Assessment Report

Department of Social Work

June 1998

This report documents the assessment process of the Department of Social Work during the 1997-98 academic year. Included in the report are sections on department goals, goal achievement, improvements and enhancements, and future directions.

The department’s undergraduate mission is to prepare students for ethical social work practice and research in a diverse society. The goals of this mission statement reflect the ideas of students, faculty, agency representatives, and the department’s Community Advisory Committee as well as the accreditation standards of the National Council on Social Work Education. The goals are:

The undergraduate curriculum goals were modified in response to comments from assessment results. Specifically, the department revised its goals to reflect measurable and observable learning objectives. Table 1 describes the multi-level assessment methods used to assess goal achievement.

Goal 1: An integral part of this goal is academic advising, a strength of the department according to student statements. This year advising session were computer documented, providing students with a "roadmap" of courses to follow. Documentation also provided baseline data on the number of social work majors who saw advisors prior to registration. During 1997-98, faculty advised approximately 150 students each quarter or 75 % of all social work majors.

Another assessment instrument related to Goal 1 is the American Association of State Social Work Boards licensure examination. A passing grade on the basic examination is required by the Social Work Counseling Board of Ohio to be a "Licensed Social Worker" (LSW) and to demonstrate competence in generalist practice. Test results for 1997 are not available, however, faculty collected pass/fail data from graduating seniors who took the examination. Thus, the reliability of 1997 data is questionable and will be tested once the figures from the Board are available.

Table 2 presents the number of examinations administered to graduates from Ohio University including thirty of the thirty-seven (81%) students from the Class of 1997 who took the examination prior to graduation. The figures show the number of first-time, repeat, and total examinees who passed or failed the basic examination during 1996-97. It is important to note that failing examinees may repeat the examination more than once.

Table 2

American Association of State Social Work Boards

Ohio University Graduates

& 1997 Graduating Seniors

Pass/Fail Summary

Table 3 provides national percentages of candidates passing or failing for the first time, repeat, and total examinees for the years 1990-96. Figures for 1997 are not available. The data indicate the pass rate of graduates from Ohio University is slightly higher than the national norm for first-time, repeat, and total examinees.

Table 3

American Association of State Social Work Boards

National Graduates

Pass/Fail Summary

State licensure test results were considered in the context of 1996-97 findings from the Office of Institutional Research’s Career and Further Education Study Survey. A sample of 17 students (74% response rate) scored the department’s core curriculum content at the 100% satisfaction rate in terms of preparation for generalist practice. Thus, both licensure examinations and survey findings suggest that the curriculum supports the development of skills necessary for competent generalist practice.

Improvements and Enhancements: The baseline data collected from documented advising sessions will be used in subsequent assessments to measure change in the number and frequency of advising sessions.

In 1997, the department once again revised the Office of Institutional Research’s Career and Further Education Study Survey to include evaluative questions on curriculum, the field experience, social work skills/practices, and overall preparation for employment and/or graduate school. Also, leading questions related to employment status in social work positions were removed so as not to bias survey.

Future Directions: Data from documented advising session will be compiled to assess both the quality and quantity of advising. The faculty will discuss a procedure for students to formally evaluate academic advising including an advising evaluation form.

To increase the state licensure pass rate of Ohio University graduates in comparison to the national norm, faculty and students will initiate three actions: 1) students will organize study sessions to prepare for the examination; 2) practice examinations will be placed on reserve in Alden Library; and 3) during Fall quarter, members from Phi Alpha, the national social work honor society, will invite representatives from the licensure board to discuss the examination process.

Revisions on the Career and Further Education Study Survey will continue in concert with faculty and the Office of Institutional Research to insure questions are precise and related to stated goals and objectives.

Goal 2: The field coordinator worked with thirty two agency representatives to facilitate a successful year-long field experience for senior students. Agencies representatives evaluated students each quarter and shared their assessments with students and the field coordinator. Students evaluated the agency at the completion of the field experience. This information was shared with agency representatives. The multi-faceted assessment process indicated a 90% satisfaction rate in student performance, agency responsiveness, and department support. Particular areas of strength include: communication between agencies and the department; student interviewing and assessment skills; and, student understanding of social work roles.

Assessment data gathered from students and agency representative were compared with data collected from the Office of Institutional Research’s Career and Further Education Study Survey that yielded a satisfaction rate of 81% for the field experience. Data indicated the need to provide students with more interdisciplinary approaches to practice and to develop a procedure for problems in the field placement.

Improvement and Enhancements: Based on the evaluation findings from students, agency representatives, and the Career and Further Education Study Survey, interdisciplinary assignments were incorporated in weekly field seminars and a procedure for addressing problems in field placements was written by the field coordinator.

Future Direction: To build on the strength of inter-organizational communication, the department will offer a day-long orientation to the field experience for agency representatives and students within the first week of Fall quarter. Thus, from the onset, all involved parties will have a clear understanding of expectations and responsibilities associated with the field placement.

The field coordinator, in concert with the Community Advisory Committee, revised the student field evaluation instrument to be more competency based. A pilot study to test the revised instrument will begin with five agencies in September, 1998.

