DESCRIPTION

Environmental Scanning serves as an important analytical backdrop for strategic, 
educational, student services and facilities planning. It is research and analysis 
that is designed to provide a concise but comprehensive overview of the external 
environments that impact a community college district as it moves into the future. 
It summarizes the social, economic and political changes that a district faces.

The Los Rios Community College District has completed several environmental 
scans since 1997; a copy of a recent version can be found in "Resources".  
Detailed analysis is provided at the state, metropolitan and local district level (with 
county level analysis, as well).  A graphical display of information, an analysis of 
what the data shows and a summary statement of the importance of the data to 
the district is provided in detail for the following areas:

Demographic Trends -- General Population, Special Population Groups, School-
Age Population and High School Graduates

Economic Trends -- Employment by Industry/Occupation, Sector Growth, 
Indicators of Poverty

Education Performance Trends -- Education Attainment and K-12 Performance, 
including Standardized Tests, Dropout Rates, UC/CSU Eligibility

Political Trends Impacting the District

Projected Enrollment Trends for the District

Summary Observations of the Environmental Scan

In general, an environmental scan is much more useful if it is coupled with a very 
comprehensive internal overview that describes a District’s student population and 
how effectively it is being served by the district's colleges.  Together, these two 
documents can provide important information about the changing forces affecting 
the district as it moves forward in the 21st century.  By monitoring these changes, 
a community college district will be in a better position to plan a direction that will 
best serve its students in a local region.  In the case of Los Rios Community 
College District, the External Environmental Scan and the Internal Scan are 
summarized in a Key Issues for Planning report that is generally written annually 
to serve as backdrop both for annual planning as well as strategic planning that 
takes placed every three years.

RESOURCES FOR DOWNLOAD

• >> External Scan 2005: Environmental Scan of Greater Sacramento  (PDF, 316.49 KB)