Description
Should Needs Assessment always be the first step in the curriculum design process? Justify your answer.
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NEEDS ASSESSMENTS
Definition
Systematic process to acquire an accurate, thorough picture of the strengths and weaknesses of a school
community that can be used in response to the academic needs of all students for improving student achievement
and meeting challenging academic standards. Process that collects and examines information about schoolwide
issues and then utilizes that data to determine priority goals, to develop a plan, and to allocate funds and
resources. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other community members should be included in
gathering data.
Steps in Conducting Needs Assessments
1.
Clarify the purpose of the needs assessment
What do you know? What do you think you know? What do you want to know?
Why are you doing needs assessment?
What are you trying to measure?
What will you do with the information you collect?
How will you report the information? Is it user friendly and easy to understand?
Are all interested groups included in planning and conducting the needs assessment?
Who will be responsible for the various steps?
2.
Identify the population
WhoStudents, teachers, administrators, other school staff, parents, community members, volunteers, service
providers
3.
Determine how you will conduct the needs assessment
4.
Design a survey instrument or adopt one that already exists (See Appendix A for samples.)
Are the instruments easy to use?
Is the format easy to summarize and analyze?
5.
Collect Data (see following section)
Develop management system for collecting and organizing data
Determine baseline data
How do you plan to follow up with those not responding to the collection tools
Organize the data by key categories
Use data summary sheets to help determine patterns and make calculations easier
6.
Analyze Data (see following section)
What are the strengths?
What are the weaknesses?
7.
Use the results—very important
Determine short and long term goals—use at least 3 data sources to justify each goal or target area
Develop a plan
Allocate resources
Summarize findings
DATA COLLECTION
Need for Data – To Understand
The current and future needs of the school, students, parents, teachers, and the community
How well the current processes meet these clients’ needs
The ways in which the school and community are changing
The root causes of problems
The types of education programs and expertise that will be needed in the future
Analyze Data–To
Improve instruction
Provide students with feedback on their performance
Gain common understanding of what quality performance is and how close we are to achieving it
Measure program success and effectiveness
Understand if what we are doing is making a difference
Make sure students “do not fall through the cracks”
Know which programs are getting the results we want
Get to the “root causes” of problems
Guide curriculum development and revision
Promote accountability
Meet state and federal requirements
Use data to determine goals for increased student achievement, benchmarks for progress, and measurable
outcomes
Ask yourselves:
¾ What is the purpose of the school?
¾ What is the purpose of collecting the data?
¾ How are the currently collected data used?
¾ How are you going to report the data—to whom, what format?
¾ What are the roadblocks to collecting data?
¾ What are the roadblocks to analyzing data?
¾ What are the roadblocks to reporting data?
¾ What more do we need to know?
Types of Data
Use multiple measures. When just one measure is used, the context of what the data is telling is missed. See
Appendix B for sources of data.
Demographic
¾ Enrollment, attendance, dropout rates, graduation rates, ethnicity, gender, grade level language
proficiency, free and reduced meals, discipline referrals, etc.
Perceptions—values, beliefs, attitudes, opinions, views
¾ Questionnaires/surveys of parents, teachers, students, alumni
¾ Observations by teachers, students, administrators, parents, community leaders
¾ Person-to-person interviews
¾ Telephone surveys
¾ Focus groups
¾ Community demographics
Questions to ask:
9 What is the purpose for administering a questionnaire?
9 What information do you want to collect?
9 To whom do you need to give the questionnaires in order to get this information?
9 How do you want the results displayed? i.e. charts, graphs, tables, percentages, comparisons,
etc.
9 By what categories will you want to disaggregate the responses?
9 How will you administer each of the questionnaires?
9 How will you get the information from the questionnaires into some form (database) that will allow
you to chart the results?
9 Who is going to do the work?
Student learning
¾ Standardized tests- CTBS scores
¾ Authentic assessments—demonstrates what the student knows and is able to do
9 exhibitions—students present their knowledge and defend their work before an audience; i.e.
written work, visual aids, oral presentations
9 portfolios
9 performance assessments
9 projects
9 rubrics
¾ Curriculum and instruction (expectations about what students can and should learn, instructional
activities, programs, or strategies, availability of technology, supplemental use of staff and materials)
¾ Teacher observations
¾ GPA; letter grade distributions
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
Existing studies/reports
School progress reports
Report card analysis
Self study checklists
Title I assessment tool
Teacher Quality
¾ Ratio of teachers to students
¾ Certification and specialization of teachers
¾ Professional development opportunities
School processes
¾ Parent and community involvement
¾ Refers to practices, instructional, educational, and psychological events. What does staff do to achieve
the purpose of the school and what do they do that may help or hinder progress.
