Date of Award
Spring 5-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
D.S.W. Social work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Dr. Mary Rita Weller
Second Advisor
Dr. Sharon Lyter
Third Advisor
Dr. John Vafeas
Abstract
School social workers, although typically underutilized, provide extremely valuable services to school-aged children and their families, entire school districts, and communities. The purpose of this research was to study the level of compliance by MSW programs offering School Social Work with the National Association of Social Worker’s (2012) Standards for School Social Work Practice, identify curricular gaps, and discover curricular areas implemented in these programs that are outside the NASW (2012) standards. The researcher asked the following questions (1) What is the level of compliance with the National Association of Social Worker’s (2012) Standards for School Social Work Practice by social work programs offering school social work curricula? (2) What are commonly found curricular gaps regarding the National Association of Social Worker’s (2012) Standards for School Social Work Practice in the school social work curricula? (3) What are commonly found curricular concepts in school social work curricula that are not included in the National Association of Social Worker’s (2012) Standards for School Social Work Practice? The methodology of the current study included a content analysis of the curriculum of MSW programs offering school social work certification/licensure. The sample included 57 programs across the nation, within states that honor school social work certification/licensure. The study analyzed four categories of each curriculum: 1) Master of Social Work program handbooks, 2) available information on the individual program webpages, 3) course syllabi, and 4) all documents combined. The following themes were identified within the NASW (2012) Standards for School Social Work Practice, that occurred in over 60% of the curricula: social justice, ethics and values, qualifications, assessment, intervention, and interdisciplinary leadership and collaboration. The similarities between the most commonly referenced NASW (2012) Standards for School Social Work Practice and the professional core values of social work as well as the planned change process were explored. The most frequently occurring additional commonalities within the curricula, included the review of school social work roles, school social work policy and law, as well as school social worker involvement with special education accommodations. The research recommends revisions to the NASW (2012) Standards for School Social Work Practice to better reflect the current roles of school social workers as well as recommendations for modifications to current school social work curricula.
Recommended Citation
Snyder, Nikki, "SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK: A CURRICULUM ANALYSIS" (2020). Social Work Doctoral Dissertations. 14.
https://research.library.kutztown.edu/socialworkdissertations/14
