Assessment

ASSESSMENT

Institutional

NEASC Accreditation

Factbook and other IR data

Academic Affairs

First Year Assessment
Undergraduate Studies

NSSE	Honors Council

Department Plans

Art	Business
Comp.Sci.	Communication
Crim. Justice	Education
English	For. Lang.
HPER	Library
Math	Music/Theatre
Natural Sci	Philosophy
Psychology	Social Sci.
Social Work

Student Affairs
Assessment Plans

Res Life	Orientation
Core
Judicial System

PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY

Social Work Assessment Plan

The Social Work Program relies on a number of indicators to measure the extent to which it achieves its goals and objectives. The following provides an overview of the methods used to gather data and information:

Goal #1. To prepare students to become competent entry-level practitioners.

Objectives Measured	Measurement Methods
Knowledge, values and skills learning objectives for each course in the professional foundation.	Faculty examination of each course to identify course assignments and learning activities used to measure student mastery of the learning objectives Advisory Board/Field Supervisor feedback Student Evaluations/feedback
Minimum standard of academic competency	2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) in courses required for the major (major GPA reports)
Knowledge, values and skills learning objectives for individual practicum contracts	Mid-semester and final evaluations conducted during field practicum by field supervisor and field liaison
Entry-level practice competence of alumni/ae	BPD Outcomes Instruments: Entrance/Values, Exit/Values, Alumni/ae, and Employer Surveys* (*new instrument 1999) Employer Survey (dept.'s)

Goal #2. To prepare students for advanced graduate study in Social Work.

Objectives Measured	Measurement Methods
Goal #1	Methods listed above, particularly BPD Outcomes Instrument
Share general information about MSW programs	Faculty examination of activities in - Social Work Seminar - Student Club meetings and available informational materials
Share information about specific programs in the area	Faculty review of informational sessions with faculty representatives and student alumni/ae from area MSW programs
Assist with application process and written application	Faculty examination of - Social Work Seminar - Advising

Goal #3. To assist in meeting the social service needs of the State of New Hampshire.

Objectives Measured	Measurement Methods
Student employment	BPD Employer Instrument* (*new instrument 1999) Employer Survey (dept.'s)
Participate in and support NH-NASW	Review of faculty and student involvement
Inform students about needs and services in New Hampshire	Review of - Guest Speakers - Advisory Board involvement - Field Supervisors - Faculty Student Community Service and Research
Forums for professional development	Review of continuing education activities offered and conferences sponsored or co-sponsored
Consultation, training, and program evaluation for area agencies and organizations	Review of faculty community service activities (Faculty Annual Reports)

Measurement Methods

The methods employed to gather information about the program’s achievement of goals and objectives are implemented at various times, including during a course, at the end of courses, at different stages of the practicum, and at intervals post-graduation. The department uses the findings to measure the extent to which it achieves its objectives and to consider revisions for the curriculum or program.

Baccalaureate (Social Work) Program Directors Association (BPD) Baccalaureate Education Assessment Project (BEAP)

The Social Work Program participates in the national education assessment project administered by the BPD (see www.rit.edu/beap for additional information survey instruments used). The program surveys students, alumni/ae, and employers, as follows:

Entrance Survey/ Values Inventory – every semester in SW220 Introduction to Social Work

Exit Survey/ Values Inventory – every year with graduating seniors in Practicum Seminar

Alumni/ae Survey – 2-years post graduation (Spring semester)

Employer Survey – 2-years post graduation (Spring semester)

Portfolio Assessment

In recent years, social work programs have focused on developing ways of evaluating program outcomes and student learning. One approach to these issues is “portfolio assessment,” in which students are asked to document their work for the major (Gibbs, 1998). Gibbs (1998) argues that portfolios provide students with a valuable tool for assessing their own learning and “faculty with a wealth of data for documenting achievement of program outcomes.”

The Social Work Program developed its own Student Portfolio in 1999. Students assess their learning in each required course by selecting an assignment and writing a brief essay about its relationship to course objectives in the curriculum’s professional foundation areas. Portfolios might include term papers, class projects, practice exercises, and other material related to the curriculum. The department keeps the students’ portfolio statements on file until they enroll in the Practicum Seminar. The seminar instructor returns them to the students for use in their final self-evaluation, which is required for the Seminar.

Gibbs, P. & Frantz Adkins, L. (1997, March). Portfolios: A Tool for Assessing Students .

Next Accreditation Self Study (2005 – 2006)

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited the Social Work Program in June 1999 for the full eight-year cycle ending June 2007. The department must submit a compliance application for reaccreditation by July 1, 2006 and complete a new Self Study by September 2006. The Social Work faculty will begin its process of self-study no later than September 2005; this will include assessment results for the surveys conducted annually between Spring 2002 and Spring 2005.