¾ Assess processes by flowcharts, rubrics, curriculum mapping, top-down flowcharts, etc. This data is used
to predict and draw conclusions about the future based on past performance of the process.
Databases
Must determine what fields of data are needed to produce desired reports when the intention is to analyze data
over time.
Software—must be easy to learn and to use.
¾ Cross-platform (program files can work on most common operating systems in the same way)
¾ Relational (ability to combine two or more databases to make a more comprehensive one)
¾ Has a fast learning curve
¾ Easily imports and exports data
¾ Customizes
¾ Can link data with different sources
¾ Makes producing reports non-threatening
¾ Has good technical support
¾ Is able to be secured so that only authorized people can use the database
¾ Is not expensive
¾ Has understandable documentation
Hints
Explain the purpose of each data collection strategy
Data collection tools should be brief, to the point, and questions should be necessary and phrased appropriately
Assure confidentiality of survey participants
Allow enough time for surveys to be returned
May use information from previously conducted needs assessments if data is current and relevant
Much information is already being collected—don’t collect it again—just analyze the appropriate data
In analyzing data, look for patterns. For example, chart reading progress reports by monthly averages. Is one
month consistently lower than average year after year? Why? Disaggregate data by subgroups. Look for
differences and reason for differences
APPENDIX A
OPTIONAL SAMPLES
OF NEEDS
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Sample One
NEEDS ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST
FOR YOUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT, HAVE YOU:
____I. Determined what data you need to collect?
What is the question you need to answer regarding student needs?
For whom is the evaluation being conducted?
What is the purpose of the needs assessment?
What information must you get? What is the minimum required by your stakeholders or your program?
Who can help you determine where to find the information you need?
Don’t forget to document special needs and available resources.
____II. Chosen several key questions that your needs assessment will evaluate?
____III. Decided on your data collection methods?
How will you get the information you need to answer your question? What collection methods will you use?
Are you collecting enough OBJECTIVE data?
Is it worth writing your own assessment measure?
Who will you need to talk to regarding needs? Who will be your data sources?
Are there any assessment measures you can use that fit your needs?
How often will you need to collect data to get a representative picture?
____IV. Decided how you will organize your data?
Can your collected data answer the questions you asked?
Is there any missing data?
____V. Decided how you will analyze your data?
Can you define needed services?
Can the information help you develop reasonable and appropriate program goals?
*Please note: This checklist is not all-inclusive, but covers some of the basic areas you will want to address.
Eva M Kubinski, M.S.
Comprehensive Regional Assistance Center – Region VI
South Dakota Title I Schoolwide Conference
September 27, 1999
Sample Two
MATRIX
Based on the information gathered from the comprehensive assessment, determine the strengths and needs to
address the curriculum, instructions, and organizational categories.
The matrix may be used to categorize the strengths and needs in the curriculum, instruction, and organization. The
numbers represent a list of strengths and needs in ascending order. Number one would be the most pressing need with
the corresponding strength – discovered during the Comprehensive Assessment process. The prioritized results from this
comprehension assessment should be the basis to design the Schoolwide program. From the data in the matrix, consider
the four components of the program. State which component is primary i.e.: Students, staff and community. Also, state
whether it is a curriculum, instructional or organizational strength or need.
Comprehensive Strengths and Needs Matrix
Curriculum
Strength
Student
Staff
Parents/Community
Facilities/Materials
Need
Instruction
Strength
Need
Organization
Strength
Need
Sample Three
SAMPLE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY
This needs assessment should be filled out by the school principal with input from teachers.
Part A: Staffing
1.
Indicate the number of teachers in the following areas:
Science______ Math______ Reading______
2.
Indicate the number of teachers who are certified for the position they are in:
Science______ Math______ Reading______
3.
Is there an adequate supply of teachers?
Math yes no
Science yes no
Reading yes no
4.
