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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

Needs Assessment Mini-Project – Assignment 2

By

Meredith B. Connor

Student ID: 20053571

University of the West Indies

Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For

EDID6507 – Needs Assessment for Learning and Performance

Trimester 2 2016/2017

Email: Meredith.hodge@my.open.edu

Course Coordinator: Laura Gray

Course Facilitator: Laura Gray

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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………... 4

BACKGROUND …………………………………………………………………….. 4-5

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ………………………………………………... 5

TARGET AUDIENCE ……………………………………………………………..... 6

PURPOSE …………………………………………………………………………….. 6

MISSION ………………………………………………………………………………. 7

VISION ………………………………………………………………………………….7

LIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS ……………………………………………….7

METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………………………………7

NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS

LEARNER ANALYSIS ………………………………………………8-9

NEW EMPLOYEES ANALYSIS ……………………………………10

EMPLOYER ANALYSIS ……………………………………………..11

TEAM ANALYSIS ………………………….…………………………12

WORK/ENVIRONMENT/SETTING ANALYSIS ……………........12

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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

STATEMENT OF THE LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE GAP ………………..13

CAUSE ANALYSIS ………………………………………………………………………13-14

STATEMENT OF PROPOSED SOLUTION …………………………………………14-15

REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………………16-17

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A (1): NEEDS ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST………………………………18-

19

A (2): QUESTIONS TO THE SCHOOL’S BOARD ……………………….19-

20

A (3): DATA COLLECTION PLAN FOR NEEDS AND PERFORMANCE

ANALYSIS ……………………………………………………………...21

APPENDIX B (1): STUDENT WORKPLACE READINESS PRE-TEST – Quia………..22

B (2): STUDENT WORKPLACE READINESS PROFILE QUIZ……….22-23

APPENDIX C: WORKPLACE READINESS – ASSESSMENT SURVEY – NEW

EMPLOYEES PERSPECTIVE ………………………………………..23-24

APPENDIX D: WORKPLACE READINESS – ASSESSMENT SURVEY –

EMPLOYERS PERSPECTIVE ……………………………………….25-26

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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

Introduction

In the Trials of the Terry Kirkland case there is a concern that students of the Dundee

County are leaving school ill-equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills that allow for

easy transition into the workplace. As a result, the Dundee High School had received a small

grant to develop a series of workshops that would introduce teenagers to workplace readiness

Skills most desired by employers. The project is headed by a committee referred to as the Work

Place Reading Committee (WPRC). The committee is comprised of teachers Jane Pruitt,

Leonard Gold, Suzanne Fuentes, Dwight Harris and Mavis Barrett. Upon successful

implementation of the project it would be later introduced at the other high schools in Dundee

County. The planning of the project has been going on for a year without much progress. To this

end, the School Board had made a decision to hire an instructional designer to structure a plan to

ensure the successful implementation of the project. The Superintendent for Instruction and

Vocational Services has enlisted the services of a well qualified and respected instructional

designer in the person of Terry Kirkland to work with the committee in creating an effective and

dynamic design for instruction. Effective instruction is instruction that enables students to

acquire specified skills, knowledge, and attitudes (Reiser & Dick, 1996).
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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

Background

There has been some disagreement between the WPRC and the instructional designer as

to the objectives and what should be included as topics to be taught in the proposed workshop for

the students of Dundee County. According to the case study the WPRC had submitted a

recommendation that the topics:-Resume writing skills; and Job interview skills should be

taught. Those skills though valuable, are skills utilized prior to becoming employed and the

proposed project was to focus on introducing workplace readiness Skills. Preliminary

stakeholder interviews indicated that potential employees would like students to develop conflict

management skills; cooperation with others; problem solving skills; and to attend work

punctually and regularly. These findings were consistent with the results of the Secretary’s

Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCASNS) report released in June of 1991. It

identified the skills needed for employment, an acceptable level of proficiency, effective ways to

assess proficiency, and a dissemination strategy for schools, businesses and homes. This

provided an alternative for arguments that ensued on the measurability of those soft skills in

comparison to the development of resume writing skills; and job interview skills. Similar

research conducted by (Greenberg and Nilssen (2015) shows “that problem-solving and

collaborative skills are two top soft skills on which schools should be focusing.” In their

research of those surveyed, 95% and 96% respectively thought that the ability to collaborate and

solve problems was essential in preparing learners for work life. Members of the WPRC have

indicated that they too have identified the same needs among students of Dundee High School in

their own classrooms.

