Community-Based Literacy Needs Assessment Plan

Step 1: What does our team need to know? In order to plan what is best for your community, we will to take action in response to the following questions: 1. What do we need to learn about literacy in our community? Action: Using the expertise of literacy team members and other community partners, brainstorm the information the team wants to know and from whom. Action: Identify your communitys strengths related to literacy. Action: Identify all literacy challenges facing your community. 2. Where can this information be found? Action: Develop a list of the agencies or organizations that will have this information and their contacts. 3. How will we gather the information? Action: Determine how information will be gathered. Match information gathering methods (e.g. survey, focus groups) to the various groups/sources from which it will be collected. Action: Advertising the literacy planning effort will help community members be prepared to receive a survey or be invited to a focus group. 4. Who will gather the information? Action: Literacy team members should divide up the information gathering tasks. Consider experience of team members with particular information gathering strategies as well as knowledge of particular audiences. Step 2: What sources of information should we access? We will explore the effectiveness of these services and activities by collecting specific data. The following are sources of data we will want to collect from specific groups: 1. Early Childhood Educators End of preschool assessment information Number and/or percent of children receiving CDS (special needs) services Number and/or percent of teachers with associates, bachelors, or masters in early childhood education
Community-Based Needs Assessment 3

2. K-12 Teachers & Administrators Kindergarten entry data from screenings Literacy assessment scores at the end of each grade Number or percent of children who were proficient, needed additional help, or required intensive instruction in relationship to literacy achievement measures Percentage of students receiving special education and English Language Learner services Poverty rates for school system 3. Higher Education Faculty & Administrators Percent of students who need remedial English courses Percent of students who do not complete degrees and why

Step 3: From whom do we collect the information we need? Potential groups/individuals who might be involved in a community needs assessment and their spheres of influence (we will choose groups/individuals to involve based on the makeup of the community): 1. Early Childhood Family child care Center-based child care (for-profit, non-profit, & faith-based) Public Pre-K Head Start Home visitors 2. K-12 Superintendent(s) Principals Literacy specialists Librarians 3. Adult Literacy Adult literacy/Adult education Family literacy Senior literacy 4. Higher Education 2 & 4 year colleges-faculty, students, administration 5. Community Members Refugee & Immigrant population leaders Native American population leaders Arts and culture-museums, galleries Local newspapers or media Potential funders-philanthropic
6. Local Government

Curriculum coordinators Teachers Parents

organizations, local businesses Community members enrolled in literacy programs Community members not enrolled in program Community-Based Needs Assessment

Mayor Town Council representatives School Committee Social Services-DHHS, foster care Correctional programs Library Lions Club Rotary Club Elks Club

7. Community Agencies/Health Care Pediatricians and family practice providers Public health nurses Salvation Army Goodwill Regional United Way

8. Business

Chamber of Commerce Local business leaders (small or large) Technology/computer businesses & training programs Workforce investment system-local training sites

9. Religious institutions Churches Synagogues Mosques Step 4: Determine type of assessment tools/forums to be uses Data Gathering

Options: 1. Surveys 2. Focus Groups 3. Personal Interviews 4. Partners 5. Related Plans

We have selected: Focus Groups This process can be used to further determine community needs and concerns. Needs assessment surveys typically have written closed-ended, relatively narrow questions which are quantitatively scored. Such surveys can be very useful; but they usually can't capture all that a person is thinking or feeling. Responses in a focus group, on the other hand, are typically spoken, open-ended, relatively broad, and qualitative. They have more depth, nuance, and variety. Nonverbal communications and group interactions can also be observed. Focus groups can therefore get closer to what people are really thinking and feeling, even though their responses may be harder -- or impossible -- to score on a scale. (Community Toolbox, University of Kansas) o We will use the following method of asking the questions: on site (Focus Group as primary method partnering preschools, schools, etc.), through the mail, during meetings, and electronically. Surveys To determine felt needs o We will determine the questions to ask o Survey questions should be short and to the point. o We will add an other category, respondents may add their own comments as well. NOTE: Special Focus Group for organizations that provide literacy services/resources will also take place.