On the basis of questions 1-3, the greatest need for assistance for our teachers is:
CHECK ONE
Math
Science
Reading
____No needs
____No needs
____No needs
____Need for in-service
____Need for in-service
____Need for in-service
____Need to retrain teachers
from other fields
____Need to retrain teachers
from other fields
____Need to retrain teachers
from other fields
____Need for more teachers
in this field
____Need for more teachers
in this field
____Need for more teachers
in this field
Part B: Professional Development
Please prioritize the teacher training items listed below by numbering 1-5 with 1 being the highest priority, 2 second highest, and so on.
Mathematics
Science
____New methods of instruction
____New methods of instruction
____New content information (curriculum)
____New content information (curriculum)
____Increased knowledge of technology
____Increased knowledge of technology
____Current trends in mathematics
____Current trends in science
____Innovative programs
____Innovative programs
Language Arts/Reading
Social Studies
____New methods of instruction
____New methods of instruction
____New content information (curriculum)
____New content information (curriculum)
____Increased knowledge of technology
____Increased knowledge of technology
____Current trends in language arts/reading
____Current trends in social studies
____Innovative programs
____Innovative programs
Part C: Accessibility of Programs
Do the following groups have equal access to do the programs listed below? Circle Y – yes or N – no
Minorities
Economically Disadvantaged
Girls and Women
Disabled
LEP students
Math
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Science
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Lang. Arts
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
School__________________________________________________________________
Soc. Studies
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
RESOURCES
Bernhardt, Victoria L. PhD, Data Analysis for Comprehensive Schoolwide Improvement, Eye on Education,
Larchmont, NY, 1998.$30
www.eyeoneducation.com/
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, “Nuts and Bolts of Proposal Writing: Developing NeedsBased Proposals”, September 2002.
National Academy Press, Testing, Teaching, and Learning: A Guide for States and School Districts, Washington,
DC, 1999$20
www.nap.edu
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Assessment of School Readiness. 1998, Portland, OR.
http://www.nwrel.org/csrdp/readiness.pdf.
(This site assesses school readiness to begin comprehensive school reform; however it can be adapted for
program needs assessment.)
Star Center, San Antonio, TX. A Toolkit for Assessing and Revising the Integrated Campus Improvement and
Title I Schoolwide Plan.
http://www.starcenter.org/pdf/toolkitpart2.pdf
(A comprehensive assessment of strengths and needs.)
U.S. Department of Education. Program evaluations
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/eval/index.html
U.S. Department of Education. Process of program evaluation
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/eval/primer1.html
U.S. Department of Education. Frequently asked questions about program evaluation
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/eval/faqmeth.html
Wilde, Judith and Sockey, Suzanne, PhD, Evaluation Handbook, 1995
http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/miscpubs/eacwest/evalhbk.htm
(This site is written for Bilingual Education; however, it can be adapted for any program.)
APPENDIX B
OPTIONAL SOURCES
OF DATA
Options for Comprehensive Needs Assessment Data Sources
Adapted from the Indiana Department of Education
Student and Program Achievement
Analysis of CTBS and other test data (NCE comparisons, trend data)
Achievement comparisons for subgroups (e.g., boys/girls, LEP/non-LEP, free and reduced lunch/non)
Analysis of classroom testing that is done schoolwide (e.g., basal reader unit tests, math chapter tests)
Analysis of promotion and retention rates; achievement results for retained students
Analysis of kindergarten screening data and profile of Kindergartners’ preschool experience (e.g., Head Start)
Analysis of special services (# & % of students, identified needs, special services student progress)
Analysis of report card grades (compare to achievement results on CTBS)
Summarized assessment results by grade levels and/or programs (e.g., after-school tutoring, summer school)
Curriculum and Instruction
Review of teacher’s familiarity with & use of curriculum guides (survey)
Review of school curriculum alignment to state standards
Review of class schedules- what is taught and time allotted to subjects
List of instructional materials used at each grade level/content area (check for continuity across grades)
Analysis of student progress in extended time activities and support services
Analysis of student progress reports
Technology assessment- availability, frequency of use at each grade level, how technology is integrated with curriculum and instruction, list of
hardware and software available
Use of paraprofessionals and special program staff; continuity of services for students
Field trip logs (analysis of benefits of instructional purpose)
School Organization and Management
Administrative Leadership
¾ Analyses of staff meeting agendas, memos, etc.