Goal 3: Of the five stated goals, this one received the most attention during the last year in response to standards of Council on Social Work Education and data from the 1996-97 assessment process. Specifically, a new course, SW 269-A (Cross Cultural Perspectives), was offered Spring quarter to enhance the department’s core curriculum. Student comments on the course were positive. Student ratings for the course are not yet available.

To further support social work’s commitment to disadvantaged groups, the field seminar increased the number of group activities and case studies related to diversity. Student journals reflected positive comments on assignments as did evaluations of the seminars.

The department received a Junior Faculty Library Grant to enhance the library’s collection of material related to diversity. Thus, students had more references at their disposal to complete assignments and research projects. Additionally, guest speakers, Mr. Hosick, Executive Director of the Ohio Agency for Native Americans and Dr. Sattareh Farman Farmaian, a social worker from Iran, provided public lectures sponsored by the department.

Improvement and Enhancements: As a result of national accreditation standards and previous assessment findings, the department developed a new course and revised seminar assignments to highlight issues associated with people of color, gay and lesbian persons, people with mental and physical challenges, and immigrant populations. Public speakers and library acquisitions supplemented course content and assignments. Interviews with Community Advisory Committee members and students, written summaries, and course evaluations provided positive feedback on these actions.

Future Direction: Content on diversity has been introduced in all courses with a particular focus in SW 269A and field seminars. Future actions include offering SW 269A Spring, 1999 and considering methods to assess the impact of how content on diversity impacts practice skills. The department will continue to sponsor speakers who represent diverse populations.

Goal 4: An objective of Goal 4 is that students attend and present at professional conferences. To achieve this objective, the department launched a development campaign that designated OU Foundation funds to support undergraduate participation in profession meetings/conferences. Consequently, six students participation in the National Association of Social Work Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Further, two students received financial support to present papers at state social work conferences.

Improvement and Enhancements: In response to the assessment process, the faculty designed an objective regarding student participation at professional conferences. The result has been overwhelmingly positive. Alumni and the Community Advisory Committee have endorsed the goal through financial contributions as have faculty members. Based on written and verbal comments, students thoroughly appreciated the exposure to state and national professional organizations. Some

students also commented that conference participation increased their understanding of the relationship between research and practice.

Future Direction: Student travel continues as a department objective. Faculty members will design a formal procedure for dispersing funds to maximum resources and to establish a system of accountability with students. In the future, faculty will organize an interdisciplinary undergraduate research conference at Ohio University where students will present research papers and poster displays.

Goal 5: The Office of Institutional Research’s Career and Further Education Study shows that 74% of 1995 graduates (n=17) are employed in social work positions, 19% are not employed, and 7% are employed in a non-social work position. These figures changed in 1996 to reflect the following: 81% of 1996 graduates (26) are employed in social work positions, 15% are not employed, and 4% are employed in a non-social work position. This compares to college wide figures of 71% employed, 23% in school, and 6% unemployed.

Of the employed 1996 social work graduates, 100% indicated that they were extremely satisfied with their work in comparison to the college figure of 13%. The employment fields for department graduates are child welfare (38%), mental health (29%), long term care (19%), and medical (14%).

Table 4 indicates how well the social work major helped graduates prepare for employment or graduate school. A comparison is presented between 1995 and 1996 graduates.

Table 4

How Well a Social Work Major

Helped Prepare for Job/Graduate School

Course 1995 1996

(n=17) (n=26)

Classes in General 100 100

Social Work Practice Classes 94 100

Dynamics of Human Behavior 94 100

Social Welfare Policy 88 100

Required Psychology Courses 100 96

Social Work Field Experience 87 83

Social Work Research 63 71

Formal and informal comments from the department’s Advisory Committee validated research findings. The Committee members noted that department graduates were prepared for entry and mid-level positions in social services. They went on to state: "The department maintains a high standard of quality for its students. . . . Students are hard working and flexible in new environments. . . . The faculty and students provide valuable service to communities."

Improvement and Enhancements: Social work graduates continue to report high levels of employment and work satisfaction. Survey findings are validation by comments at formal and informal gatherings such as the annual Homecoming celebration. The Office of Institutional Research provides a spreadsheet that compares responses from 1995 and 1996 graduates. The faculty reviews this information individually and as a group to analyze possible employment trends and other points of interest including membership in professional organizations.

Future Direction: Table 4 indicates an increase in satisfaction ratings in five out of the six core curriculum areas. The field experience and research area received the lowest ratings. Thus, these areas will remain as department priorities in Goal 2 (field experience) and Goal 4 (research).

As stated in Goal 1, leading questions related to employment status in social work positions were revised in the Office of Institutional Research’s survey to avoid bias in findings. The revised survey will be distributed in Fall quarter, 1998.

In conclusion, the strength of the department’s assessment process is the relationship described between goals, objectives, and assessment as depicted in Table 1. As illustrated, the department uses a variety of methods and groups in assessment. Weaknesses in the process are the absence of instruments to evaluate student advising and compile data from the Community Advising Committee. Such instruments would enhance the validity and reliability of findings.

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