A critical component of strategic planning for a state or region is an assessment of the science education landscape to be used to inform strategic plans and program designs. The NSRC will work collaboratively with regions and states to conduct a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis.

NSRC SWOT Analysis Services:

The Process At the beginning of the strategic planning process, an in-depth, facilitated discussion with key stakeholders will be held to assess the state of science education in the state and in each region.Participants will include:
  • Leaders who are initiating the reform effort
  • Customers
Following the discussion, the National Science Resources Center will complete an inventory of local assets, programs, policies, and organizations Information gathered will include:
  • State science standards
  • Historical information about educational practices and procedures
  • Demographics of the population and school systems
  • Existing support systems

Ideally, this process will be conducted in the beginning of a systemic reform initiative for the state as a whole, as well as for each individual region. The State and Regional SWOT Analyses will result in a report and gap analysis of the resources required to accomplish the strategic planning goals established by the local leaders

Time Required:

  • Facilitated discussion with leaders and customers: 1-2 days
  • Inventory and background research for the report and gap analysis of resources: 3 weeks.

Considerations:

As the reform work in the state and in each district progresses, the opportunities and challenges faced will continually change. The initial SWOT analysis should be updated annually to monitor and document the changing needs, challenges, and the development of assets

More Information:
Contact Michelle Slavin, LASER Program Coordinator, at [email protected] or 202-633-2957

 
 
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