Test Design and 
Test Framework

Field 238: School Social Worker

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The test design below describes general test information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

Format	Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions	100 multiple-choice questions
Time*	3 hours, 15 minutes
Passing Score	240

*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial

Test Framework

Subarea 1—Foundations of School Social Work

0001—Understand human development and learning.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of theories of development in early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood and their application to all students.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the effects of biological, psychological, family, social, health, and cultural factors on human development and functioning, including various disabilities, giftedness, and special needs, and their implications for learning.
• Apply knowledge of learning theories, behavioral theories, and human development as they apply to the content and curriculum of educational planning and intervention.
• Demonstrate knowledge of differences in approaches to learning and performance, including different learning styles, performance modes, and variations of perception.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the ways students' learning is influenced by diverse characteristics (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, language, religion, socioeconomic background, disability, prior learning, immigration status) and how to address individual student needs.
• Apply knowledge of how to create and adapt social work-related learning opportunities and materials, establish expectations for student learning consistent with students' strengths and needs, and select and apply the most appropriate methods of intervention to enhance students' educational experience.

0002—Understand cultural competence and strategies for supporting diversity.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the effects of diversity (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, language, religion, socioeconomic background, disability, prior learning, immigration status) in the educational environment.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for facilitating a learning community in which individual differences are respected and for utilizing students' diversity to enrich the educational experiences of all students.
• Demonstrate knowledge of issues of second-language acquisition, ways in which similar behaviors may have different meanings in different cultures, the nature of the immigrant experience, and the need to develop strategies to support children/students and families for whom English is not a primary language.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for developing services that promote multicultural sensitivity and social justice to decrease negative effects of cultural barriers on education.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to interpret information about students' families, cultures, and communities in assessments, interventions, and evaluations of student progress.

0003—Understand methods of school social work practice with individuals and groups.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of evidence-informed engagement and intervention strategies appropriate to students' developmental stage, learning style, strengths, needs, and diverse characteristics (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, language, religion, socioeconomic background, disability, prior learning, immigration status).
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to develop and help students create short- and long-term plans consistent with curricula and students' diversity and strengths, life experiences, and social/emotional factors.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for the provision of individual and group counseling/therapy, casework, and consultation to enhance success in the educational process, including the use of trauma-informed practices.
• Apply knowledge of small- and large-group dynamics and effective interventions within a group or classroom.
• Demonstrate knowledge of restorative practices, mediation, and conflict resolution strategies, and ways to develop these programs within the school environment, including theories of and strategies for crisis intervention.
• Demonstrate knowledge of system theories as they relate to classrooms and schools.

0004—Understand methods of school social work practice with home, school, and community systems.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of system theories as they relate to families and communities, theories of and strategies for working with families (e.g., family counseling/therapy, crisis intervention, casework, consultation), and community organization services to enhance students' success in the educational process.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the application of social learning and behavioral theories to identify and develop broad-based prevention and interventions, methods of school social work service delivery, the person-in-environment context of social work, and ways to integrate content knowledge for service delivery.
• Apply knowledge of methods for developing and implementing multi-tiered systems of support that enable children/students to benefit from their educational experiences.
• Apply knowledge of methods for developing, facilitating, and providing training and educational programs in the school and community and for mobilizing the resources of the school and community to meet the needs of students and their families.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the pre-referral process, strategies and intervention techniques to enhance student success, procedures for initiating referrals and linkages to community agencies, and methods for following up on services on behalf of identified students and their families as appropriate.

