Assessment Details
Academic Year: 2020-2021 Level: Graduate
Campus Department: School of Social Work [Grad]
Program Type: Major [UG] / Program [Grad]
Program Name: Social Work MSW (Link)
Description of Data Collection:
The outcomes (competencies) are assessed by operationalizing each competency into a set of Practice Behaviors (PBs). Twenty-four PBs are used to assess the 13 core competencies, and 26 PBs are used to assess the advanced competencies. All students choose either the Clinical or Macro Method and they choose one of five Fields-of-Practice (1. Children, Youth & Families, 2) Health, 3) Global Practice, 4) Mental Health, or 5) Older Adults & Families). For each Field-of-Practice and Method of Concentration, 50 PBs are assessed to determine if the student has achieved the competency. The benchmark for achieving the competency had been 80% of the students score 4.0 or above on a 5-point Likert scale indicating that 1=Strongly Disagree that the competency was met to 5=Strongly Agree that the competency was met; since 2019, the benchmark has been raised to 90%.
Three assessment measures are used to determine if the competencies meet the benchmark for achievement: 1) Field Education Performance Evaluation, 2) Student Competency Survey, and 3) Alumni Competency Survey. The combined means of the three surveys for each cohort of Field-of-Practice students determines the competency scores for the Core, Clinical, and Macro competencies.
Review Process:
The School’s Academic Planning Committee (APC) reviews the results of the assessments to determine if the benchmarks for competencies have been met, and develops improvement plans when indicated. The assessment results and recommended improvement plans are discussed with the full Social Work Faculty and further recommendations may be developed at that time. The assessment results and improvement plans are then discussed with the following stakeholders at formalized meetings: Student Collective, BCSSW Advisory Board, Executive Board, Field Education Advisory Board, and Alumni Board.
Resulting Program Changes:
Three competencies (research, policy, & evaluation) fell below the MSW Program’s 90% benchmark of scoring 4 or above on each competency and resulted in the 2020 Competency Results Improvement Plan.
Scores on the research competency were below the benchmark in Generalist Practice; on the policy competency in Generalist and Clinical Practice; and on the evaluation competency in Generalist and Macro Practice. Due to data collection issues caused by the pandemic, missing data impacted the measurement of the competencies this year. However, the data indicated that the same three competencies that were below the benchmark last year remained below the benchmark this year. Therefore, it was decided to maintain the same improvement remedies as last year since they address the specific competencies needing improvement, and complete data next year should provide a more accurate assessment of the improvement plan. Although some of the data reported below reflects benchmarks for certain component behaviors above 90%, missing data was responsible for the combined means of certain competencies falling below the 90% benchmark – and therefore require an improvement plan as follows [see table attachment].
Date of Most Recent Program Review:
Three competencies (research, policy, & evaluation) fell below the MSW Program’s 90% benchmark of scoring 4 or above on each competency and resulted in the 2020 Competency Results Improvement Plan.
Scores on the research competency were below the benchmark in Generalist Practice; on the policy competency in Generalist and Clinical Practice; and on the evaluation competency in Generalist and Macro Practice. Due to data collection issues caused by the pandemic, missing data impacted the measurement of the competencies this year. However, the data indicated that the same three competencies that were below the benchmark last year remained below the benchmark this year. Therefore, it was decided to maintain the same improvement remedies as last year since they address the specific competencies needing improvement, and complete data next year should provide a more accurate assessment of the improvement plan. Although some of the data reported below reflects benchmarks for certain component behaviors above 90%, missing data was responsible for the combined means of certain competencies falling below the 90% benchmark – and therefore require an improvement plan as follows [see table attachment].
Attachments (if available)