DOCUMFNT RFSUMF ED 021 282 24 CG 002 483 By- Costin, Lela B. Ii1PROVED USE OF STAFF, FINAL AN ANALYSIS OF THE TASKS IN SCHOOLSOCIAL WORK AS A BASIS FOR REPORT. Illinois Univ., Urbana. Graduate School ofSocial Work. Spons Agency- Office of Education (DHEW),Washington, D.C. Bureau of Research Bureau No- BR- 6- 8315 Pub Date 28 Feb 68 Grant OEG- 3- 6- 068315- 1306 Note-155p EDRS Price fulF- $0.75 HC-$6.28 Descriptors-CASEWORKERS FACTOR ANALYSIS*PROFESSIONAL SERVICES *SCHOOLSOCIAL WORKERS SOCIAL WORK, *SOCIAL WORKERS The two basic questions investigated inthis study were: (1) thefunction of school social work and its relative importance asdefined by social workers,and (2) whether this definition provides a basisfor experimentation in assigningresponsibilities to social work itaff with differentlevels of training. A comprehensivelist of the school social worker's tasks was assembledarid each task was written inbehavioral terms to describe an activity. A rating scale wasdevised for the tasks and givento 254 school social workers. A factor analysisrevealesi a meaningful structure amongschool social work tasks. These nine factorsemerged: (1) leadership andpolicy making: (2) casework services to parentsand child;(3) clinical treatmentfor children; (4) educational counseling to parents and child;(5) liaison between family and communityagencies; (6) interpretifigthe childto the teacher;(7) personal service to theteacher; (8) interpreting school social work services;and (9) case load management.(ph) .111111110kurint FINAL REPORT Project No. 6-8315 Grant No. OEG 3-6-068315-1306 AN ANALYSIS OF TffE TASKS IN SCHOOLSOCIAL WORK AS A BASIS FOR IMPROVED USE OF STAFF Lela B. Costin The Jane Addams Graduate School of SocialWork University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois February 28, 1968 The research reported herein was performed pursuantto a grant with the Office of Education, U. S. Department ofHealth, Education, and Welfare. Contractors undertaking such projects under Government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely theirprofessional judgment in the conduct of the project.Points of view or opinions stated do not, therefore, necessarily representofficial Office of Education position or policy. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Office of Education Bureau of Research TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 T. Background of the Study 1 Problem Basic questions 2 Impetus for the Study Prdblems of social wort% manpower School conditions andeffects upon pupils 14 Assumptions Underlying theStudy 16 II. Development of School SocialWork 16 The Period 1906-1930 The beginnings Influences in thedevelopment of school socialwork Early definie.on ofschool social work Expansion in thetwenties--emphasis upon strategic position of schools Primary function re-affirmed Influence of the mentalhygiene movement Summary of period1906-1930 36 The Period 1930-1960 Shifting goals in schoolsocial work in the thirties Emphasis upon caseworkservice to the individualchild Work with others in thechild's behalf Attention to deleteriousschool conditions Summary of period 1930-1960 54 The Period 1960-1968 Changing goals and methods Confusion among roles of theschool specialists Summary of period 1960-1968 69 III. Method of the Study 69 Identification of Tasks 69 Construction of a Rating Scale 71 Sample 72 Analysis of the Data TABLE OF CONTENTS 74 IV. Results ,4 Description ofFactors Leadership and policymaking Casework service tothe child and hisparents emotional problems Clinical treatmentof children with and his parents Educational counselingwith the child community agencies Liaison betweenthe family and Interpreting thechild to the teacher Personal service tothe teacher Interpreting schoolsocial work service Case load management Work Tasks 82 Relative Importanceof School Social Principal findings different geographical Importance oftasks according to regions different sizeschool Importance oftasks according to systems importance of schoolsocial Summary offindings regarding work tasks Other Personnel 88 Assigning SchoolSocial Work Tasks to Principal findings of tasks Summary of findingsregarding delegation 92 V. Conclusions--Implications 92 The Basic Questionsand the Conclusions School sottial work as aresidual service Differential use ofschool socialwork staff and Education 98 Implications forSocial Work Practice Learning aboutthe problems Reformulation of goals Changes in services Staffing patterns ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS acknowledgement is madeto the following personswho helped Grateful with the progressof this study: Barbara Moore, Professors JaneWine, Florence koole, Graduate School ofSocial Work, and John Aldersonof the Jane Addams Joseph P. Hourihan,Frances Priest, University ofIlliaois; Profesnors University