Licensure as a Dilemma for Social Work Education: Findings of a National Study

LCSW Examination Pass Rates: Implications for Social Work Education

“…However, thus far academic MSW programs seem to have largely ignored the importance of the LCSW examination to the careers of their graduates, to the public, and to consumers. Indeed, licensure itself remains a subject met with ambivalence (e.g., Atherton 1997;Iversen 1987;Cherry et al 1989). Some MSW programs sponsor ASWB examination preparation courses, usually outside of the formal academic curriculum, but most such offerings seem to be delivered by private, for-profit individuals or sponsoring organizations.…”

The development and management of social workers in Ethiopia: A situational analysis

“…The exit examination assesses graduates’ competence to perform in occupations for which they are trained. Only when a graduate scores a minimum passing grade on the exit examination can she or he be licensed as a competent professional (Biggerstaff, 1994; Cherry, Rothman, & Skolnik, ; Marson, DeAngelis, & Mittal, ). The exit examination has implications for the programs as well (Hogan, ).…”

“…Int J Soc Welfare 2014: 23: 392-401 Rothman, & Skolnik, 1998;Marson, DeAngelis, & Mittal, 2010). The exit examination has implications for the programs as well (Hogan, 1983).…”

Perceptions of Macro Social Work Education: An Exploratory Study of Educators and Practitioners

“…Biggerstaff (2000) identified multiple concerns with increased public regulation of social work practice, including the limitation of practice to "…certain theoretical and practice perspectives…" (p. 112) which are included in the statutory language, as well as the possibility that statutory language may limit the scope of practice, to the deficit of "…practice, future technological development and knowledge expansion…" (p. 111). There seems to be consensus that licensing requirements do, in fact, influence both social work practice and social work education (Boutté-Queen, 2003;Cherry et al, 1989;Ezell et al, 2004;Strom & Gingerich, 1993;Wermeling, Hunn, & McLendon, 2013). However, there is scant literature about how schools of social work specifically implement and infuse curricula content to help students pass licensing exams (Miller, Grise-Owens, & Esobar-Ratliff, 2015).…”

“…For example, a social worker may be licensed as a clinical social worker in one state but may be ineligible in the next state due to these expanded curriculum requirements, even though the student has passed the clinical exam and graduated. Scholars have raised questions about the fit between content covered in licensure exams and content that is taught as part of the MSW curriculum (Black & Whelley, 1999;Cherry, Rothman, & Skolnik, 1989;Strom & Gingerich, 1993). Biggerstaff (2000) identified multiple concerns with increased public regulation of social work practice, including the limitation of practice to "…certain theoretical and practice perspectives…" (p. 112) which are included in the statutory language, as well as the possibility that statutory language may limit the scope of practice, to the deficit of "…practice, future technological development and knowledge expansion…" (p. 111).…”