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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

Statement of the Problem

A review the Kirkland case indicates that the problem is that students of Dundee County

lack the knowledge and skills that would be necessary for effective participation in the

workplace; and the members of the WPRC cannot decide on the relevant objectives, content and

structure of the workshop in an effort to prepare the students for success in the workplace.

Target Audience

The needs of those students, potential employers, and a group of individuals recently

employed, the school and teachers will be assessed to inform decisions on the content and

structure of the workshop. The audience consists of both males and females. The people who

will benefit immediately from the Workplace Readiness Workshop are students at the Dundee

High School. The long-term beneficiaries will be the employment sector and the society in

general.

Purpose

The instructional design process begins with the identification of a problem or a need. A

need assessment is described by Kuffman & English (1979); Kuffman, Rogers & Mayer (1993)

as a tool for identifying the problem and then selecting and appropriate intervention. A needs

assessment is the systematic process for identifying gaps in performance, and uncovering the

causes for those gaps, or for identifying future performance needs (Berger, 2001). Given the

significance of a need assessment, its importance in the planning process cannot be over looked

if the goal is to improve performance in an identified area. Therefore, such an assessment was

be conducted by the WPRC to inform decisions regarding the development of the content and

delivery of the workplace readiness workshop.

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The overall goal is to design effective and appropriate instruction for a face to face

workshop. To do this the WPRC collected and assessed relevant data to determine the needs or

gaps to be filled in the delivery of the workshop to the students in Dundee County. The

proposed workshop will be delivered four (4) times over a two (2) day period, in three (3) hour

sessions each.

Mission

Dundee High School’s mission is to educate all students to their maximum academic and
social potential; develop respect, responsibility and resourcefulness in each student; while
promoting parental and community involvement.

Vision

Vision is to provide the best possible educational setting for each child.

Limitations and Assumptions

The case was being viewed as an active one as such recent data and dates were used to
stimulate the scenario. The extent of the research was limited due to time constraints and the
lack of resources.

Methodology

It is well known that “the nature and format of assessments affect the depth of knowledge
acquired” (SCOPE, 2010). In this case the identified problem is twofold; therefore, several
instruments, sources and methods were used to gather information to determine the existence and
extent of the learning and performance gaps. Performance analysis is important because it
identifies what causes the problem or what strengths are available for innovation (Van Tiem,
Moseley & Dessinger (2012). These facts will help with the decision to carefully select
appropriate interventions, the best approaches and the timeline for closing those gaps. Surveys,
questionnaires, pre-tests, group discussions, reviews of extant data and observations were used to
collect relevant qualitative and quantitative information from respective stakeholders about
themselves and the target audience. According to Rosette as cited by Van Tiem, Moseley &
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Dessinger (2012), performance analysis involves partnering with clients “to help them define and
achieve their goals”. Therefore the aforementioned were necessary steps to determine the current
performance and the desired state. The findings of this research are outlined below.

Needs Analysis

After consultation with the school’s Board to determine basic information about the
engagement with regard to their perception of the problem, their requirements, resource
availability, funding and the general timeline for deliverables a closer look was taken at other
areas that would confirm the need (see Appendix A(3)).

Learner Analysis

To determine the level of workplace readiness of students at the Dundee High School
pre-tests were administered during two Information Technology class. This was done to get a
representative sample of the student characteristics of the general school population.
Technology was leveraged to access an online Workplace Readiness quiz on Quia website which
automatically graded and sent to the online grade book created by the school (see link in
Appendix B). 75% of the students tested were unprepared for the workplace according to the
results. This was consistent with their own assessment of their preparedness. To be considered
workplace ready, in these tests participants must be proficient in 80% of the workplace readiness
categories tested. To future assess the students, in social studies class they were given a quiz to
complete to gather other information on their basic skills, thinking skills and personal
characteristics, as well as feelings about possible training on workplace readiness (see Appendix
C). 95% of students were in favor of training. 83% saw conflict resolution as the most
important area for training while 51% thought that problem solving was most important. The
findings were used as a basis for comparison with other findings to verify competency and
provide independent reasonable assurance on the reliability of results. Additionally, to assess the
learners’ skills, knowledge and capacity a review of their academic records for a three year
period was done. The results are as follows:-
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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

Figure 1. Dundee High School Academic Performance

70%
60%
50%
40% 2013
30% 2014
20% 2015
10%
0%
Math Reading Writing Social Studies Science

