Program Assessment
Council on Social Work Education Assessment of Learning Outcomes
The University of Maine School of Social Work takes its mission of preparing students for BSW and MSW practice very seriously. We are committed to the process of continual self-assessment, soliciting the participation of a variety of constituencies and using assessment findings to continually improve the program. Thus, the School is engaged in an ongoing process of program assessment and continuous improvement. All Council on Social Work Education programs measure and report student learning outcomes. Students are assessed on their mastery of the social work competencies which comprise the accreditation standards of the Council on Social Work Education. These competencies are dimensions of social work practice which all social workers are expected to master during their professional training. A measurement benchmark is set by the social work program for each competency. An assessment score at or above that benchmark is considered by the program to represent mastery of that particular competency.
The Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes forms are used to assist the Council on Social Work Education Commission on Accreditation in the evaluation of social work programs’ compliance with the accreditation standards below:
4.0.2 The program provides its most recent year of summary data and outcomes for the assessment of each of the identified competencies, specifying the percentage of students achieving program benchmarks for each program option.
4.0.3 The program uses Form AS 4(B) and/or Form AS 4 (M) to report its most recent assessment outcomes for each program option to constituents and the public on its website and routinely up-dates (minimally every 2 years) its findings.
Social Work’s Nine Competencies
These competencies serve as the School’s Program Learning Outcomes
Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
Competency 4: Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice
Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and
Communities
BSW Student Learning Outcomes 2024 BSW Program Assessment
MSW Student Learning Outcomes 2024 MSW Program Assessment
How MSW Social Work Competencies Relate to UM Graduate School Program Learning Outcomes:
Results of National Social Work Licensing Exams
We also assess MSW student performance on national licensing exams. Over the past five years, the University of Maine overall pass rates for the Licensed Master’s Social Worker Exam (taken upon graduation) was between 5 and 17 percent higher than the national average.
Over the past five years, the University of Maine overall pass rates for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker exam (taken a minimum of 2 years post-graduation) was between 5 and 21 percent higher than the national average.