A comprehensive needs assessment should identify gaps between a school's current performance and its goals. It provides direction by determining priorities and resources to maximize impact. The assessment involves gathering both qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources to develop goals and monitor implementation. It is critical for a planning team to conduct the needs assessment and analyze the data to identify root causes and priorities. The results should be used to create SMART goals and select strategies to meet identified needs.

1. A Guide for Comprehensive Needs Assessment By the Colorado Department of Education

2. What is a needs assessment? The overall purpose of a comprehensive needs assessment is to “identify gaps between the current status of the school and its vision of where it wants to be, relative to key indicators or focus areas" (Nonregulatory Guidance, p. 14). Requirements for program-level needs assessments are connected to the purpose of the program. It also provides direction, allows staff to determine priorities and resources to create greatest impact, creates cohesion through alignment of goals, strategies, and desired outcomes; enables monitoring of implementation and impact; helps identify change and which strategies are working.

3. Dimensions of a Comprehensive Needs Assessment Components: determined by local context, considering a range of issues; variety of sources; results in development of goals; include regular follow up Focus: focus on the factors that have the potential to impact student achievement. Should include: dropout, attendance, and graduation rates; professional development; family and community involvement, etc. Information Gathering: standardized summative or formative assessments, qualitative data, AYP status, graduation/ attendance rates, and demographics Planning Teams: CRITICAL and should include all parts of the system Use of Results: identify goals and action plans

4. Planning for a Comprehensive Needs Assessment Develop a Needs Assessment Committee (NAC) Include key district and school personnel, as well as external stakeholders. Prepare management plan Identify concerns and issues Identify measures Decide preliminary priorities Design comprehensive needs assessment Identify measures to use (focus groups, budgets, proposals, interviews, census data, etc.)

5. Data Collection and Analysis Data collection and analysis consists of three parts: collecting existing data, collecting new data to address the gaps not covered by existing data, and analyzing data to identify needs. Can look at: student demographics, student achievement data, curriculum and instruction, professional development, technology, family/ community involvement measures Collecting valid and reliable data is a concern in comprehensive needs assessment. Collecting data from multiple sources and including multiple stakeholders in the analysis process contribute to the reliability and validity of the data that are collected. Once data are collected there are a number of statistical strategies that can be used for analysis. All must prioritize needs, identify root causes, summarize findings, and make decisions

7. Measurable

8. Attainable

9. Realistic

11. Discussion Questions Question 1:Title III Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students, Part B, Subpart I, Sec. 3211 Financial Assistance for Language Instruction Education Programs attempts to help children develop English proficiency and, to the extent possible, proficiency in their native language, and to help them meet the same challenging state academic content and student achievement standards as all children are expected to meet. Which framework model for language development (content based or language based teaching) do you think would best meet this goal, and how would a comprehensive needs assessment help? Question 2:Why do you think a comprehensive needs assessment can be so valuable, and what are the most important parts? Have you heard of one, or the results from one before?

12. Resources Colorado Department of Education. A Guide for Comprehensive Needs Assessment: Southwest Comprehensive Center of West Ed. Altschuld, J. W., & Witkin, B. R. (2000). From needs assessment to action: Transforming needs into solution strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.