Figure 1 above shows the findings from the Dundee High School’s state administered
standards based tests. The tests measure how well students mastered specific skills. Students are
expected to score at or above the proficient level. The school’s performance was compared to
the national standards, academic benchmarks and county goals. The state’s proficiency level is
75%. The chart shows that in 2013, 28% of students at the school were proficient or better in
math, this increase by 1% in 2014, but fell by an astounding 19% in 2015. In 2013 school
records showed that 53% of students were reading at proficiency level or better, while in 2014
this increased to 66%. In 2015 there was a sharp decline in reading which registered that 32% of
students were performing at or above proficiency (a 34% decline from 2014). Scores in writing
showed that 56% of students were performing at or above proficiency, 51% in 2014 and 31% in
2015. In Social Studies 50% of students were proficient or above in 2013, 45% in 2014 and
39% in 2015. Science results indicated that 35% of students were proficient or above in 2013,
28% in 2014 and 21% in 2015. Overall these results indicate that on average 78% of students
are underperforming in math; 50% are failing in reading; 53% are underachieving in writing;
55% of the students are weak in social Studies and 72% were unsuccessful in science. The sharp
decline in all subject areas in 2015 is cause for concern.
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Analysis of New Employees

It is important to ensure that every effort is made to gather opinions and ideas from a
variety of sources on the performance problem (Rossett, 1989). This will help with ensuring that
the correct type of workplace learning arrangement is created for students, for this reason a group
of young people between the ages of 18 to 25 who were recently employed in different industries
across the county were sought out to participate in a brief survey (see appendix D). The
objective was to get some intimation of the skills they felt may have better prepared them for the
workplace. The results indicated that more than half of the new entrants were deficiently
prepared in the most important skills such as written communication, professionalism, work
ethic, critical thinking and problem solving, time management and teamwork. Figure 2 below is
a visual representation of the findings. 52% lacked written communication skills; 62% felt they
needed training in or exposure to professionalism/work ethic. 58% of new entrants thought that
they could have performed better if they had time management and problem solving skills, 55%
felt that critical thinking skills would have helped them and 52 % considered teamwork to be an
asset. People cannot be expected to perform to standards if they lack the required knowledge
and skill.

Figure 2. WPR – New Employees

Written Communication Skills 52%

Pofessionalism/Work Ethic 62%

Time… 58% Workplace Readiness Skills

Deficiency
Teamwork 52%

Critical Thinking 55%

45% 50% 55% 60% 65%

Employer Analysis
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Further to the preliminary interviews carried out by Terry Kirkland, employers from a
broader cross section of industries were contacted by email and asked to complete a short survey
which would help to identify the work place readiness skills that are most desirable by employers
to better prepare students for workplace success. They were asked to identify actual
performance problems among new entrants to the workforce. 35% of those contacted intended
hire new employees in the next 12 -24 months. On average employers said that they spent
US$1,200.00 per employee on training new entrants. This figure is consistent with the ATD
State of the Industry Report (Miller, 2014). Further, employers were asked if they would be
willing to partner with Dundee County with regard to workplace readiness initiatives to which
78% replied affirmatively.

Table 1 below shows a list the workplace readiness skills that employers ranked as very
important and the percentage of them that agreed. Also listed in the table are the percentages of
employers that shared that view that those particular workplace readiness skills were lacking
among new entrants to the workplace. The findings were comparable to those revealed by new
entrants to the work place.

Table 1. Employer Responses - WPR Skills

Soft Skills For Work Place Readiness Employer Response Percentage of

Ranked Employers that
“Very Important” found WPR Skills
Lacking
Professionalism/Work Ethic/Ethics 80% 70%
Teamwork/Collaboration/Interpersonal 74% 52%
skills
Communication Skills 70% 26%
Problem Solving/Critical 69% 57%
Thinking/Conflict Resolution
Information Technology 53% 20%
Creativity 36% 18%
Reading and Application Skills 26% 15%
Health and Safety 6% 2%
Listening Skills/Customer Service 37% 37%
Numeracy 30% 15%
Information Technology 26% 15%
Leadership 18% 2%
Time Management/Attendance 70% 60%
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Team Analysis

After observing Mr Gold’s skill while administering the pilot of activities for the
proposed workshop to determine appropriateness of the content and student attitude towards the
training it was decided that a discussion with the Workplace Readiness Committee was
necessary. The goal was to determine what talents were available in-house and the teachers’
proclivity to share them for this project. Another reason for the discussion was to get the views
of the team on the workshop to confirm commitment.

