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Volume 8, Number 2 Spring 2003 |
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Retention Efforts Directed to Students of Color in Baccalaureate Social Work Programs Given the increasing diversity of the U.S. population and social work clients, retention of students of color in baccalaureate social work programs is a major issue. This article reports on a two-phase exploratory study that looked at the retention efforts of accredited baccalaureate social work (BSW) programs and their respective universities in one state. The first phase of the study addressed the types of retention efforts being made toward students of color and the perceived success of those efforts. The second phase looked at students' perceptions of the retention efforts made by their university and their BSW program. The findings indicate that retention efforts offered by social work programs are effective in helping retain students of color, although they also indicate that the retention programs are underused. This may indicate the need for social work educators to work to increase awareness of retention efforts in their universities and programs. Comparing Academic and Practitioner Perspectives on Preparing BSW Students for Competent Child Welfare Practice Academic and practitioner child welfare experts in Illinois were surveyed regarding BSW curricula content for preparing students for competent child welfare practice. Findings suggest that academics and practitioners were closer than they were divided on issues of undergraduate educational preparation for child welfare practice. Similarities and dissimilarities between the two expert groups raise questions, as well as provide an empirical starting point for developing university agency partnerships in child welfare education and training. Social Work Education and Service Learning In order to increase the collaboration between communities and schools of social work, this article urges educators at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to consider the benefits of including service learning in social work curricula. An approach to social work education via service learning places an equal emphasis on meaningful community service and student skill development, in contrast to other forms of experiential learning. An empowering approach to integrating theory and practice, service learning embodies specific social work values, such as respect for diversity, self-determination, collaboration, social justice, a person-in-environment focus, and accountability. Drawing on recent examples from baccalaureate and master's-level programs, empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of service learning in the field of social work is offered. Preparing Students for Social Work Advocacy Social workers are not born advocates. They must be educated and trained for this prominent professional role that will be expected of them. Advocacy is integrally tied to leadership and leadership skills. This article addresses this connection and identifies relational leadership - a type of leadership that is appropriate for social work advocacy. The author presents how a BSSW program followed best practice principles in curricular development and created an educational environment both inside and outside the classroom to enhance relational leadership. The foundation of this environment is the belief that leadership can be learned and it is everybody's business. Evaluation results from multiple outcomes measures are encouraging. Evidence is provided that students in this program have become involved as leaders and advocates. The author argues that students in social work programs have untapped leadership potential. To tap the potential for future leadership and advocacy, students need to be offered a comprehensive educational experience that fosters empowerment and confidence. Incorporating Principles of Solution-Focused Intervention into the Generalist Practice Curriculum Brief, solution-focused intervention embodies some of the more important and distinguishing assumptions of social work practice, most notably the strengths and resilience orientations. This practice model provides a much-needed link between the abstract arena of the classroom and contemporary social work practice. In this article, the author presents the key assumptions of this model. Through the use of a case example, the author also discusses how this model may be incorporated into the generalist social work practice curriculum. Academic Advising: Strengthening Opportunities for Education This article discusses advising as a responsibility of social work educators, including the CSWE mandate that advisors be knowledgeable about their programs and be able to provide more than simply course selection. It provides a framework for advising and strategies for developing effective advisement programs in social work programs. It also includes discussion about issues faced in universities where advisement is not always rewarded. An International Social Work Exchange: What, So What, and Now What? Building on a belief in the value of study-abroad programs, this article describes the effects of an international experience for BSW students and the transformation of these effects into knowledge for individual and collective development. Perceptions of BSW students are explored examining changes in attitudes and perspectives after a two-week social work survey course in a Dutch social work program. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies are used to discuss changes in responses to survey questions, pre- and post-international experience, as well as analysis of directed journal entries and integrative papers using an experiential education model. The findings in this study demonstrate the multidimensionality of a study-abroad program, the effect on the students and the importance of the student perspectives as they view the profession. Performance Evaluation Using a Rubric: Grading Student Performance in Practice Courses This article promotes performance evaluation using a rubric as a useful approach to assessing the extent to which social work students meet the complex learning objectives of practice courses. This approach permits assessment of qualitative competencies, such as use-of-self, and facilitates the reduction of multiple evaluation criteria to a single grade. It guides students in completing assignments, details performance expectations, and provides meaningful feedback to both student and instructor. Using process recordings as an example, the article describes how to construct, introduce, apply, and evaluate a rubric. The importance of grounding the rubric in the knowledge base of the course and submitting its content for student and peer input are stressed as a means to enhance its validity and address some of the disadvantages associated with its use. The author encourages social work educators to develop, explore, and empirically assess this, and other, nontraditional approaches to assessment. Using Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) for Student Self-Assessment This article describes the development and testing of a multipurpose educational exercise. The in-class exercise teaches the students Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) and social constructivism while practicing necessary social work skills. Students use the exercise to focus on course-learning objectives as stated in the syllabus, thus increasing their understanding of them. Students rated the exercise as being effective, and most of them recommended it be kept as part of the course. Instructors also benefit from learning about student perceptions regarding the course objectives, which is helpful when revising the course syllabus. People First: A Case Study in Partnering with the Community This case study demonstrates the process by which a class composed of senior social work students learns macro practice values and skills by partnering with a community organization. The products of this collaboration emerge from the real-life problem scenario in which students, community partners, and the social work educator collaborate to develop the skills necessary to resolve problems. Through community partnership, social work educators are in the position to expand the opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills, and provide opportunities to practice community organization within the classroom setting.
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