Identifying Needs

The primary purpose of a needs assessment is to understand the most pressing needs of students, schools, and/or educators and the potential root causes of those needs (see Step 1 in the Department's non-regulatory guidance on Using Evidence to Strengthen Education Investments). Those needs may be academic, and may also include basic needs (e.g., food security), social and emotional needs, or concerns related to mental health or physical wellness.

Some Department programs have specific guidance concerning needs assessment, including the stakeholder groups that must be consulted as part of the process and components of the process itself. Several of those programs, both current and historic, have produced resources to support the needs sensing process. Selected resources are included below. Because program requirements change, participants are strongly urged to consult with Department staff members about the most recent available guidance about needs sensing.

• The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education's State Support Network Needs Assessment Guidebook.
• The Office of Migrant Education's Comprehensive Needs Assessment Toolkit.
• The 21st Century Community Learning Center Program's Developing a Needs Assessment resource.
• The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education's Perkins Collaborative Resource Network Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment Learning Module.