It was discovered that all teachers at Dundee High School participate in school-embedded
professional development and attend conferences and workshops during academic year. All of
the teachers have a first degree and some are currently pursuing advanced studies. Talents were
wide ranging with some being very organized, while others were technologically savvy. All
members of the team expressed their willing to assist, albeit two did so begrudgingly. The
WPRC agreed that based on the feedback from the students they would adjust the focus of the
workshop.

Workplace/Environmental/Setting Analysis

Performance improvement is the science and art of improving people, process,

performance organizations and ultimately society (Van Tiem, Moseley & Dessinger, 2012). A
look at the environmental support structure for schools in the area revealed that one of the
Education Department’s 5 year goals was to support the implementation of career ready
standards and assessments in the state by May 2017 which would certainly help the cause.

Dundee High School is a co-educational system with a student population of 468.

According to the school’s demographic and social profile 92% of the student population is
economically disadvantaged compared to the state’s average of 64%. This confirms that the
students at this school are “at risk”. The school’s student teacher ratio is 15:1 which is
consistent with the national average as published in the National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES 2016). 6.1% of the teachers are in their first or second year of teaching. The school has
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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

a robust program of extracurricular activities ranging from arts, to music, to sports. According
to the school’s economic diversity and culture survey records the school is culturally diverse but
has a 4% rate of chronic student absenteeism. This means that 4% of students miss 15 days or
more during the school year. The national median for chronic absenteeism is 16%. 10% of the
student population misses school because of suspensions or other disciplinary measures
administered by the school. Despite of this the school’s graduation rate is 94% which is higher
than the county average of 77%.

Statement of the Learning and Performance Gap

It is the desire of the Dundee High School Board and faculty to adequately prepare all
students for the workplace. Currently only 25% of students are ready to enter the workplace
therefore intense initiatives must be undertaken to bridge that gap to ensure that the remaining
75% are equipped for success in the workplace. The school’s Board aspires to develop and
deliver a quality workshop on workplace readiness to be presented by April 1, 2017. Due a
number of setbacks the objectives, content and structure of the workshop was not decided upon
as such to close the gap a decision on the same must be made by January 6, 2017. Table 2 below
presents a summarized account of the gaps.

Table 2. Learning and Performance Gap

Desired Performance Gap Actual Performance

100% of students Workplace 75% increase in student 25% of students prepared

Ready. workplace readiness. for workplace entry.

Development and Delivery of Decide on the objectives, content Indecisiveness on

workshop on Workplace Readiness and structure of the Workplace objectives, content,
by April 1, 2017. Readiness workshop by January structure of the Workplace
6, 2017. Readiness workshop.

Causes of Non-performance
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Research indicates that generational differences in workplace readiness seem to be a

common (Hansen & Leuty 2012). Generally a skill-based deficit is due to a lack of opportunity
to learn or limited models of appropriate behavior (Gresham & Elliott, 1989). In this case the
initial delay in implementation of the requested workshop was as a result of a lack of resources
such as an Instructional Designer. Consequently, assessments of the needs of all concerned to
identify the gap between the desired performance and the actual performance were not done
early enough. This was compounded by the delay in feedback from the board on the proposed
objectives and topics. The fact the necessary assessments were not done to determine
appropriate content and structure of the workshop based on identified needs was also a hindrance
to performance. As a result decisions on tools and resources were disconcerted resulting in the
delay on development of the workshop.

Students’ unpreparedness for the workplace is directly linked to the fact that workplace
readiness is not explicitly included in the current curriculum; therefore, exposure to opportunities
for workplace preparedness was very limited. Bandura (1968) posits that learning or cognitive
development takes place in social context whether through observation (modeling behaviours) or
direction instruction. Additionally, although trends indicate that the identified workplace
readiness skills have been lacking among generations the academic performance of students at
this school coupled with the socioeconomic factors directly affects their preparedness. Research
indicates that children from lower socioeconomic status households and communities develop
academic skills more slowly compared to children from higher socioeconomic status groups
(Morgan, Farkas, Hillermeier & Maczuga, 2009). Lower income communities are often under-
resourced thus negatively affecting students’ academic progress (Aikens & Barbarin, 2008).
The socioeconomic status, as well as the decline in academic performance in 2015 may have a
direct influence on outcomes.