S;hool of Social Work;Pro- and Betty Welshof Wayne State of Social Work; fessor Robert B.Rowen, Universityof Tennessee School Welfare, Universityof California Robert Wasser,Lecturer in Social John Nebo, Director,Division School of Socialbelfare, Berkeley; Mr. Pupil Personnel Services,Board of of Schcol SocialWork, Bureau of Visiting Education, City ofChicago; Miss Helen J.Hill, Consultant, Richmond, Virginia; Mts. Teacher Service, StateBoard of Education, Social Work, Stateof Florida Mabel M. Brantley,Consultant, School All these persons sup- Department ofEducation, Tallahassee,Florida. in the constructionof the rat- pled useful criticismsand suggestions workers from which ing scale and incompiling a rosterof school social to select thestudy sample. Assistant, Statistical M. Richard G.Montanelli, Research programmed the PrincipalAxes Service Unit, Universityof Illinois, Analysis. Professor FrankCostin, Departmentof Psychology, Uriverai- important suggestionsand criti- ty of Illinois, gaveencouragement and cally reviewed a draftof this final report. for the partial sup- In addition,appreciation is expressed by the U. S. Departmentof port of the projectwhiel was provided Education, Bureau of Research. Health, Education, andWelfare, Office of iii An Analysis ofthe Tasks inSchool Social Work I. BACKGROUND OF Ta STUDY Problem Basic Questions two basic questions: The study reportedhere has sought to answer school social workand the (1) What is the contentof the function of social work- relative importance of itsparts as defincaby professional (2) Does such adefini- ers closelyrelated to this fieldof practice? in tion of fuactionprovide a promisingbasis for experimentation staff with differentlevels assigning responsibilitiesto social work of education or training? in the publicschools Social workers arebeing used increasingly specialists who helpthe indi- as one of the groupsof noninstructional handicapping obstacles vidual pupil, or groupsof pupils, to overcome said that the that interfere with learning. Generally, it has bee, educational setting is toadd social worker's specificfunction in the teachers, administrators,and his professional competenceto that of youth with variousproblems other specialists inhelping children and goals. The aim which keep them from achievingappropriate educational maximum use of theiropportunities is to enable thesechildren to make of society. to learn and tco becomecontributing members professional social In view of today'scritical shortage of school systems, ithas become workers and the pressingproblems of most profession define more ex- increasingly urgent that thesocial work If there is plicitly the nature of itsdistinct role inthe schools. innovations in to be maximum use ofsocial work staffand appropriate 1 An Analysis of theTasks in School SocialWork need for a clear andvalid identi- school social workservice, there is workers consider mostimportant for fication of thetasks which social within a school system. the attainment ofsocial work goats Impetus for theStudy for this study: rrwo current problemsprovided the stimulus the recruitmentand utilization (a) unsolved questionsin relation to in the public of social workpersonnel,and (b)disturbing conditions the nature of aneffective school schools today whichhave bearing upon be discussed brieflybelow. social work service. Each of these will Problem of Social WorkMenpower workers who wish to A most compellingproblem facing social setting of further the aims oftheir profession byworking within the increasingly familiar toall who are a publicschool is one which is the shortage of manpowerto employed in the fieldof social welfare: The perform the tasksrequired for attainmentof agency objectives. by shortage is not new,although the high degreeof concern engendered trained personnel forthe social wel- it is. Insufficient numbers of least the past three fare field have been acontinuing problem for at adequate numbersof decades. During that time therehave never been newly created by qualified persons for programsalready existing or which legislation, to saynothing of additional personsto man programs system of social communities have wished toinaugurate to improve a services. professional schools Social workers witheducation in graduate For example, are especially inshort supply in allfields of practice. An Analysis of the Tasks inSchool Social Work of the more than 150,000 personswho provide social services in volun- tary and public agency programstoday, only about one-fourth are grad- uates of professionalschools of social work; the remainingthree-fourths have baccalaureate degrees or lessand are trained for their jobs, if 1 formally trained at all, through agencyin-service programs. Projected estimates of manpower required by1970 indicate that about 100,000 more social workers with graduate