Instructor:
John Sougstad, Ed.S., A.C.S.W.
sougsta2@msu.edu

Students in this course must either be currently enrolled in a master's degree program in a CSWE-accredited School of Social Work or be a graduate (i.e., already have their M.S.W.) of such a program; or have permission from the Instructor.

This course (SW873) is one of a three course series (along with SW 874 and SW 875) that are required for those who wish to pursue approval as a School Social Worker in the State of Michigan. Its primary purpose is to consider social work practice in a "host" setting: the school. There will be an optional on-campus orientation session.

It will examine the challenges and opportunities of social work practice in educational settings by addressing the roles and functions of social workers within a complex ecological system of home/school/community.

These topics will be addressed from a multi-system, multi-modal approach to practice. For example, this course will look at the impact of societal laws and values on the school itself, the ways in which these are translated by the school personnel, and the effect they have on the students' schooling experience.

Implications for preventive as well as interventive social work practice with a variety of client systems will be examined.

As you know, participation in this particular section of SW873 places you on the "cutting edge" of instructional technology. The primary mode of information dissemination will be via the Internet.

The course also includes "case studies" prepared by experts who will join students on line to respond to questions and comments. The course is designed for student participation and sharing of experiences and insights through Internet conferencing in order to facilitate the integration of theory and practice.

• Constable, R, Flynn, J. P., & McDonald, S. (Eds.). (2002). School social work, (5th ed.). Chicago: Lyceum Books, Inc. (bookstore)
  
• Allen-Meares, P., Washington, R. O., & Welsh, B. (2000). Social work services in the schools, Fourth Edition. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. (bookstore)
  

1. To develop an understanding of the evolution of school social work and the present political, legal, ethical, and value-based issues that confront the school social worker.



2. To understand the school as a system, including the structure and policies, the context in which it operates, and the roles played by those who function in the school.



3. To understand the impact of societal problems on student performance in educational settings.



4. To understand the roles of social work in enhancing educational opportunity and performance, especially for oppressed populations. To be knowledgeable about a variety of educational programs, including those for handicapped, low income, and minority populations, and to be able to assess their adequacy.



5. To become familiar with legislation and court decisions that are relevant to educational programs and students' and parents' rights.



6. To be able to analyze major problems that exist in educational settings and discuss implications for social work intervention at the individual, small group, organizational, community, and societal levels.



7. To be able to develop social work programs in educational settings that will address unmet needs of large numbers of students.



8. To feel comfortable with the Internet as a tool that can enhance education. To be able to use the Internet to research a question and communicate with others, and to consider its applicability in school settings.
   
   

   

   Assignments and Basis for Grading:

   As with all social work classes, participating in the process of the educational experience is vital, and it is expected that students will complete reading assignments and participate in on line discussions about course content.

   Students will be expected to provide written answers to study questions that accompany each module. In addition, there are two papers that will involve an integration of the class readings and on line discussions. The basis for grading papers will be application of course material, clarity, and use of APA writing and referencing guidelines. These assignments, together with an evaluation of students' class participation that will be worth 15%, will make up the grade for the course.

   Students who do not complete required assignments will be given a failing grade on those assignments unless the professor agrees to late receipt of the work because of illness or other compelling reasons, and a definite plan for completion of missing work is agreed upon by the professor and the student.

   Final grades in this class, as in most courses in the School of Social Work, are letter grade numerical equivalents. Listed below are the corresponding percentages/points and general definition of these grades:

   Final Grade:	Numerical Equivalent:	Definition of Grade:
   4.0	95-100	Excellent
   3.5	89-94	Very Good
   3.0	83-88	Above Average
   2.5	77-82	Some Deficiences
   2.0	71-76	Significant Deficiencies
   1.5	65-70	Many Deficiencies
   1.0	59-64	Unacceptable
   0.0	63 or below	Failure
   I	.	Incomplete
   DF	.	Deferred

   

   Course Assignments:

   1. Study Questions:

   For each module, questions should be answered in approximately 2-3 typed pages. Each set is worth 5 points for a total of 25% of the student's grade. These may be sent to the instructor by e-mail or "snail" mail.

