School Improvement in Maryland School library media skills are more likely to be integrated into the curriculum of schools that have flexible media center schedules for students and principals with high expectations for curriculum-involved school library media programs. Flexible scheduling involves the school library media specialist's and the classroom teacher's collaborating on scheduling classes into the school library media center to meet needs generated by teaching and learning activities in the classroom. Fixed scheduling, the opposite of flexible scheduling, involves students' attending a regularly scheduled class in the school library media center, often on a weekly basis. Although fixed scheduling assures that classes have regular access and instruction, it does not seem to enhance the connection between learning in the classroom and instruction in school library media skills.
Integration seems to occur when there is adequate time for team planning.
The planning culture of a school also contributes to its integration of the school library media program into the overall school curriculum. In schools in which the principals have expectations for collaboration and teachers and school library media specialists meet as teams to plan, there is a high level of curriculum consultation about integrating information skills into the curriculum. Student assessment also occurs more regularly in schools with flexible scheduling and a positive planning culture. The collaborative climate seems to contribute to collaboration in student assessment, an important component of instruction and learning. In addition, the enhanced communication between teachers and school library media specialists increases the involvement of the school library media specialist in student assessment, producing more specific feedback on the effectiveness of the school library media program.