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…

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,…

The purpose of the research project was to develop a comprehensive evaluation model that could be used to revise and improve adult education programs. The Jefferson County School System was selected for testing the model, and the problem was to determine how adequately the system provided quality adult education programs to meet the needs of the…

An indepth needs assessment was conducted to identify and prioritize institutional goals specified in terms of the vocational needs of the clientele that the training center is committed to serve. Following a task workshop to develop a list of institutional program areas of concern, a survey instrument was designed to determine the extent and…

In an effort to inform the program and services review, develop new instructional programs, and assist marketing efforts at Pima Community College (PCC), in Arizona, a survey was conducted in fall 1992 of Pima County employers' training needs, employment needs, and opinions about PCC. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 759 local…

Intended for parent and other advocacy groups interested in studying the quality of local public special education programs from a consumer perspective, the packet of information (in looseleaf format) provides an organized way of collecting information, reviewing it, and drawing conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of the local program.…

Identifying the genuine needs of a community and developing a sound program to respond to those needs represent the primary mission of the community educator. The success of program planning efforts will depend largely on how solid the analysis of the community is. This collection of papers deals with the question of how community analysis is…

In 1987, the College of the Mainland undertook a project to update curricula in real estate, business management, and office technology. The project entailed a survey of the labor market to clarify personnel needs in selected fields; the use of the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) process, which involved expert workers in the creation of task…

In this paper, the author describes a game that is played by the school administration, faculty, staff, students, and parents in order to improve a school curriculum. The game gives all persons interested in the school an opportunity to "purchase" the kind of education they feel is needed. A player is given 20 Play money bills, each in the…

Part of the Striving for Excellence program of the Utah State Library requires participating public libraries to conduct community needs assessments. This is a way for library directors and trustees to find out if the mission they have chosen and the policies they have written are still appropriate as they identify the strengths and weaknesses of…

This literature review examines the utilization of community needs assessment data in program planning and evaluation efforts at community colleges. The review first defines and looks at the purposes of community needs assessments, noting that while such studies are purported to facilitate the planning and evaluation of credit and non-credit…

The University of Alaska (UAJ) consists of Juneau-Douglas Community College and Southeastern Senior College. Enrollment is predominantly part-time and largely concentrated in the community college. Personal interviews were conducted in May-June 1979 with 16 UAJ personnel and 50 citizens in six adjacent communities to identify local and University…

Adults in a multi-ethnic, small, rural school district were surveyed to determine their evaluation and expectations of district schools. Of the 301 respondents, 72% were Jicarilla Apache/other Indian, 14% Spanish/Mexican, and 14% Anglo; most were aged 19-45; 81% had completed high school; 76% were employed. Respondents rated the elementary, high,…

A 1977 preliminary study for the Community Education Advisory Council of Blanchard, Oklahoma, done in conjunction with the Blanchard Public Schools, sought to determine the need for and receptivity to the possible development of a community education program. The survey instrument, administered using a random sample and personal interview method,…

The Maryland Higher Education Commission surveyed more than 2,500 employers in the state to learn what programs at various degree levels were desired by employers. The results were examined along with labor market data about the projected number of job openings in specific occupational areas. It was concluded that nearly 60 percent of job openings…