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The purpose of the Blue Ribbon Program is to recognize exemplary school library media programs in the state of Indiana
 

 Minimum Submission Criteria

  • The application must be submitted by a Library Media Specialist employed full-time in the school which is applying for the award.
  • All Media specialists applying for the award must be Association of Indiana Media Educators (AIME) members.
  • Any school accredited by the Indiana Department of Education may attain this award in a three-year cycle.
  • The school must spend a minimum of $12 per student in general fund money on books and periodicals from the previous one-year funding cycle. This $12 minimum does not alone qualify the program for exemplary status, it is the very minimum that must be met (National average is $15.44).
  • The teaching license of all media specialists must be submitted to verify certification of Library Media Services.
  • Individual buildings will qualify for this award. It is not a district award.
  • The applicant school must have scored above the state average in Language Arts on state standardized testing (ISTEP) for the two years prior to the submission OR must show a consistent gain in scores over the previous three years.

Documentation

Documentation must be included to show that the media program meets a majority of the exemplary criteria in each category of the American Association of School Librarians rubric which is found in A Planning Guide for Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning (1999).

  • 5 out of 8 must be exemplary for Section A: Teaching and Learning
  • 4 out of 7 must be exemplary for Section B: Information Access and Delivery
  • 6 out of 10 must be exemplary for Section C: Program Administration


The portfolio of documentation may include, but is not limited to:

  • Anecdotal examples showing that information literacy skills are taught within the context of the curriculum
  • Mission statement
  • Examples of student work
  • Rubrics
  • Collaborative lesson plans
  • Evaluation of lessons
  • Master schedule
  • Narratives
  • Teacher testimonial
  • Student testimonial
  • Media Fair projects
  • Annual report
  • Evidence of leadership in professional development
  • Evidence of professional growth
  • Long-range plan
  • Collection development information
  • Other documents that the applicant deems relevant to the application process

Documentation Requirements

  • No references may be made to electronic resources unless the entire portfolio is submitted electronically.
  • Submissions must be paginated.
  • The official budget (Detail of Expenditures Report) from the school must be submitted with the treasurer’s signature.
  • The application narrative may not exceed ten (10) pages. Supporting documentation should be included as an appendix and referred to in the narrative. No more than three (3) examples may be given for each rubric point.
  • Seven (7) copies of each portfolio must be submitted.
  • Rubric scoring will be returned to all applicants.
  • To be exemplary, all criteria levels must be met.
  • The portfolio of documentation will not be returned.

Timeline for the Award

  • June 30 – applications for the Blue Ribbon Award are due to the ILF office.
  • October 1st– winning schools will be notified for planning purposes, but will be asked to keep the award quiet.
  • November– the Blue Ribbon Award winners will be announced at the ILF awards program of the ILF conference.


Awards

  • Award winners will be recognized at the ILFconference awards dinner.
  • Award winners will receive a banner stating the winning year and exemplary status for their school.
  • Award winners will receive a plaque citing their individual achievement as a Blue Ribbon Winner.
  • All AIME members are eligible for this award.


Send questions or comments to the ILF Office at:

941 E. 86th Street, Suite #260
Indianapolis, Indiana 46240
Telephone: (317) 257-2040
Fax: (317) 257-1389

or contact

Denise Keogh
Tipton Middle School
817 South Main Street
Tipton, Indiana 46072
Phone: 765.675.7521, ext. 225
Fax: 765.675.9027
Email: dkeogh@tcsc.k12.in.us

Contact Information

Indiana Library Federation
941 E. 86th St., Ste. 260
Indianapolis, IN 46240

Phone: 317-257-2040
Fax: 317-257-1389