 

Subarea 2—School Social Work Interventions and Services

0005—Understand principles of measurement, assessment, and evaluation and methods for evaluating a student's social/emotional health, mental health, and overall functioning.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of measurement theory; concepts of validity, reliability, and bias; scoring and interpretation of assessment results; and various types of research.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strength-based assessments and practices that support growth and development as well as evidence-informed resources available for intervention and program development.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the purposes, characteristics, and limitations of various assessment techniques (e.g., observation, structured/clinical interviews, archival records, performance-based assessments) and ways to integrate and use technology for assessments, interventions, and information management.
• Apply knowledge of methods for conducting formal and informal assessments of adaptive and maladaptive behavior, self-esteem, social skills, attitudes, interests, and emotional/mental health and methods for making accurate mental health diagnoses based on the most current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
• Apply knowledge of methods for gathering and interpreting information to document and assess environmental, emotional, cultural, psychosocial, socioeconomic, educational, biological, medical, and legal factors that affect students' learning and for presenting assessment results in an easily understandable manner.
• Demonstrate knowledge of assessments that can be used to evaluate a student's emotional, cognitive, and physical development; a student's behavior and attitude in different settings; and family history and cultural factors that influence a student's overall functioning.
• Apply knowledge of how to evaluate patterns of achievement and adjustment at critical points in a student's growth and development and patterns of interpersonal relationships in all spheres of the student's environment.

0006—Understand the use of assessment to develop interventions to support students' emotional/mental health, learning, and ability to function successfully in the educational setting.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of nondiscriminatory formal and informal tools and techniques (e.g., observation, interview, archival records, performance-based assessments, standardized instruments) to evaluate the progress and performance of students in the school environment.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the social-developmental study with its focus on a student's functioning within the educational environment; how assessment and evaluation results can be used to develop student interventions, including recommendations for eligibility and placement; and how to interpret and utilize research as a guide in developing interventions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of diagnostic assessments; the relationship between assessment, eligibility, and placement decisions; and eligibility conferences for special education and other programmatic options (e.g., Individualized Education Program [IEP], Functional Behavior Assessment [FBA], Behavior Intervention Plan [BIP], educational and transition planning).
• Apply knowledge of how to use assessment results to identify student learning needs, assist in aligning and modifying instruction, design intervention strategies, determine the efficacy of intervention and programs, and make referrals for additional services or resources to assist students with diverse learning needs.
• Apply knowledge of ways to develop and help students create short- and long-term plans consistent with curriculum and students' diversity and strengths, life experiences, and social/emotional factors.
• Demonstrate knowledge of assessment tools used by other professionals in the school, strategies for collaborating with other professionals and parents/guardians regarding the assessment process, and techniques for involving students in self-assessment activities to help them become aware of their strengths and needs and establish goals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of parents'/guardians' and students' rights regarding assessment and evaluation and strategies for informing parents/guardians of those rights.

0007—Understand strategies for promoting a healthy learning community.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to encourage the development of a learning community in which students assume responsibility, participate in decision making, and work independently as well as collaboratively in learning activities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for analyzing educational environments, strategies for effective behavior and social management within the school environment, and ways of working effectively to create or enhance a supportive learning climate.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to encourage professional relationships among colleagues to promote a positive learning environment.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating programs that enhance a student's social participation in school, family, and community.
• Apply knowledge of ways to help students work cooperatively and productively and how service learning and volunteerism promote the development of personal and social responsibility.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to consider environmental factors (e.g., poverty, abuse/neglect, trauma, homelessness, transiency) when planning interventions to create an effective bridge between students' experiences and goals and ways to integrate students' life experiences and future career goals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of parents'/guardians' participation in fostering students' positive development and strategies for promoting the active participation of parents/guardians within the educational environment.

0008—Understand organizational principles and the planning and management of educational and school social work services.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of organizational functioning, the school's role within the context of the larger community, and the organization and operation of school systems.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for promoting understanding of factors that affect the educational environment and for working with administrators and other school personnel to facilitate systems improvement.
• Apply knowledge of processes and strategies for working as a change agent and for conducting needs assessments and resource development to create and plan for service delivery in general, gifted, and special education.
• Apply knowledge of strategies used to collect, analyze, interpret, and maintain relevant data to assist in planning, management, and evaluation of school social work and for evaluating and modifying interventions when necessary.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for organizing workloads to fulfill responsibilities and clarify the critical roles of the social worker within the educational mission of the school and practices related to the maintenance and reporting of accurate data and records relevant to school social work services.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how individuals' attitudes within the educational environment influence the behavior of others, strategies for encouraging motivation and engagement through mutual respect and cooperation, and methods for promoting the effective utilization of school social work services.

