Iowa legislators responded to the national accountability trend in 1975 by mandating a statewide needs assessment. This paper examines the activities of fifteen selected districts in terms of: (1) a statistical analysis of community, teacher, and student rankings of eighteen cognitive and affective educational goals; (2) statistical analysis of community, teacher, and student perceptions of how well districts meet the eighteen goals; (3) a discussion of the processes utilized by schools to select needs; (4) a description of the curriculum models designed to meet district needs; and (5) a discussion of the role of the community advisory group in curriculum decision making. The goals were derived from the Phi Delta Kappa Model for needs assessment. (CP)