Timeline of an ASWB Exam Guidebook cover-up. Summary Test-takers preparing for Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) examinations in 2025 have been presented with conflicting information about how much time they are allotted for each section of the examination, the number of breaks provided, whether they can access all of half of their answers toContinue reading “ASWB Exam Policy Changes: A Timeline of Sneak-Revisions to the Exam Guidebook”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Two New #StopASWB papers
With gratitude to my collaborator on these manuscripts, Dr. Mary Nienow, these mansucripts are under peer review at Advances in Social Work‘s special issue on social work exam equity. They culminate a years-long open data project on social work licensing exams. DeCarlo, M. P., & Nienow, M. (2024, October 15). Uniquely Biased: How ASWB ExamsContinue reading “Two New #StopASWB papers”
ASWB: Grandparenting In Social Work Licensure Harms the Public
To be fair to Dr. Kim, who produced the well-researched keynote, that is not how she frames the issue! I think that her interpretation of the scientific evidence is less plausible than the one I outline below. I will walk you through why Dr. Kim’s analysis proves ASWB’s main talking point–that exams protect the public–isContinue reading “ASWB: Grandparenting In Social Work Licensure Harms the Public”
ASWB’s Unethical Research and Regulatory Practices
This was originally penned as a letter to the editor of the International Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, Dr. Stephen Marson upon his invitation to submit in the last volume. Thank you for your offer to submit a letter to the editor about measurement bias and predictive bias in the exams produced byContinue reading “ASWB’s Unethical Research and Regulatory Practices”
ASWB hides data from State Social Work Boards that could license thousands of excluded social workers
The debate over social work examinations created by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) has been hampered by the lack of openly available methodology and data checked by neutral third parties. As a result, test-takers, researchers, employers, and social work boards are left with little information on which to gauge the quality of socialContinue reading “ASWB hides data from State Social Work Boards that could license thousands of excluded social workers”
ASWB lies about DIF & DTF
Recently, the Association of Social Work Boards posted an article of misinformation about differential item functioning (whether an item on a test is biased) as compared to differential test functioning (whether the entire test is biased). I’m going to go over what is inaccurate about their blog post and why those misrepresentations matter. First, theContinue reading “ASWB lies about DIF & DTF”
Prepping a Zero Textbook Cost Course
Hi, everyone! Produced this for my fellow faculty, and I thought others might benefit from it. -Matt Why prioritize textbook costs? Textbooks are a social equity issue. Every student should have first-day access to all of the materials needed to succeed in the course. When my colleagues and I at Virginia schools of social workContinue reading “Prepping a Zero Textbook Cost Course”
Student Data Privacy in Field Education
Hey everyone! Starting a new thing here where I’m blogging instead of sending long emails that only one person reads. Hopefully more people find this useful. One of the goals of Payment for Placements organizers is removing the cost of field education software. While many schools use some combination of spreadsheets, forms, poorly-formatted Microsoft WordContinue reading “Student Data Privacy in Field Education”
Open textbooks: Educational equity and innovation
This panel presentation is a re-recording of our presentation live at the Council on Social Work Education’s Annual Program Meeting in November of 2021. Panelists include Matt DeCarlo, Whitney Payne, Rebecca Mauldin, and Susan Tyler. Slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fCxPkBGHQvPBMCUXB2jGv0xMgPGilK2twSQd0cDSJsk/edit?usp=sharing Abstract Open textbooks are free, editable, and shareable alternatives to commercial textbooks. Our four panelists will detail theirContinue reading “Open textbooks: Educational equity and innovation”
Finding open opportunities in a closed curriculum: Strategies for junior and contingent faculty
Finding open opportunities in a closed curriculum: Strategies for junior and contingent faculty was a presentation delivered at the OpenEd21 conference by Matt DeCarlo on 10/21/21. Slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Vl58Qx5qKhjmBBeFVKVjHPY8ieb0XiotbNJx_5OYZl0/edit?usp=sharing Abstract Because universities predominantly employ contingent faculty—adjunct, part-time, or student teachers—it is important for the open education community to explore how to experiment with open pedagogy whenContinue reading “Finding open opportunities in a closed curriculum: Strategies for junior and contingent faculty”
Open Social Work 