Methods for Conducting Needs Assessment

Listed below are several ways to determine student needs:

• Survey students and parents
• Interview students, for example, a senior exit interview
• Written reflection activities
• Focus groups
• Seek and talk to underserved students
• Collect demograpic information
• Review attendance records
• Review academic records
• Observations during unstructured time
• Interview support teachers/staff

Listed below are several ways to determine teacher needs (professional development):

• Survey teachers
• Conduct talking circles
• Learning communities
• Email chats
• Professional development study groups

Listed below are several ways to determine school needs:

• Survey students, teachers/staff, partners, administration, and/or community members
• Review newspaper articles
• Poll parents at a P.T.O. meeting
• Interview student council
• Issue Bins (Suggestion Boxes)
• Collect information from academic reports, attendance reports, and/or discipline referrals
• Collect information from Board of Education
• Collect information from adult groups, i.e., service-learning advisory board,safe and drug free schools and communities advisory, curiculum committees

Listed below are several ways to determine community needs:

• Chamber of Commerce Visit
• Letter Writing
• Newspapers
• Forums
• Surveys(written or door-to-door)
• Student presentations at organizations
• Contact Health Department
• Camera documentation by students
• College assessments
• Collect existing survey data from county and city organizations
• Contact neighborhood associations
• Examine county master plans

Listed below are several ways to determine global needs:

• MSN web page
• Newspapers
• Speaking with local immigrants
• Contact church outreach programs
• Write to legislators
• Foreign pen pals
• United Nations contacts
• Subscribe to foreign/international news publications
• CNN or Channel 1
• Contact military personnel

Below are examples of needs surveys:

• Survey Example Number One
• Survey Example Two