Revealing and dealing with the “messy stuff”: the role of needs assessment in identifying, negotiating and planning for complex district learning needs

Excellent teaching is key to improving schools (Haycock, 1998; Darling-Hammond, 2000; Taylor & Pearson, 2002), and effective professional development can have a positive impact on teaching practice (Borko, 2004). In order for it to be effective, professional development should be grounded in what we know about adult learners (Drago-Severson, 2011). In particular, adults need learning experiences that are relevant and based on their accurately-defined needs (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2005). Identifying and addressing those needs can be a complicated social endeavor that is shaped by contextual influences and competing interests. While researchers agree that conducting a systematic needs assessment can significantly impact the overall effectiveness and quality of professional development (Goldstein & Ford, 2002; Kraiger & Auginis, 2001; McGehee & Thayer, 1961), effective needs assessments are rarely conducted as part of the planning process (Clarke, 2003; Taylor, 1998). If school leaders are to see needs assessment as a critically important tool for planning PD, and if they are to be prepared to deal with the layered and diverse learner needs and interests that emerge during the process, there is a need for research that describes how others have done so. The REVEALING AND DEALING: NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND PD Gamble, K. (2014) iii purpose of this dissertation was to examine how one district used needs assessment to identify, negotiate, and plan for complex learner needs, and to examine the impact of contextual factors on the needs assessment and planning processes. This case study used data originally collected by a K-12 school district as part of a needs assessment designed to inform its PD plan. Multiple data collection methods, including observations, document review, and interviews, were utilized by the district as part of the needs assessment and were later analyzed for this study using a systems thinking framework. Findings showed that although the needs assessment was conducted without much incident and revealed a range of learning needs, leaders were constrained by contextual factors in their ability to address all needs. A systems thinking model for needs assessment in schools is proposed as a resource for dealing with the complexities of needs assessment and PD planning.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Kendra N. Gambl