To determine where we are with school improvement, it is essential to conduct a data-based needs assessment. This is a critical step that cannot be skipped. School leaders must take the time to gather and reflect on student performance data and consider input from teachers, staff members, parents, and other stakeholders. This early assessment process helps ensure that reform initiatives are directed to the right issues, saving valuable time and resources in the long run.

We suggest the following two publications to assist you in this process:

1. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory's (Hassel, 1998) Comprehensive School Reform: Making Good Choices, a guidebook for conducting a school self-assessment;

2. Region XI: Northern California Comprehensive Assistance Center's (Hale, 2000) Comprehensive School Reform: Research-Based Strategies to Achieve High Standards.

These resources include tools to collect data in all three domains (technical, personal, and organizational) and to reflect on the alignment of improvement efforts with vision, mission, and purpose. They emphasize gathering data and reflecting on student accomplishments, aligning school improvement efforts with vision, the degree to which staff supports the vision, curriculum, instruction, assessment, governance, management, professional development, external support, parent and community involvement, evaluation and the environment.

After using the process described in these guides, or whatever data-based process you have in place, you are ready to identify the initiative for change. Although these two guides were designed in part to assist schools in selecting a Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) model, they are both helpful to leaders engaged in any school improvement effort.

Next: Identification of System Needs and Action Planning