A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Consider the following steps as a guide to designing a schoolwide project. The suggested steps should not be considered a comprehensive list. Each site's planning committee should consider additional planning steps beyond the generic ones contained in this guide. Also, the steps listed below require additional information to complete. Conducting a sound needs assessment, for example, requires trained personnel, detailed information, and district resources.

1. Establish a planning team. The team should include the principal, several teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school resource staff such as librarians. Parents, students (especially in secondary settings), and other community members should also be included.

   Note: Although the number of team members will vary depending upon the setting planning groups larger than ten usually prove very difficult to coordinate and manage.

   
   

   Name	Position

2. Conduct comprehensive needs assessment. School and district personnel conduct a comprehensive assessment of the educational needs of the project. The planing team should gather information from as many sources as possible, including, but not limited to, achievement, attitude, and behavioral data.

3. Organize the needs assessment data into a school profile. The profile should feature charts and tables which capture the information from the needs assessment in graphic form, allowing for easy interpretation by a variety of audiences.

4. Investigate the research base. As soon as possible, the planning team should review relevant research so that any changes they propose for the schoolwide project will be grounded in research.

5. Draft comprehensive goals and specific objectives. Based on the information gathered in needs assessment, the planning team should draft comprehensive goals and specific objectives for the entire school which would enable the school to support all students in attaining high standards. The schoolwide should result in measurable improvement for Chapter 1 children as well as the rest of the school. The chart (not to scale) below can help guide the planning team in designing a schoolwide project which is different from the previous school.

   Describe how each area of the program looked and will look before and after implementation of the schoolwide project:

   	Before Schoolwide Project	With Schoolwide Project
   Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction
   Professional Development
   Parent Involvement
   Other

6. Incorporate research into the plan. Once the draft goals and objectives have been reviewed by the staff and community, the planning team should incorporate information from the research base to help ensure that the proposed changes are sound.

7. Review and modify the draft plan. The planning team should modify the draft plan according to the suggestions from reviewers. The team should incorporate research-based information to help ensure the final success of the plan.

8. Complete final plan. The final plan must include staff development and training activities so that staff will receive sufficient support to carry out the plan. Use the attached Schoolwide Project Planning Timeline to identify roles and responsibilities.

[Appendix A - Chapter 1 Schoolwide Projects: Contact Information]

[The Chapter 1 Schoolwide Project at Richmond Elementary School]