CoP Description: This CoP supported state education agencies (SEAs) that are early in the process of developing needs-assessment tools and processes to support local districts. It was predicated on state-expressed interest in exploring needs assessment and in learning from each other to develop and improve their needs-assessment efforts related to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In particular, CoP members engaged in activities to aid them in:
- Becoming familiar with ESSA needs assessment requirements across Title programs and understanding how to develop comprehensive needs-assessment processes that will support system coherence by coordinating requirements
- Understanding the elements of a successful needs assessment and how to utilize that knowledge to build a needs-assessment framework that will support a cycle of continuous improvement
- Developing (or refining) a comprehensive needs-assessment protocol specific to their individual state for implementation at the local level
- Developing a state-specific plan for implementing their proposed comprehensive needs-assessment protocol statewide, including communications, training, a plan for tracking and utilizing needs-assessment data over time, and a plan for utilizing implementation feedback as part of a continuous improvement cycle
The resources below were used during learning cycle virtual meetings and asynchronous activities. They are organized in two sections. The first set of resources were provided to CoP members from subject matter experts (SMEs), and are comprised of resources curated from other technical assistance providers. The second set of resources were those subject matter experts created for the work of the CoP.
Participating SEAs: California, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon
CoP Duration: August 2017 through February 2018