Strategic Plan Needs Assessment Fall 2015. Board of Education Meeting. October 15, 2015. Agenda Item 11.2. Overview This Needs Assessment was created over a six-week period at the start of the 2015-16 school year. Requested and reviewed by the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) Board of Education and district leadership, the Strategic Plan Needs Assessment report is the first major deliverable in the strategic planning process. The Needs Assessment outlines the districts current context, based on data reviewed thus far, and then identifies needs to address and make recommendations for the Strategic Plan. The report begins with a brief snapshot of the districts demographic profile. Following that is a description of the strategic planning process the district uses; a description of data gathered from focus group interviews; a data review of a variety of student, school, and district information; and a review of other districts Strategic Plans/LCAPs. The report concludes with a summary of key needs and key recommendations.

- The Three Phases of Needs Assessment outlines the needs assessment process. Using the attached published needs assessment, identify how the researchers addressed the components included in each of the three phases. - Phase 1: Pre-assessment: Explains how the researchers address the components included in Phase - Phase 2: Assessment: Explains how the researchers address the components included in Phase - Phase 3: Post-assessment: Explains how the researchers address the components included in Phase - You should address the Three Phases of Needs Assessment with appropriate coordination and organization and to remain focused on the subject.

Phase 1: Preassessment Purpose: Getting organized and establishing what is known A. Scope out the problem in an exploratory fashion What is the problem? Who is affected? What is currently being done? What seems to be causing the problem? B. Identify key stakeholders and form a needs assessment work group or committee. Which groups or individuals are interested? Are their existing organizations focused on this problem or actively working on solving it? Are there political agendas that might be negatively affected? C. Define the gap between the desired outcomes (what should be) and existing conditions (what is) on an initial, preliminary basis Where can information about the problem be readily found? Are there existing reports, evaluations, or databases on the problem, who is affected, and the services currently offered? D. Synthesize and communicate the evidence What does the existing, readily available evidence say about the problem, who is affected, and whats being done? How can this be meaningfully and succinctly conveyed to the stakeholders? E. Decisions and next steps Are the needs, their importance, and the risks involved sufficiently well understood to make decisions? If not, what additional information is needed to make decisions?

Phase 2: Assessment Purpose: Conduct a needs assessment; develop a deeper understanding of the needs of the target population, service deliverers, and organization(s) responsible; identify likely causes of the needs F. Orientation of the assessment What are the gaps between what is and what should be for the target population, service providers, and organizations responsible? Who is affected? What additional information is needed? What are the criteria for choosing a solution? What resources are needed for the assessment and how might they be obtained? G. Plan for data collection What data are needed? Will the data be collected through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or existing sources? How will the data be analyzed? How will the quantitative and qualitative findings be synthesized? How will the synthesis be communicated? H. Collect, analyze, and synthesize data Obtain appropriate approvals to collect data from human subjects. Determine from whom the data will be collected. Administer surveys to study samples. Schedule and conduct interviews and focus groups. Obtain the existing data from secondary sources. Analyze the data from each data source. Synthesize and summarize the data across sources and triangulate the evidence. I. Decisions and next steps Meet with the group of key stakeholders. Discuss potential benefits, risks, and potential adverse consequences for each potential remedy.

Phase 3: Postassessment Purpose: Take action to resolve the problem underlying the need J. Review and reconstitute the key stakeholder group What organizations are involved to address needs? Have the needs of the target population, service providers, and organizations been identified and considered? Are all of the key stakeholders and representatives of the organizations currently involved in the process? What criteria will be used to determine which remedy will be selected? K. Analyze potential causes of the needs and remedies for the gaps What are the likely causes of the gaps that have been prioritized? Which potential remedies are considered most likely to eliminate or ameliorate the needs? How do the potential remedies rate on the criteria for choosing a remedy? L. Select the solution to be implemented Determine the ranking of each potential solution on the basis of the criteria for choosing a remedy. Select the remedy. Develop an action plan for implementing the remedy. Obtain resources to implement the remedy. Implement the remedy and monitor the process and outcomes. Evaluate the remedy.