Taking the above factors and findings into consideration the following proposed solutions
are being presented for consideration.

Proposed solution
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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

The proposed long-term solutions for the improvement of workplace readiness through
planned programs are as follows:-

 Conduct an initial workshop to bring general awareness of the issue with regard to
workplace readiness as outlined in the findings above. Topics to be addressed include
written communication skills, professionalism, work ethic, critical thinking and problem
solving skills, time management and teamwork. These are areas identified by employers
as important and lacking in new employees. More than half of new employees agreed
that if they possessed those skills they would have been better prepared for the workplace
and success. Students have also agreed that those areas are important and useful at school as
well as work life.

 Strategic integration of workplace readiness skills into the existing curriculum to provide
a formal structure for acquiring and mastery of skills that are beneficial through all
phases of life. Instruction would emphasize the cohesive integration of both academic
and workplace readiness skills.
 Train teachers to deliver workplace readiness instruction. Teachers will be equipped
with several techniques and resources to effectively introduce the new content of the
curriculum and formally and informally assess learning in engaging ways.
 Develop partnerships with corporate citizens for job attachments, internships, and
apprenticeship or work development programs. This is necessary because people learn
by doing and the work and workplace is ever evolving as employers change the way they
do things. A new workplace requires a new type of employee, one who is highly skilled,
flexible and creative and attuned to working as a member of a team” (Harris, 2000).
Organizational alliances with the school will allow students to learn continually while on
the job which will increase their chances of being a successful employee.
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References

Aikens, N. L., & Barbarin, O. (2008). Socioeconomic differences in reading trajectories. The
Contribution of family, neighborhood, and school contexts. Journal of Education
Psychology, 100, 235-251.

Bandura, A. (1963) Social learning and personality development. New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston.

Beida, A. S. (2011). Closing the Gap between Career Education Employer Expectations

http://www.acics.org/contact/content.aspx?id=6003&terms=closing%20the%20gap

Berger, N. O. (2001). Human Resource Development. Vol.1. Needs assessment in human

resource development. Encyclopedia of life support systems (EOLSS).

Farner, S. M., & Brown, E. E. (2008). College Students and Work World. Journal of
Counseling, 45(3), 108-114. Doi: 10.1002/j.2161-1920.2008.tb00050.x

Greenberg, A. D., & Nilssen, A.H. (2015) The Role of Education in Building Soft Skills:
Wainhouse Research LLC.
Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (1989) Social Skills deficit as a primary learning disability.
Journal of Learning Disabilities, 22, 120-124

Hansen, J.C., & Leuty, M.E. (2012). Work values across generations. Journal of Career
Assessment. 20(1) 34-52.doi: 10.1177/1069072711417163.

Harris, H. (2000). Defining the Future of Reliving the Past? Unions, employers, and the
Challenge of Workplace Learning. Columbus, Oh: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career,
and Vocational Education, Information Series, No. 380, 2000.

Kuffman, R., & English, F. W. (1979). Needs assessment: Concept and application.
Englewood Cliffs: Education Technology Publications.

Kuffman, R., Rojas, A. M., & Mayer, H. (1993). Needs Assessment: A user’s guide.
Englewood Cliffs: Education Technology Publications.
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Levine, M. (2005). College graduateds aren’t ready for the real world.

http://chronicle.com/article/College-Graduates

Miller, L. (2014). Association for Talent Development 2014 State of the Industry Report:
Spending on employee Training remains a priority.

https://www.td.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2014/11/2014-State-of-the-
Industry-Report-Spending-on-Employee-Training-Remains-a-Priority

Morgan, P. L., Farkas, G. Hillermeier M. M. & Maczuga, S. (2009). Risk Factors for
learning-related behavior problems at 24 months of age: Population-based estimates.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37, 401-413.

National Center for Education Statistics (2016). The Condition of Education. Teachers and
Pupil/Teacher Ratios

https://nces.ed.gcov/programs/oe/indicator_clr.asp

Reiser, R.A., & Dick, W. (1996). Instructional Planning: A guide for t. Teachers. Allyn and
Bacon, Boston USA

Rossett, A. (1989). Training needs assessment. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Educational Technology
Publications.

Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (2010). Beyond the basic Skills: The
role of Performance Assessment in achieving 21st Century Standards of Learning

https://scale.stanford.edu/system/files/beyond-basic-skills-role-performance-assessment-
achieving-21st-century-standards-learning.pdf

The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills. (1991). what work requires of
schools: A SCANS report for America 2000. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.
(pp. xv, xviii)

Twenge, J.M., Campbell, S. M., Hoffman, B. J., & Lance, C.E. (2010). Generational
Differences in work Values: Leisure and extrinsic values increasing, social and intrinsic
values decreasing. Journal of Management, 36(5), 1117-
1142.doi:10.1177/01149206309352246
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Van Tiem, D., Moseley, J.L. & Dessinger, J.C. (2012). Fundamentals of Performance
Improvement. Optimizing results through people, process and organizations. Pfeiffer an
Imprint of Wiley.

APPENDICES

Appendix A (1): Needs Assessment Checklist

Needs Assessment Checklist

This checklist is not intended to “check” every item. Rather, the goal of this tool is

encourage thoughtful reflection and consideration of critical aspects of stakeholder needs and the

Workshop to be conducted on workplace readiness at Dundee High School. Checking all the

items on this list will not guarantee a perfect project, but consideration of each item will help to

improve the outcome.

Needs Assessment

□ Determine what employers feel are important skills for school leavers to have in the workplace

□ Determine what level of workplace readiness skills students at Dundee High School possess

□ Establish the gap between “what is” and “what should be”

□ Verify the need for this workshop

Types and Levels of Needs

□ Find out if the need to be assessed is immediate or long-term

□ Ascertain the levels of needs (E.g. primary: students, employers; secondary: those who deliver
the required intervention to primary level; those who support secondary level)

Conducting Needs Assessment

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□ Select the target audience

□Select the instruments, sources and methods that are suitable for collecting data for this needs
assessment

□ Utilize multiple measures for collecting data

□ Examine national standards, benchmarks, county goals, desired outcomes, to determine

possible candidates for “what should be”

□ Plan the process for identifying patterns and discrepancies (such as comparing the means
between items or having assessment team members rate the discrepancy)

Prioritization of Needs

□ Prioritize the degree to which immediate action is required

□ Conduct a causal analysis to identify root causes

□ Identify possible solutions

Follow-through

□ Make decisions on the objectives, and content of the Intervention

□ Develop action plans, monitor plans

□ Implement the Intervention

□ Evaluate the outcome

Appendix A (2). Assessment Questions to the School’s Board

Workplace Readiness Engagement – Questions to Board

1. What the issue you are trying to resolve?

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2. What is the biggest obstacle to solving the problem identified? -----------------------------------------------

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3. What is your overall goal?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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4. Who is the target audience? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. How do they feel about the proposed training (attitudes, expectations etc.)? ------------------------------
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6. Do you have training material already developed? ----------------------------------------------------------------
7. What is the budget for the project? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Is there a project committee already in place?
9. What resources are available for the project (trainers, facilities, equipment, materials etc.)?-----------
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10. What is the general timeline for project implementation? --------------------------------------------------------
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Information Resource Who? Where? Method When

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Purpose of the Interview Notes Dundee High Dundee High Interviews Prior to
Engagement Policies Procedures School Board School Meeting
School Website Team
Review of Meeting
Extant Data
Research
Data
Student Performance Quiz results, Pre- Records Review of During
Test Results, Management, Dundee High Assessment
Extant Data,
observation Teachers School phase
Checklist Students Academic,
quiz and Pre-
Test Scores
Environment/worker School Website, New Review of During
School Records, Employees, Dundee High Assessment
Extant Data
Survey reports, Employers, School, Phase
National Statistics, Team Workplace Interviews,
County records and members
Discussions
Policy
Survey
Research
Current performance Survey Students Dundee High Survey During
levels Interviews Results Faculty School, Assessment
Interview
Staff Workplace Phase
Observation Team Data
checklist Employers
Observation
New
Performance Employees
Appraisal records
Document
Review

Desired performance Interview notes Students Dundee High Interview During

levels Staff School, Data Assessment
Group discussion Team Workplace Phase
notes Employers Discussion
New Data
Survey Results Employees
National Statistics, Survey Data
County Policy and Document
Records Review
Identify Gaps In All findings Team Dundee High Analysis of After data
Performance School data from all analysis
sources to
identify
trends,
useful
information
etc to
support
conclusion
and
decisions on
possible
interventions
Appendix A (3) Table 3. Plan for Needs and Performance Analysis

Appendix B: Workplace Readiness Pre-Tests - Quia

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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

Work Place Readiness Pre-Test Administered in Information Technology Class via the
website Quia using the active link below:-

https://www.quia.com/quiz/1862026.html?AP_rand=461467068

Appendix C: Student Workplace Readiness Quiz

Workplace Readiness Engagement – Questions to Board

Please take the time to provide your responses to the following questions which will aid in the development of a
Workplace Readiness initiative for Students. The quiz should take about 30 minutes of less.

