Educational program planners conduct a needs assessment
as an attempt to measure a perceived need
by collecting data to document a challenge that exists
(RMC Research Corporation, 2008). Data can be collected
through survey, interviews, focus groups, and working
groups (McCawley, 2009). For federal funding programs,
the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has created specific
requirements for conducting a needs assessment (RMC
Research Corporation, 2008).
Both NCLB and state laws have legislated a requirement
for schools to conduct comprehensive needs assessment
(CNA) as part of their planning and decision- making
process (Texas Education Agency, 2015). The purpose
of CNA is to identify a school campus’s educational
strengths and areas that need improvement. This will help
school program planners to prioritize the areas that most
affect student achievement and guide the development of
their campus improvement plan.