¾ List of school committees, responsibilities, activity
¾ List of options for staff and parent input in decision making
¾ Schedule of classroom observations and feedback samples
Professional Development
¾ Evaluation of professional development plan- integrated and focused or sporadic activities?
¾ Summary of professional development participation levels
¾ List of professional subscriptions to school’s library
¾ List of “voluntary” & “required” professional development options
School Personnel Issues
¾ List of general (across staff) concerns and resultant professional development to address
¾ Strategies and practices available to provide direct help to teachers with difficulties
¾ Summary of staff reflections regarding usefulness of teacher evaluation process and professional development opportunities
School Climate
Mobility rate during school year- where students come from & go to
Review effectiveness of transition activities and other specific ways student belonging is fostered
Monitor grade-level & schoolwide patterns (for 3+ years) re:
¾ Recognition events for staff and students
¾ Citizenship programs and efforts
Analysis of student behavior:
¾ # & % of referrals by grade level
¾ Identified “high risk” behaviors
¾ Attendance and punctuality data
¾ Suspension/expulsion rate
Analysis of school discipline policy and how it is applied in classrooms
Summaries of staff & student “school attitude”
Family and Community Involvement
List of types & numbers of parent involvement events/options for last 3 years
Analysis of grade-level and schoolwide patterns for
¾ #/% of parents who participated in various parent involvement events
¾ Types of information disseminated to parents (# and frequency)
¾ Summary data on parent volunteers (#s, %s, activities)
List topics & frequency of parent training re:
¾ Parenting issues
¾ Support for learning at home
¾ Parents’ evaluations of any training sessions
List specific input from parents and students regarding school decisions during past 3 years
Summary of PTA meetings and activities during past 3 years (#s, %s, results)
Analysis of effectiveness of home-school communication tools
List of community speakers in the classroom & their purposes for last 3 years
Types and purposes of school involvement with local businesses & community organizations
DEED 544 – Curriculum Design
Dr. Olatunde Ogunyemi
Session 5 – Needs
Assessment
Systems Approach
• Kaufman –A process for effectively
and efficiently achieving a required
outcome based on documented
needs
• Banathy – A self-correcting and
logical methodology for decisionmaking to be used in the design of
man-made entities.
Systems Approach
• Heinich – The analysis of complex
organizational problems and the
synthesis of solutions by
identifying all contingencies,
designing or deploying all requisite
components, and devising
management procedures that keep
the system operating efficiently
and effectively
Systems Approach
• Ogunyemi – A process by which
needs are identified, or problems
are selected, requirements for
problem solution are selected from
alternative methods, and means
are obtained and implemented,
results are evaluated, and required
revision to all or parts of the
system are made so that needs are
eliminated
What is a need
• A discrepancy between the way
things are and the way they ought
to be.
Needs Assessment
a formal analysis that shows and
documents gaps
between
current results and desired results
Current
results
Desired
results
Functions of Needs assessment
• It identifies problems affecting
performance
• It identifies critical needs for
example, those that may disrupt
learning.
• It allows one to set priorities for
selecting an intervention
• It provides baseline data to assess
the effectiveness of instruction.
Types of Needs
• Normative
• Comparative
• Felt
• Expressed
• Anticipated or future
Steps of Needs Assessment
• Identify problems (collect data)
• Validate problems
• Formulate needs
• Formulate goals
• Reconcile new and current goals
• Validate reconciled goals
• Prioritize goals
Needs Assessment Source of Data
• Society
• Instructional Staff
• Students
• Educational priorities of institution
• Domain of knowledge
• Related research
Needs Assessment
Information — Society
• What are the needs of the society
in which school is existing?
• What specific requirements must
be met?
–Regular Academic departments
–Employers
–Alumni
Societal Consensus on
Skills from College
• Effective communication
• Interpersonal skills
• Interviewing skills
• Functional mathematics
• Basic managerial finance
• Problem-solving/Decision-making
• Resource allocation
• Computer use
Needs Assessment
Information – Instructional
Staff
• What are the problems with the
present system?
• What major discoveries, new
theories, and discipline
modifications should be
considered?
• Are they happy with what is?
