There is consensus within child welfare services that the provision of timely and effective support to families in the community is of critical importance in terms of protecting children. "Family support" is a term used to refer to a broad range of activities aimed at supporting the functioning of families. It is generally accepted that…

A planning and evaluation model for outreach services is described which includes several elements: state or provincial limitations; college policies and priorities; financial and human resources; demographic indicators of community need; input from program advisory councils; community surveys and learner interest inventories; and program…

This comprehensive, five-phased Needs Assessment Project brought together the collective input from the community, community leaders, current and former students, and the San Diego Community College District staff (faculty, administration, and support personnel). The purpose of the project was to develop valuable, objective input for the Board of…

As part of a 2-year study to plan, develop, and offer relevant continuing education programs for women in Pensacola, a Delphi study was conducted to determine the educational needs and priorities of different types of women living in Pensacola. The Delphi method was selected because it is considered an effective way of eliciting the opinions of a…

The needs assessment process is broken down into nine steps: (1) identifying community leaders; (2) defining assessment terms; (3) developing areas of concern; (4) conducting the assessment; (5) data analysis; (6) prioritizing; (7) analysis of probable success in meeting needs; (8) planning the program; and (9) evaluation. Surveys are discussed,…

In this period of limited financial resources and educational manpower, community colleges can benefit from the application of strategic management techniques to determine how to use their resources most effectively while addressing community needs. At Delta College, this approach was adopted to assess community needs for agricultural programs and…

Market analysis can provide a mechanism for making needs assessment functional and for focusing program development on constituencies in the community that need to be served. The main goals of market analysis are to generate usable information, document needs, assign priorities, locate resources, and respond to identified needs in a systematic…

A Teacher Corps-sponsored survey of a rural town in northern Maine is described. The survey was intended to investigate the feelings of town citizens regarding their own lives, the town in which they live, and their school. It was intended to disclose the need for day or foster care centers, to find out about the levels of educational attainment…

The Delaware Valley Child Care Council (DVCCC) developed this booklet to help Philadelphia school principals plan and develop privately run after-school centers in their schools. First, an executive summary documents the need for school-age day care nationwide and in the Philadelphia area. Section I offers guidance on planning a school-age child…

This guide, one of a set of twelve documents describing the Career Planning Support System (CPSS) and its use, provides instruction for faculty/staff members (on a needs assessment task force) to lead others in manually tabulating data collected on four questionnaires administered as one of the activities of CPSS. (CPSS is a comprehensive guidance…

This manual describes three instruments that can be used to inventory elements related to adult education and career development: (1) the Adult Education Program Survey, which is designed to examine the concerns of adult learners in the community regarding their prospective participation in adult education; (2) the Inventory of Community…

After an examination of societal currents leading up to the student revolution of the sixties, the author develops a theoretical concept of needs assessment. Assuming that effective needs assessment and program planning depends on the success of simulating the "needing" process of constituents, he divides community college clientele into…

In order to assess the felt needs and interests of the local population and business community relative to education and training, a survey was designed and implemented in the four-county area surrounding Waco, Texas. This volume, part one of a three part series documents the work done in developing and conducting the community needs assessment…

This document proposes specific changes in the California Education Code which would prescribe minimum standards for the formation of public community colleges. The Code regulations would define "college", require the assessment of local needs and preferences before the establishment of a new college, provide objectives for the formation…

Describes problems encountered by Bay Mills College (Michigan) in providing transfer-oriented prehealth programs for low income Native Americans. Suggests that the difficulties were caused by misjudging the needs of the community. Discusses a comprehensive survey underway of local professionals and residents to determine interest in health science…