For aspiring school founders, understanding the community you intend to serve is essential to designing a relevant, equitable, and successful school model. SchoolWorks® partners with incubators, associations, and CSP grant managing agencies to deliver rigorous, actionable Community Needs Assessments for new school founders participating in fellowship programs.
These assessments not only fulfill authorizer requirements—they also serve as foundational tools for program design, community engagement strategy, and charter application development. Through a collaborative process, SchoolWorks helps fellows ground school concepts in real data, authentic community voice, and a clear understanding of the local educational landscape.
SchoolWorks works directly with each fellow to develop a comprehensive needs assessment that informs and strengthens school design. Our team of specialists brings a blend of research expertise, charter development experience, and deep understanding of the authorizing process.
Each assessment includes multiple layers of analysis—demographic, academic, and grassroots engagement—and is tailored to the fellow’s target region, intended school model, and stage in the fellowship program. Program staff are looped into the process to ensure alignment with program timelines and deliverables.
Our Community Needs Assessments are structured to meet the unique needs of fellowship programs and the expectations of charter authorizers and CSP funders. Each engagement typically includes the following components:
We gather and synthesize relevant demographic data for the school’s proposed service area. This includes:
This analysis helps fellows like you define the target population and assess demand and fit for your proposed school model.
We evaluate the existing public education options available to students in the identified area, examining:
This data supports fellows in identifying unmet needs and articulating a strong case for your school’s unique value proposition.
We help you capture and present evidence of authentic, grassroots support for your proposed school. This includes:
Our team works with you to ensure their engagement is meaningful, well-documented, and clearly connected to the school’s mission and design.
We compile all findings into a professionally written report that integrates key insights and provides a strategic foundation for the school design and charter application. The report includes:
These reports are submission-ready, making them valuable artifacts for both authorizers and CSP grant documentation.
SchoolWorks’ Community Needs Assessments are more than research products—they are strategic tools that help you connect with your communities, articulate clear needs, and design solutions that make a lasting impact.
By embedding this service into fellowship programs, incubators and CSP grantees can ensure that founders are not just launching schools—they’re launching the right schools, for the right reasons, in the right places.
Explore our case studies, blog posts and online course to learn more about our expertise in this area. If your organization would like hands-on support, reach out anytime. Our specialists are happy to talk to you.
“SchoolWorks was instrumental in the development and successful approval of our six charter school applications. Their work brought coherence and focus that resulted in a strong academic program supported by research and best practice that was also grounded in operational and financial stability.”
Kristi Baird
Executive Director, Compass Charter Schools
“We are grateful to the SchoolWorks team for their support though this process. While our staff focused on the day-to-day operations of the school, it was a relief to have reliable and experienced help in preparing the renewal application. The mock site visit helped our team know what to expect during the renewal visit.”
Stephanie Valle
Executive Director, KIPP: Tech Valley Charter School
SchoolWorks® has helped launch more than 100 charter schools. Our specialists work closely with authorizers, associations, incubators, developers, and operators to ensure high-quality options.
Our team members have supported the creation of dozens upon dozens of new school and renewal applications by writing, managing, or coaching school developers.
We understand that every school and situation is unique. We tailor our solutions to meet the specific needs, goals, and challenges of our partners and provide personalized hands-on support.
Ready to take your new or operational charter school to the next level?
Contact us today to learn more about how SchoolWorks® can support you on your journey.
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