About the Assessment
The Needs and Assets Assessment (NAA) is an inclusive and systematic process for listening to and learning from students, staff, families, and community members. Developing an actionable plan is essential to successfully engage all interest-holder groups in the NAA and to provide a more accurate assessment of their experiences.
The S-TAC has generated and compiled resources to support the implementation of a deep needs and assets assessment. Find those tools below.
NAA Engagement Plan Template
The Needs and Assets Assessment (NAA) is an inclusive and systematic process for listening to and learning from students, staff, families, and community members. Developing an actionable plan is essential to successfully engage all interest-holder groups in the NAA and to provide a more accurate assessment of their experiences. With a representative NAA team, use this template to capture planning details including specific goals and strategies to engage a disaggregated supermajority of all interest holders to build a shared vision and identify collective priorities for bringing that vision to life.
NAA Monthly Work Plan Template
A transformative NAA that deeply engages interest holders in co-constructing an aspirational vision and identying collective priories for change efforts takes time and effort. Use the monthly work plan template to break this process up into manageable pieces, reflect on progress, and adjust engagement approaches to ensure that all voices are heard.
Kick Off Meeting Checklist
Use this checklist to plan your Needs & Assets Assessment kick off!
NAA Team Structure, Recruitment & Roster
This tool will support an efficient, collaborative NAA team that represents your full community.
Whole Child and Family Support Inventory
The inventory assists grantees in assessing the availability of supports and services that align with the needs and assets of your local community.
Expanded Team Mapping Template
Team mapping and leadership identification is a precursor to the Needs and Assets Assessment (NAA). These activities are often done by a new Community School Coordinator who is learning about their school community – what work is currently happening, who is doing it, and who they might recruit to the NAA engagement team. Sometimes this is done as a solitary activity and sometimes by a small team, but all with the expressed intent of figure out how/what group can leveraged to support the NAA process and future problem solving efforts.
Resource Mapping Mini-Guide
Getting to know the school and community is vital to accomplishing new and different things. Further, it requires a deep understanding of what is currently happening and what has happened in the past. A jump to action might sacrifice clarity and cause harm; interest holders may have already done significant work to create a shared vision or they may be at square one. Instead, take time to learn about and document collective goals; what is working, why, and how to build upon it; who is helping to propel progress; and what is wrong in the system and why. This well of knowledge can be drawn upon throughout each phase of community school implementation.
Mapping teams and taking an inventory of existing whole child supports provides insights into the school context. Similarly, community asset mapping sheds light into the context of the broader community.
