For many of us, the term needs assessment conjures up images of lengthy questionnaires with questions about people's interest in specific topics, mammoth mailing lists, and huge data analysis undertakings. This process has stood the test of time. The paper-pencil needs assessment has been employed by states, districts, school and programs to yield training programs for millions of special education, general education, related services, early intervention providers across the country. As anyone who has managed this type of needs assessment knows, it can produce large amounts of useful information to provide direction for planning. It also has the potential to produce redundancy and to mask important information that cannot be ferreted out in questionnaires.
Redundancy is inherent in the process of assessing the learning needs of educators.
By definition, our business includes specific domains of activity, such as assessment, behavior management, and instruction. Except for when something new is mandated, such as changes to the IEP process are mandated by federal law, you can probably bet our old friends will show up as the areas of greatest need. Information remains hidden from professional development planners when main source of needs data comes from questionnaires. Also by definition, questionnaires ask specific questions. Usually, open-ended items are available for individual responses, but there are generally limited opportunities to learn about needs that the folks who wrote the questionnaire didn't think to ask a question about.