader and Information Policy, Information Literacy, and Knowledge Management: U.S. and International Implications

Abstract

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the relationship between the Accelerated Reader (AR), a computerized reading management program, and information policy, information literacy, and knowledge management are drawn from data collected in the U.S., Scotland, and England. A study of 632 of the poorest U.S. schools shows a strong relationship between national information policy regarding achievement in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and local decisions to use AR, expectations for literacy, and library collection development. Investigation in the U.K. schools finds that (a) motivational style interacts with gender in relation to the competitive and social aspects of the AR program, (b) the level of program implementation does not correlate with breadth of reading, and (c) management aspects of the program are not utilized effectively. Results suggest that how the AR program relates to information policy, information literacy, and knowledge management has importance for school librarians and libraries