The goal of the exam report series, based on additional analyses of data on ASWB exam pass rates and those of other professions, is to inform ASWB’s and the social work profession’s approach to addressing the complex individual, institutional, and community factors influencing the testing experience and exam results.

A team of researchers led by Cole Hooley, Ph.D., LCSW, is going to find out. Hooley; Katherine Marcal, Ph.D., MSW; and Gabby Cunningham, Ph.D., MBA, are embarking on a research project funded by ASWB to apply system dynamics to a model of the social work workforce pipeline. They hope their model will help analyze and […]

ASWB is currently accepting proposals for research related to occupational and professional regulation, with an emphasis on social work regulatory best practices.

The Regulatory Research Task Force was appointed in 2022 and charged with developing ongoing charges to create a Regulatory Research Committee. Following the response from the broader social work community to ASWB’s publication of exam demographic data, the task force pivoted to support the organization by beginning development of a research agenda and framework to […]

ASWB is committed to investing in research as a means of contributing to the future of the social work profession. ASWB invites  the social work community to participate in research initiatives and be part of advancing public protection and professional accountability.

The goal of the regulatory research request for proposals that ASWB issued in 2020 was clear: Conduct a literature review of extant social work regulatory research. The reality of whether the goal could be accomplished was not as clear.

ASWB’s regulatory support services staff is ready to help.

Regulatory research highlights

Building understanding about social work regulation and promoting consistency in standards are dual goals of a recent collaboration between ASWB’s Member Engagement and Regulatory Services department and marketing staff. A new resource, Spotlight on Regulation, is now available on aswb.org. It features graphically presented information and interactive maps that supplement the dynamic laws and regulations […]

After the COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 ASWB Education Meeting on regulatory research to be canceled, it seemed that the third pillar of the strategic framework, Curate research for best practices in regulation, would become stalemated.