Conducting needs assessments serves as a valuable way for Extension educators to ensure that they are designing programs that meet community needs. We developed a needs assessment tool kit that educators across urban, suburban, and rural communities can use to answer the question "What are the youth development needs in my county?"…

This handbook provides practical materials for public officials, professionals, and citizens who are implementing citizen participation programs in rural areas. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to the process of designing and implementing participation programs. Chapter 2 discusses identifying citizen participation needs and necessary…

A random sample of 50 percent of extension home economists in seven midwestern states was surveyed, with an 85 percent response. Results showed that the most used methods of needs assessment were advisory committees, requests, questions from clients, and program spinoffs. (JOW)

In July 1992, the Commission on New Directions for Michigan Community Colleges (CNDMCC) was established to identify key issues most likely to effect the 29 Michigan community colleges and develop recommendations for handling those issues. This report provides background information on the CNDMCC and discusses the commission's recommendations. The…

The introduction of Drexel University's microcomputing program, which provides students access to this technology for coursework, is described, with attention to the groups who played a major role in preparing the university. Faculty helped set the initial direction of the program and have been central to its operation. Other faculty roles…

Summarized is a study to determine the degree to which Michigan vocational teachers and administrators use or plan to use local advisory committees for planning, equipping, staffing, and reviewing local programs, and their degree of commitment to the concept. Researchers conclude that improvement is needed in all areas of concern. (AJ)

This coordinator's handbook, one of a set of twelve documents describing the Career Planning Support System (CPSS) and its use, is designed as a project management tool and provides step-by-step procedures for planning, leading, and coordinating CPSS activities. (CPSS is a comprehensive guidance program management system which offers the school…

Describes a curriculum planning approach that employs a systematic process for identifying alleged training needs, investigating the case in a preproject study, setting priorities, and adopting a project list and budget. Discusses the makeup and roles of the curriculum planning council and professional planning staff. Provides a problem…

The authors present a method for translating assessed needs into goals and objectives for program development and evaluation. The outline of a six-step process is followed by specific suggestions for the use of an adult basic education advisory committee to carry out the procedure. (Author/SK)

The composition and functioning of three specific models of student involvement in university health services are examined for ways in which such involvement may facilitate smoother program operation and meeting of student needs. (Author/MJB)

Based on the experience of 36 schools involved with the Northwest Reading Consortium, this manual presents a model of the instructional improvement process involved in that project. The instructional improvement process presented includes five stages: (1) assessing readiness, (2) developing a statement of the instructional problem, (3) making a…

The function and history of the School Development Seminar (SDS) are described in this bulletin. The SDS was composed of school faculty and administrators, instructors from a local college, school district administrators, and parents. The participants used the SDS to share information and opinions on a variety of issues including inservice…

Describes current attitudes toward staff development through inservice education, the need to coordinate staff evaluation and inservice programs, and the leadership required of administrators and committees. Particular attention is paid to basing inservice programs on needs expressed by teachers. The program followed in Fort Lee (New Jersey) is…

Examines several elements of developing a school career resource center: assessment of school's career development activities and materials; administrative support; plan of action; location; interest sections; information on education, careers, self-assessment, special interests; selecting and gathering materials; advisory committees; public…

This is the first publication in a series of three reports that summarize the results of Ohio's Javits Project, a 3-year federally sponsored program to improve the identification of and services to young economically disadvantaged gifted children in 25 Ohio schools. The report focuses on the project's first year's activities. It describes the…