 

Subarea 3—The School Social Worker and the Learning Community

0009—Understand the principles, processes, and practices of effective communication, consultation, and collaboration.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of language development, communication techniques, the role of communication in the learning environment, and how variations in beliefs, traditions, and values across cultures affect interactions among group members and between groups.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to use empathy in interpersonal relationships, strategies for modeling and promoting effective communication among group members or between groups, and ethical practices for confidential communication.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of audience and purpose when selecting ways to communicate ideas, effective communication modes that can be used with diverse target groups, and how formal and informal political implications affect communication.
• Demonstrate knowledge of system theories as they relate to classrooms, schools, families, and community and the uses of varied interview techniques and written communication with all persons within a student's system.
• Apply knowledge of principles, practices, processes, and strategies for initiating, developing, and implementing consultative relationships with parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, other school personnel, and community agencies about students' needs.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for leading and participating in interdisciplinary teams and ways to facilitate a collaborative relationship between general and special education systems to promote a unified system of education.
• Apply knowledge of the collaborative process, including collaborative decision making and problem solving, with parents/guardians, school personnel, community-based organizations, and agencies to enhance students' safety and educational functioning and promote student success.

0010—Understand professional ethics, advocacy, and facilitation for the school social worker.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the professional code of conduct and ethical practice guidelines stated in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Standards for School Social Work Services, federal and state laws and regulations as they pertain to ethical practice, and the legal and ethical principles of confidentiality as they relate to the practice of school social work.
• Demonstrate knowledge of legal issues in education (e.g., persons with disabilities and special needs, child welfare, mental health, juvenile justice, children's and adolescents' rights), current federal and state laws and regulations, and the importance of promoting the rights of students.
• Apply knowledge of the role of school personnel as mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect as well as strategies for assisting mandated reporters in relaying and documenting information to the state's child welfare agency.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of understanding and abiding by current legal directives and school policies and procedures and of participating in various district activities (e.g., policy design, curriculum implementation, staff development, and parent/guardian/ student organization meetings).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of and methods for advocacy and facilitation at all levels of the system and of ways to develop skills in advocacy, case management, community organization, consultation, and in-service training.
• Demonstrate knowledge of current available resources within the school and community and ways to empower students, their families, educators, and others to access and effectively use school and community resources, including technology-based resources.
• Apply knowledge of appropriate ways to identify areas of need, access or create resources and services, support students' transitions across environments, and advocate for students for the purpose of enhancing students' functioning in the learning environment.
• Demonstrate knowledge of when and how to make referrals for programs and services at the district, community, state, and federal levels.

0011—Understand professional development for the school social worker.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of taking responsibility for self-evaluation as a competent and ethical practitioner, how to use self-assessment and performance evaluations to identify areas for professional growth, and ways to actively seek consultation to improve professional practice.
• Apply knowledge of methods of inquiry; frameworks for self-assessment and self-improvement; and the use of supervision, consultation, and collaboration to identify areas for continuing education and ongoing professional development.
• Apply knowledge of how to use various techniques (e.g., research, professional literature, observations, professional experiences) to enhance professional growth and to guide evaluation of professional practice.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the limits and boundaries of the professional role and the necessity of maintaining an awareness of personal attitudes, perspectives, strengths, and needs as they relate to professional practice and service delivery.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of assuming the roles of learner and facilitator/educator in maintaining a broad knowledge base and of active participation and leadership in professional activities and organizations that promote and enhance school social work practice.

 

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