Needs Assessment at Meltwater News
1. Introduction
The campus of any educational establishment is a little “society” with its issues that every campus member has to deal with. This can be said about Meltwater News because it deals with the educational needs of its African American, Hispanic and migrant students, professional development for TAKS scores, and the needs of the janitorial staff. All these campus “members” are important and their needs should be assessed in order to provide them with the best possible education.
2. Educational Needs Assessment
– Educational needs of African American students: In general, African American students in the United States lag behind other students in terms of educational attainment. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2012, only 67% of black students graduated from high school, compared to 82% of white students. In terms of college enrollment, black students made up only 14% of all college students in 2012, compared to 41% of white students. In addition, black students are more likely to drop out of college than white students; the dropout rate for black students was 7% in 2012, compared to 4% for white students. Furthermore, black students are less likely to complete college than white students; only 21% of black college students graduated within six years, compared to 55% of white college students. Finally, black students are less likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than white students; only 18% of blacks aged 25-29 had a bachelor’s degree in 2012, compared to 39% of whites in the same age group. All these statistics show that there is a significant achievement gap between black and white students in the United States. In order to close this gap, educators need to be aware of the specific needs of African American students and address them appropriately. Some of the educational needs of African American students include:
– A need for culturally relevant curriculum: Many African American students feel that the mainstream curriculum is not relevant to their lives and experiences. In order to engage these students in learning, educators need to provide them with a curriculum that is culturally relevant and connected to their lives.
– A need for positive role models: Many African American students do not have positive role models in their lives. As a result, they may not see the value in getting an education and may be more likely to drop out of school. Educators can provide positive role models for these students by serving as mentors and providing support and guidance.
– A need for positive relationships with teachers and staff: Many African American students feel disconnected from their teachers and school staff. In order to foster positive relationships with these students, educators need to make an effort to connect with them on a personal level and build trust.
– Educational needs of Hispanic students: Like African American students, Hispanic students in the United States lag behind other groups in terms of educational attainment. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2012, only 65% of Hispanic adults aged 25 or older had completed high school, compared to 82% of whites in the same age group. In addition, Hispanic adults were less likely than whites to have completed some college (28% vs 48%), or have earned a bachelor’s degree (12% vs 30%). Furthermore, Hispanic adults were more likely than whites to have dropped out of high school (21% vs 9%). All these statistics show that there is a significant achievement gap between Hispanic and white students in the United States. In order to close this gap, educators need to be aware of the specific needs of Hispanic students and address them appropriately. Some of the educational needs of Hispanic students include:
– A need for bilingual education: Many Hispanic students are English language learners and need bilingual education in order to be successful in school.
– A need for culturally relevant curriculum: Many Hispanic students feel that the mainstream curriculum is not relevant to their lives and experiences. In order to engage these students in learning, educators need to provide them with a curriculum that is culturally relevant and connected to their lives.
– A need for positive relationships with teachers and staff: Many Hispanic students feel disconnected from their teachers and school staff. In order to foster positive relationships with these students, educators need to make an effort to connect with them on a personal level and build trust.
– Educational needs of students who are absentees: Students who are absent from school frequently are at risk of falling behind academically and eventually dropping out. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2012, 32% of high school dropouts had been chronically absent, compared to only 9% of high school graduates. Furthermore, chronic absenteeism rates were higher for black (36%), Hispanic (34%), and American Indian/Alaska Native (33%) students than for white (8%) and Asian (11%) students. In order to keep these at-risk students in school, educators need to be aware of their educational needs and address them appropriately. Some of the educational needs of absentee students include:
– A need for individualized attention: Students who are absent frequently may need more individualized attention in order to catch up academically. Educators can provide this individualized attention by working with these students one-on-one or in small groups.
– A need for positive reinforcement: Students who are absent frequently may need positive reinforcement in order to stay motivated. This can be in the form of verbal encouragement, awards, or other incentives.
3. Professional Development for TAKS scores: Meltwater News also has a professional development program for TAKS scores. This includes providing teachers with resources and training on how to effectively prepare their students for the TAKS test. The goal of this professional development is to help increase TAKS scores for all students, but especially for African American and Hispanic students who tend to score lower on standardized tests than their white counterparts. In order to meet this goal, educators need to be aware of the specific needs of their African American and Hispanic students and address them appropriately. Some of the educational needs of these groups of students include:
– A need for cultural competence: Many African American and Hispanic students feel that they are not understood or respected by their teachers and school staff. In order to be culturally competent, educators need to have an understanding of the cultures of these groups of students and make an effort to connect with them on a personal level.
– A need for differentiated instruction: African American and Hispanic students often have different learning styles than their white counterparts. In order to meet the needs of these groups of students, educators need to provide them with instruction that is tailored to their learning styles.
4. The needs of the janitorial staff: Meltwater News also has a janitorial staff who keep the campus clean and safe. The needs of the janitorial staff need to be assessed in order to provide them with the best possible working conditions. Some of the needs of the janitorial staff include:
– A need for adequate pay: Many janitors are paid very little and are not able to support themselves or their families on their salaries. In order to provide these workers with a livable wage, Meltwater News needs to assess the cost of living in the area and make sure that they are paying their janitors a wage that is commensurate with this cost of living.
– A need for benefits: Many janitors do not have health insurance or other benefits. In order to provide these workers with the benefits they need, Meltwater News needs to offer health insurance and other benefits to its janitorial staff.
– A need for job security: Many janitors are at risk of being fired if they make a mistake or if the campus decides to outsource its janitorial services. In order to provide these workers with job security, Meltwater News needs to have a clear and concise policy on firing and outsourcing that is fair and equitable.
5. Conclusion
Meltwater News is a campus with a variety of different “members” who all have their own needs that need to be assessed. These needs include the educational needs of African American, Hispanic and migrant students, professional development for TAKS scores, and the needs of the janitorial staff. All these groups are important and their needs should be assessed in order to provide them with the best possible education.