Needs Assessment
Information – Students
• Entry level skills
• Ability to meet assumed
prerequisites
• Attitudes
• Goals, priorities, and major
• Reasons for enrolling
• Assumptions about course or
program
• Diversity – SES, Race, gender, etc.
Analyzing the Learners
• Major characteristics
–Cognitive
–Physiological
–Affective
–Social
Analyzing the Learners – Cognitive
• General
–General aptitudes
–Specific aptitudes
–Developmental level
–Language development level
–Reading level
–Level of visual literacy
–Cognitive processing styles
–Cognitive and learning strategies
–General world knowledge
• Specific prior knowledge
Analyzing the Learners –
Physiological
• Sensory perception
• General health
• Age
Analyzing the Learners – Affective
• Interests
• Determine goals learners may have
for taking course
• Perception of utility of the course.
• Perception of accountability in
course.
• Motivation
• Motivation to learn
Analyzing the Learners – Affective
• Attitude towards subject matter
• Attitude toward learning
• Perception of and experience with
specific form of mediation.
• Academic self-concept
• Anxiety level
• Beliefs
• Attribution of success (locus of
control)
Analyzing the Learners – Social
Characteristics
• Relationships with peers
• Feelings toward authority
• Tendencies toward cooperation or
competition
• Moral development
• Socioeconomic background
• Racial or ethnic background,
affiliations
• Role models
Implications of Analyzing Learners
• Presentation pace
• Practice exercises
• Statements to convince students of
importance of instruction
• Context of examples
• Amount of structure and
organization
• Medium of instruction
Implications of Analyzing Learners
• Level of abstraction
• Grouping
• Size of instructional chucks
• Response mode
• Difficulty level of examples
• Types of feedback
• Level of learner control
Implications of Analyzing Learners
• Reading level
• Vocabulary level
• Amount and types of
reinforcements
• Amount of time allowed for
instruction
• Amount and types of learning
guidance, cues, and prompts
provided.
Needs Assessment
Information – Educational
priorities of institutions
• Mission of institution, department,
and program
• General goals
Analyzing Learning Environment
• Determine the characteristics of
teachers.
• Determine if course can fit into
existing curricula.
• Determine hardware and software
needed to achieve goals and those
already available.
• Determine characteristics of
classes and faculty that will use the
new instruction.
Analyzing Learning Environment
• Determine how goals fit into the
institutional mission.
• Determine how goals fit into the
beliefs of the community.
• Determine application of newly
acquired skills.
Needs Assessment
Information – Domain of
knowledge
• Required or essential content
• Future trends in discipline
• Accreditation requirements
• Academic credits
Needs Assessment
Information – Related
research
• Discipline-related
• Pedagogy
Needs Assessment
Information – Other factors
• Timing
• Duration
• Place
• Method
• Media
• Instructor
• Cost
Methods of collecting data
• Time and motion study
(Observation)
• Interview
–Current students
–Former students
–Instructors
• Questionnaire
• Literature
How to define the problem
• List goals of the instructional system
(What ought to be)
• Determine how well the identified goals
are already being achieved (What is)
• Determine the gaps between “what is”
and “what ought to be”
• Prioritize gaps according to agreed
upon criteria
• Determine which gaps are instructional
needs and which are most appropriate
for design and development of
instruction.
Validating problems
• Determine whether there really is a
problem. Are these goals that are not
being met currently?
• Determine the cause of the problem
• Determine whether the solution to the
problem is learning
• Determine whether the instruction for
these goals is already being offered.
• Determine if existing instruction is
being delivered efficiently
Validating problems – continued
• Determine if learning of goals is
dependent on capabilities of a
particular medium.
• Determine philosophy, strategy, or
theory behind the current
curriculum.
• Determine hardware available.
Examples of problems
• Lack of knowledge
• Lack of motivation or incentive
• Environmental factors
• Management factors
• Interpersonal relationships
Curriculum Goal Definition
Clear, general statement of what the
students should be able to do after
completing the curriculum.
Developmental Education
Common Curriculum Content Domain
Math
Reading
Writing
Study Skills
Grambling State University
Distance Learning Program
1-800-381-6713
www.gram.edu
DEED 544 – Curriculum Design
Dr. Olatunde Ogunyemi
201 Adams Hall
[email protected]
318-274-6105 Fax: 318-274-2475
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