Answer True/False to these 7 Questions

1. I maintain punctual and consistent attendance (I arrive at classes and appointments on time).
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2. I willingly follow instructions from teachers, peers and others. ---------
3. I always complete my tasks. --------------------
4. I find it easy to speak to my peers and others. -----------------------------
5. Reading and interpreting assignments are easy for me. ---------------------
6. I prefer to work alone. --------------------------
7. I prefer to work with a team. ----------------------------------

Respond Yes/No to the Following 6 Questions

8. Can technology help you improve your writing skills? ---------------------------------

9. Do you think positive work ethic guides your behavior at work? ---------------------
10. Do you think integrity is important at school and in the workplace? ------------------
11. Do you think that team skills are helpful in the workplace? ----------------------------
12. Are self-representation skills important on the job? ------------------------------------
13. Do you think training is necessary to help you to transition into the workplace successfully? ----------------
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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

14. Would you be open to receiving training on workplace readiness? ---------------------------

Please share your thoughts in the Following Questions

15. What would you do if you encountered a conflict situation at work? -------------------------------------------------
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16. In your own words how would you define integrity? ---------------------------------------------------------------------
17. Explain why self-representation skills may be important in the workplace. ---------------------------------------
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18. What area(s) of workplace readiness would you want training in? ---------------------------------------------------

Appendix D: Workplace Readiness Survey – New Employees Perspective

Workplace Readiness Engagement – Questions to Board

Please take the time to provide your responses to the following questions which will aid in the development of a
Workplace Readiness initiative for students. The questionnaire should take about 15 minutes of less.

1. Please indicate your age range

18 -21
22 - 25
2. Do you think that high school and/or university adequately prepared you for entry into the work
force? Why or why not? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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3. What the knowledge or skills do you wish possessed prior to entering the work force?
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Running head: EDID6507 Needs Assessment For Learning and Performance

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4. How long did it take you to find a job after completing school?--------------------------------------------------
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5. Did you receive on the job training? If yes, how long? -----------------------------------------------------------
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6. A) Do you think students should receive training on workplace readiness? --------------------------------
-B) If yes, what specific areas of workplace readiness do you think should be covered? ---------------
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C) What form do you think the training should take for example workshop, mentorship,
apprenticeship programs etc.?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

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Appendix E - Workplace Readiness Assessment Survey – Employers Perspective

Workplace Readiness Engagement – Questions to Board

Please take the time to provide your responses to the following questions which will aid in the development of a
Workplace Readiness initiative for students. The questionnaire should take about 15 minutes of less.

1. Please state your work industry ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. What knowledge and skills does your organization look for in entry level staff?----------------------------
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3. In the last 12 months did your organization have difficulty finding suitable candidates for
employment? If yes, what were the main reasons? --------------------------------------------------------------
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4. What specific challenges do you regularly encounter with entry level staff?
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Using the scale “Excellent”, “Adequate” or “Lacking” Please answer the following question:

5. What level of skills do new entrants/employees currently bring to their jobs? ------------------------------
6. Has your organization had to implement training or other initiatives to remedy skills that are
lacking? If yes, please state the nature and approximate cost. ------------------------------------------------
7. Are you likely to increase employment in the next 12 – 24 months? ------------------------------------------
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8. How would you rate the importance of the following soft skills as it relates to your organization?

Technical and Soft Skills Level Importance to Organization

High Medium Low

Communication Skills

Interpersonal Skills
Team Work/Collaboration
Conflict Resolution
Health and Safety
Ethics/Work Ethics/Professionalism
Reading and Application Skills
Listening Skills
Information Technology
Leadership Skills
Numeracy Skills
Customer Service Skills
Time Management Skills/Attendance
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Attendance

9. Are you associated with any school in Dundee County? If yes, what is the nature of your
association (supporter, donor, partner, etc.)?-------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Would you be willing to work along with the Dundee County to increase workplace Readiness?------
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Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.