Finding aid for the Academy of Certified Social Workers Competence Certification Board records
0464
Finding aid prepared by Sue Luftschein
USC Libraries Special Collections
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California, 90089-0189
213-740-5900
specol@usc.edu
2011 May
Title: Academy of Certified Social Workers Competence Certification Board records
Collection number: 0464
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.42 linear ft.
1 box
Date (inclusive): 1979-1982
Abstract: The Academy of Certified Social Workers Competence Certification Board records consist of meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence,
and reports, that document the activities of this body during the early 1980s. Included is information about the establishment
and oversight of certification standards for social workers, and the design of the certification examination administered
by the Educational Testing Service. The records also provide some information about general activities carried out by the
Board in its relationship with the National Association of Social Workers and the Academy of Certified Social Workers, including
membership issues and general social work education.
creator:
Academy of Certified Social Workers (U.S.). Competence Certification Board.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder# or item name], Academy of Certified Social Workers Competence Certification Board records, Collection no. 0464,
California Social Welfare Archives, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
The use of archival materials for on-site research does not constitute permission from the California Social Welfare Archives
to publish them. Copyright has not been assigned to the California Social Welfare Archives, and the researcher is instructed
to obtain permission from the copyright holder to quote from or publish manuscripts in the CSWA's collections.
Scope and Content
The Academy of Certified Social Workers Competence Certification Board records consist of meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence,
and reports, that document the activities of this body during the early 1980s. Included is information about the establishment
and oversight of certification standards for social workers, and the design of the certification examination administered
by the Educational Testing Service. The records also provide some information about general activities carried out by the
Board in its relationship with the National Association of Social Workers and the Academy of Certified Social Workers, including
membership issues and general social work education.
Historical note
The Competence Certification Board (CCB), in the period covered by these records, had as its principle responsibility the
oversight of NASW's Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) program. The ACSW exam, given twice yearly, was begun in 1973,
resulting by 1979 in an ACSW membership of 47,000, with approximately 4,000 new members admitted each year. NASW had originally
set up CCB as a separate corporation in 1961, to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest in conducting examinations which
would give credentials only to NASW members. In the early 1970's, before ACSW examinations began, CCB's separate incorporation
was dissolved by NASW, in a move that remained controversial throughout the 1970s.
NASW was then the only major professional group to collect specific data on the exam performance of ethnic and racial groups.
Since 1974 it had been aware that African American candidates for the ACSW exam had a 50% failure rate, as compared to a 15%
rate for caucasians. NASW was unable to isolate or explain reasons for this high failure rate, but CCB was nevertheless scheduled
to report on its findings for the first time in 1979. The collection reflects the anxiety felt by CCB, both in making the
failure rate public, and in devising some means to reduce it by adjusting the character of its ACSW examination in consultation
with the professional testing service employed.
Since African-American candidates as a group were older and had more years of experience in social work, it was decided to
base one third of exam scores on experience and professional references. This change resulted in a 75% pass rate, but led
to other problems including a charge that the examination had become too easy, and that it was largely irrelevant to actual
social work practice. By 1981 the Board was preoccupied with "rescaling" concerns, and had decided to bolster the reputation
of its exam through the expensive and time-consuming new process of Validation Research, with the assistance of consultants
and examination technology specialists.
Faced with a need for new expertise in testing procedures, the Board prioritized its work and decided to defer consideration
of specialization in the profession, and of continuing education for social workers. But it was required, thanks to pressure
by vocal groups within NASW, to pay attention to the long-delayed concerns of Baccalaureate Social Workers (BSW) in the area
of credentials. NASW did not know, and apparently was unable to discover, how many BSW members it had acquired since this
group was admitted to membership, against considerable opposition, in 1973. As "entry level" workers who filled many positions
nationally in the hard-pressed public social services agencies, BSW wanted the recognition and status that they believed some
sort of professional credential would entail. The collection reflects, particularly in correspondence, an opening phase of
sharp disagreement in NASW about the BSWs' desire for a credential. This was seen by some as a threat to the professional
status of social workers with MSW and ACSW designations in that a BSW credential was thought likely to confuse the public
and devalue advanced degrees.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Academy of Certified Social Workers (U.S.). Competence Certification Board. -- Archives
Agendas (administrative records)
Correspondence
Minutes
Reports
Social work education--United States--Archival resources
Social workers--Certification--United States--Archival resources
Box 1, Folder 1
CCB meeting minutes
1982 April-May
Box 1, Folder 2
Educational Testing Service exam development
1980-1982
Box 1, Folder 3
Educational Testing Service Standards for Quality and Fairness
1981
Box 1, Folder 4
ACSW correspondence and memorandums
1980-1981
Box 1, Folder 5
CCB meeting agenda
1981 January
Box 1, Folder 6-7
CCB meeting agenda
1981 July
Box 1, Folder 8
CCB meeting agenda
1982 April
Box 1, Folder 9
Specialization in social work
1981
Box 1, Folder 10
Mandatory continuing education
1980
Box 1, Folder 11
Reports and Papers--NASW, ACSW
1980
Box 1, Folder 12
Minority performance in ACSW exam
1979-1981