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   2. Interview and Reaction Paper:

   Interview an individual who holds an M.S.W. degree and is employed by an educational institution to provide social work services. This person may be in a public or private K-12 system, a pre-school, or college-level setting. For the latter, you may need to consider M.S.Ws who are performing social work functions that are more broadly defined, e.g., advocates for women, minority, or handicapped students.

   If you are placed in a school system or a university counseling center, please arrange for an interview in a different kind of setting. For the purposes of shared learning, the more varied the settings and social work roles that you investigate, the better.

   Please answer the following questions in 3-5 typed, double-spaced pages, and send them to the instructor. This assignment is worth 25% of your grade.

   1. Identify the person whom you interviewed by school district, grade level(s) at which s/he works, and role(s) that s/he plays within their district and school.

   2. Discuss the place of this social worker within the organizational structure of the educational setting, including your perception of how this professional position fits with the others represented there, e.g., teachers, counselors, psychologists, etc.

   3. Describe the kinds of tasks performed and problems presented to the worker.
   
   4. Describe the population worked with, including the extent to which there is any involvement with the student's family and/or the community-at-large.

   5. Discuss the major pro and con of this individual's job as seen by him/her and by you.

   6. In what ways are the position and system that you investigated reflective or non-reflective of the reading you have done thus far?

   In addition, please post a paragraph to the designated "conference" that indicates the position and kind of tasks your interviewee performed, without identifying this person by name or district. Share one fact that you learned during this interview that you found enlightening, confounding, or just interesting.

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   3. In-service or Program Proposal:

   Select any educational problem/issue discussed in your readings and write a proposal to a School Superintendent to implement a social work project to prevent or remediate the problem. The project may either be an in-service training for school personnel or parents, or an actual program for students. Include the following in your proposal:

   1. A description of the problem and a brief discussion of some probable causes, citing the literature wherever possible to support your statements. This should include research done both at the library and on the web.
   
   2. A statement of the objectives of the proposed program focused on changes anticipated in the target population, and a detailed description of the intervention. If, for example, you chose to design an in-service training program that you as a school social worker might want to implement with the staff of a school system, you should include the following:

   a. A rationale for the in-service.

   b. The objectives of the in-service session.

   c. The content and procedures to be followed in the in-service, providing samples of the materials to be used and references from which they were created or drawn. Be sure to include a review of some relevant literature that indicates why your approach, i.e., your chosen method of intervention, has a chance of preventing or remediating the problem.

   3. A plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the project.

   It is difficult to give a definite length estimate because the nature of the problem and the intervention you are designing will dictate that. The paper should be typed, double-spaced, numbered, and proofread, and probably not exceed 12 pages in length (excluding any sample in-service or evaluation tools). This assignment will be worth 35% of your grade and is due to the instructor.

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   4. Class Participation (15%):

   Self evaluation forms will be completed when a student has finished all of the readings and assignments. Reflected in this evaluation will be the extent to which students participated in the entire course including their responses to the "experts" who presented case studies.
   

   .........	PREPARATION (to be rated by student)
   	3=Usually to always did readings
   	2=Generally did readings
   	0.5=Occasionally did readings

   .........	PARTICIPATION (to be rated by student)
   	3=Questioned or commented on all of the "case studies"
   	2=Questioned or commented on at least 3 of the "case studies"
   	0.5=Questioned or commented on 2 of the "case studies"

   .........	USE OF SELF (to be rated by student)
   	3=Shared information that was pertinent to the class from my own experience; participated in on line discussions; helped others to understand the material, etc.
   	2=Beginning to do the above
   	0.5=Rarely, if ever, have done the above

   .........	INSTRUCTOR VALIDITY (to be rated by instructor)
   	6=Significant contribution and perceptive use of material
   	3=Actively learning; attempted to reach advanced competency
   	0.5=Unable to judge learning from course interaction

   

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   Updated - 03/197/01