RUNNING HEAD: NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Abstract
An essential technique for identifying a district’s or school’s concerns, problems, obstacles, and
resources required to address them is a needs assessment. State educational agencies (SEAs) and
districts must finish a needs assessment as stipulated in the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (ESEA9), according to the Department of Education’s Office of Elementary &
Secondary Education (2020). School districts can use a needs assessment approach to: 1)
discover gaps between intended and present circumstances; 2) prioritize needs or concerns; 3)
implement new strategies, applications, and needs aligned; and 4) identify resources to address
requirements or problems.
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RUNNING HEAD: NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Collaboration and Communication
In cooperation with the Floyd County District office in Rome, GA, I had a conversation
with Steve Troen, the Director of Teaching and Learning (curriculum). Since Director Troen is
the primary information source for the district schools' curricula, I made the decision to meet
with him. Director Troen oversees curriculum development and evaluation, curriculum-related
professional development, classroom instruction and assessment, and the execution of state and
federal initiatives that have a direct influence on student learning.
Math, science, social studies, and English language arts are all part of the elementary,
middle, and high school core curriculum, which closely complies with state requirements
(District, 2023). Every curriculum is routinely examined using a district-wide review procedure.
Sixteen district parents, other residents, eight school staff, five students, the director of teaching
and learning, and one to three school board members make up the Curriculum and Instruction
Advisory Council that the district has established. Families can access free or inexpensive
internet through the district's Emergency Broadband Benefits Program. Families must be eligible
for free or reduced meals, which are state educational benefits. The school system communicates
with families, students, and the community in several ways. Parents can use the "Track My Bus"
app to monitor the whereabouts of their children's buses and get real-time notifications, such
crash alarms or medical updates. For any school-related material that needs to be disseminated in
a large format, Messenger is another tool that is used to deliver mass messages to students,
families, and the community.
After that, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) was consulted. The PTO, which is
made up of students' parents and guardians, raises money in compliance with District 196
regulations (Policy 801). Parents were worried about the way their children were being taught.
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Parents believed that too much of our education was dependent on technology and that pupils
should utilize it less. The PTO's role is to support decision-making processes that satisfy the
requirements of students, staff, school administration, and other stakeholders. Students are not
learning the fundamental skills necessary for survival or self-sufficiency, such as research,
handwriting, and communication. Students in the district have benefited greatly from the
involvement of their parents and legal guardians. Students are more likely to succeed when
parents and schools collaborate.
The kids were the last group to speak. Breakfast and lunch are supplied to students who
qualify for educational benefits. The students who participated in this program expressed
gratitude for it, but they also expressed gratitude for the school's provision of extra meals for
students to take home on the weekends and during the week if necessary. Concerns regarding
instructor involvement and participation were also expressed by the pupils. Sometimes, students
thought that their teachers didn't care about them or their future.
A couple additional topics were brought up when I spoke with each of the three groups.
The school system communicates with families, students, and the community in several ways.
Parents can use the "Track My Bus" app to monitor the whereabouts of their children's buses and
get real-time notifications, such crash alarms or medical updates. For any school-related material
that needs to be disseminated in a large format, Messenger is another tool that is used to deliver
mass messages to students, families, and the community. Questions concerning staff and student
safety as well as the necessity of a needs assessment were posed to all three. Everyone thought
the District was a kind and safe place to be. Parents concurred that they were pleased with the
safety precautions the school takes to guarantee everyone's safety, and students feel at ease
attending class every day. By only permitting websites that have been approved and are
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RUNNING HEAD: NEEDS ASSESSMENT
necessary for learning, the district has taken steps to guarantee that kids cannot access unsuitable
websites on their iPads.
Interview
I had a meeting with the chief of police for one of the local departments. Rome Police
Department's Mikael Dahlstrom. According to Chief Dahlstrom (2023), the community's view
and the demands of the schools are being met, if not successfully, in his city and the nearby
communities. To guarantee that the safety requirements of students and stakeholders are being
satisfied, he suggested that the homework be done in collaboration with all three agencies
( Floyd, and Rome).
He said there has been a greater emphasis on social-emotional learning in response to a
question about new trends or problems affecting schools. The rise in SEL and its impact on
students' social and emotional life were significantly influenced by the epidemic. As they go,
schools must make sure they are keeping students' social and emotional growth in mind. Chief
Dahlstrom discussed the impact of the pupils' new, more technologically advanced learning
environment. Technology should be used in classrooms to meet the demands of learning and
competition. Schools currently have financial challenges, as they did in the past, which makes
updating technology problematic. Even if the typical family pay base in the District is small,
some families still do not have the necessary financial support.
I would start by addressing the social-emotional learning issues as a leader. I would want
my counselors to be more accessible to students who are having difficulties. I would get in touch
with parents to help, either in the school environment or in addition to those offered by county
and state agencies. Today's classrooms use technology as a teaching tool. There are several
possibilities for a school that is having trouble providing technology: seek for grants, buy old
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iPads at a lower cost, or petition the district for more money to catch up to other districts. I
would also talk about how misbehaving in the classroom has grown since the outbreak. This may
be partly because of the SEL environment, but it may also be partly because of the increased
demands on financial and family life.
Identified Needs
After doing extensive research, talking to people, and gathering data, I concluded that
additional work is needed to strengthen the District as a system. Of the three cities in the District,
Rome has the most connections and active community. In my opinion, the district needs to
engage the community more. Every school in the district should do a needs assessment to
ascertain what is necessary to improve the educational experience for the kids. increased security
to prevent major events from occurring within schools. The last school-related need would be to
improve parent involvement at all levels.
To improve relations between the two groups, administrators need to organize more
school and community events. Administrators should take part in community events to promote
themselves and their institutions. School administrators may plan community events to find out
what the community needs regarding the local schools. School officials can provide a variety of
uses for the facilities to the community. Building these relationships with the community will
also open more educational and financial opportunities for children. Hebrews 10:24–25 And
instead of skipping meetings like some people do, let's consider ways to encourage one another
to love and good actions by supporting one another, particularly as the day draws near (Smith,
2023).
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References
Dahlstrom, M., (2023). Personal Communication
District. (2023). About Rome District.
https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1660765943/district196org/
x2i1j5206thoxb12dto1/AboutUs22- 23.pdf
District. (2023). High School. https://www.district.org/academics/high-school District. (2023).
Middle School. https://www.district196.org/academics/middle-school
District. (2023). Elementary School. https://www.district196.org/academics/elementary-school
Dwellics, (2023). Population In Rome, Georgia. https://dwellics.com/georgia/community-in-
romey
Smith, S., (2023). Community. OpenBible. https://www.openbible.info/topics/community
Troen, S., (2023). Personal Communication
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