On May 12, 2015, there was a press conference in Columbia to release the results of the South Carolina school library impact study conducted by the RSL Research Group–Marcia Rodney, Bill Schwarz, and me–over the past school year.  Professor Karen Gavigan of the University of South Carolina announced the findings of the study.  (She and I recently spoke about the study at the International Association of School Librarians (IASL) Regional Conference in Austin, Texas, early last month, and we are also collaborating on articles about it.)

This study was a first, as it was the first time we had access to data about specific English Language Arts (literary text, informational text, and research) and Writing (content and organization) standards.  Thus, this study provides the most precise evidence yet regarding how school librarians contribute to the academic achievement of students.

Two reports were issued:  one for our analysis of available data from an annual survey of school libraries in that state, and another for the analysis of our own surveys of librarians, teachers, and administrators in public schools.

Links to both reports can be found here.
The press conference was covered on local TV station WLTX, Channel 19, and by American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association.