PARTICIPATION BY THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN SELECTED MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOLS (EXPECTATIONS, PRINCIPALS)

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of participation in curriculum development that is practiced by school library media specialists in Michigan high schools and to determine if this level of participation is related to the expectations of the high school principal. The "Loertscher Taxonomy of Involvement in Instructional Units" was used as the theoretical base for determining the levels of involvement and expectation. The relationship between the involvement in curriculum development by the school library media specialist and the expectations for this role by the high school principal was studied to seek conditions which foster high involvement and high expectations.;Questionnaires based on the "Loertscher Taxonomy" were mailed to the random sample which consisted of one principal and one school library media specialist in 113 public high schools accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Data gathered were used to determine the levels of expectation and involvement, to assess the relationship between them, and to select a sub-sample for further questioning. The sub-sample was comprised of ten schools where both the principal and the school library media specialist responded on a high level of the "Loertscher Taxonomy" and ten schools where the responses were on a low level. The sub-sample was interviewed to seek differing conditions.;Conclusions derived from this study include: (1) Principals' expectations for the involvement of the school library media specialists in curriculum development tend to exceed the actual involvement of the school library media specialist. (2) School library media specialists in the high involvement sub-sample have more formal education than those in the low involvement group. (3) Principals with high expectations responded that they receive more written reports from the school library media specialist than the principals with low expectations report receiving. (4) Principals and school library media specialists in the high sub-sample work in larger schools than those in the low sub-sample. (5) Budgets for media center materials are larger in schools where there are high expectations and involvement. (6) Where the ratio of school library media specialists to teachers is higher, the involvement of school library media specialists in curriculum development is lower.