Needs Assessment
for School-Linked Services
Kirst and Kelley (1995) discuss the purpose of a needs assessment in determining school-linked services:
"A needs assessment is essential for the partnership to understand the needs of its community, including its demographics, racial composition, cultural and language diversity, poverty levels, and indicators of risk factors for students. With a needs assessment, school district leadership and other agency executives must begin defining their common plan. What will be the scope and purpose of the collaboration? Which children and families will it serve and with what breadth and depth of services? What outcomes are to be expected? What funding will be used? There is no one right answer to these questions; the answers must be tailored to the strengths and needs of the community." (p. 37)
When undertaking a needs assessment, it is important to include the viewpoints of students and families. The design of the integrated services initiative should be driven by the diverse needs of youth and communities.