Spring 2026 SOWK 587 Week 14 - School Policy, Program Development, & Evaluation

title: Spring 2026 SOWK 587 Week 14 - School Policy, Program Development, & Evaluation date: 2026-04-24 22:25:47 location: Heritage University tags:

  • Heritage University
  • MSW Program
  • SOWK 587 presentation_video: > “” description: >

Week 14 is the last synchronous class session of the semester, and class will take place on Saturday, 04/25. During class, we will focus on policy and program development. Through the forums, students will concentrate on professional development. During class we have time preparing for the end of the semester and this course. We will also consider school policy in the context of learning from this semester and the process for school-based needs assessments.

The agenda for the in-person class session is:

  • Student’s view into school policy
  • Needs assessment process
  • School intervention assessment and plan
  • Course evaluation

The learning objectives for this week include:

  • Identify students’ understanding and engagement with the school policy over the semester.
  • Describe the basic steps needed to complete a needs assessment.
  • Understand the content of the final paper
  • Provide meaningful feedback on this course.
  • Use professional standards to inform professional growth planning.

Plan for Week 14

In-Class Agenda

  • Student’s view into school policy
  • Needs assessment process
  • School intervention assessment and plan
  • Course evaluation

In-Class Learning Objectives

  • Identify students’ understanding and engagement with the school policy over the semester.
  • Describe the basic steps needed to complete a needs assessment.
  • Understand the content of the final paper
  • Provide meaningful feedback on this course.

School Policies and Program Development

In your textbook, they talk about the following areas of policy and program development.

  • Alcohol and Drug Awareness and Occurrence
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Truancy and School Failure Prevention
  • Violence Prevention Approaches
  • Bullying
  • Child and Sexual Abuse
  • Peer Mediation and Conflict Resolution
  • Domestic and Partner Violence Prevention
  • Adolescents Pregnancy
  • Assertiveness
  • Special Education Program Development

to get us started today I want to have us engage in some discussion about these topics you read about and examples of what you see in your placements.

[Small Group Activity] Discuss Practicum Observations

  • What policies or practices related to these issues have you observed at your practicum?
  • Where do you see gaps or opportunities for improvement in how your placement addresses this issue?

School-Related Problem Fact Sheets & Social Policy Macro Issue

Likely connected to this is the work you have done in your papers.

[Small Group Activity] Continued Student Sharing

  • Policy Landscape: What existing policy(ies) did you analyze?
  • Equity & Access: Did you find any unintentional harm or gaps in protection?
  • Theory in Practice: Which social policy theory did you apply and did it change how you think about policy and advocacy?

[Whole Group Activity] Debrief Discussion

Needs Assessment Introduction

The topic I want to talk about today is needs assessments.

Needs assessments can be very helpful in eliciting the support of the administration for many of these policies and programs … to use this information to reinforce your case for the need in your school. (Jarolmen & Bautista, 2023 p. 259)

Simplified Steps of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Process

The following comes from a 2023 report from OSPI

  1. Planning
    • Define the purpose of the assessment
    • Set goals and guiding questions
    • Identify and involve key stakeholders
    • Establish timelines and responsibilities
  2. Collecting and Organizing Data
    • Identify and gather relevant data sources
    • Include both quantitative and qualitative data
    • Organize data in a clear, digestible format
  3. Interpreting Information
    • Analyze data to identify themes, strengths, and needs
    • Summarize findings without casting blame
    • Address disagreements among stakeholders
  4. Determining Priorities
    • Prioritize the most impactful needs
    • Develop SMART or SMARTIE goals
    • Decide what can be addressed short-term vs. long-term
  5. Connecting to Implementation
    • Identify root causes of prioritized needs
    • Select strategies or interventions based on findings
    • Develop an action plan and monitor progress
    • Communicate results and adjust as needed

[Whole Group Activity] Consider School Social Workers Roles

  • How can practicum students contribute to changes and work in school policy?
  • What role do you think that school social worker can take in assessing school needs?
  • Which areas or topics would you imagine that we are most focused?

(Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2023)

SPRC 2021 and Interpreting Information

Working in small groups, you will review the resource:

SAMHSA/CMHS Grant No. 1H79SM033028-01 SPRC 2021 Tribal Suicide Prevention Needs Assessment: Aggregate Technical Report

[Small Group Activity] Discuss Interpretation of Report Data

Sample Data Types for Needs Assessment

The following are some of the data that would be collected.

  • Demographics
    • Student breakdown by ethnicity, gender, language, disability, program status
    • Staff demographics and comparison to student population
  • Student Achievement
    • State/local assessment results (disaggregated)
    • Growth trends over time
    • WSIF performance indicators
    • Progress by subgroups (e.g., English learners, students with disabilities)
  • School Climate and Culture
    • Student and staff surveys on safety, belonging, relationships
    • Discipline and attendance data
    • Perceptions of respect and expectations
    • Vision, mission, and values alignment
  • Staff Quality, Recruitment, and Retention
    • Certification and qualifications
    • Recruitment and turnover rates
    • Staff attendance and PD participation
    • Distribution of experienced teachers
  • Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
    • Use of culturally responsive practices
    • Alignment with state standards
    • Assessment data use for instructional decisions
    • Equity evaluation tools applied to curriculum
  • Parent, Family, and Community Engagement
    • Participation in school events
    • Communication effectiveness
    • Partnerships with community organizations
    • Access to services for students/families
  • School Context and Organization
    • Class schedules and structure
    • Learning time allocation by subject
    • Interdisciplinary integration
  • Technology
    • Student and parent access to devices and internet
    • Staff technology integration and training
    • Usability and accessibility of tools
  • Other Sources
    • Focus groups, interviews, suggestion boxes
    • Budgets, program evaluations
    • Observations and walkthroughs

Reference

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. (2023). Comprehensive needs assessment toolkit. https://ospi.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/2024-01/ospi_needsassessmenttoolkit_2023.pdf

How Would A Needs Assessment Look at Your Practicum

[Small Group Activity] School Based Needs Assessment Planning

Working as a small group, make a plan if you were going to do a needs assessment at your school, what would it look like, and the planning stage of the process.

  • What areas would you think could be helpful to assess, and why
  • Who should be involved and how would you get buy-in
  • What data would you collect and how would you get it

Assignment 05: School Intervention Assessment and Plan

Meta: Points 100 pts (20% of final grade); Deadline Monday 05/11/26 at 8:00 AM; Completion via MyHeritage Assignments using Turnitin; Locations MyHeritage Assignment Detail and Syllabus Handout with Description and Rubric.

Purpose: The School Intervention Assessment and Plan builds on students’ work, identifying school-based challenges and applying systems-based assessment and planning strategies. This assignment allows students to synthesize content across the course and demonstrate their ability to design interventions responsive to student needs, school culture, and systemic barriers. Students will engage in self-reflection, ethical decision-making, and demonstrate cultural humility while developing plans grounded in scientifically based practices.

Task: Students will write a paper detailing an intervention plan for a student. They may select a real student (with identifying details removed) or develop a fictional case. The paper should demonstrate the student’s ability to assess needs and propose an intervention that addresses academic, behavioral, emotional, or social barriers. The paper must include:

  • Student Profile and Needs: Provide a clear description of the student and their presenting challenges. Include contextual information about the student’s background, strengths, and school setting. Analyze how aspects of the school culture or policies may contribute to or sustain the student’s difficulties. Make connections to the student and macro-related concerns. Consider using the research done in your Social Policy Macro Issue paper and the School-Related Problem Fact Sheet to guide your discussion.
  • Assessment Framing: Use a person-in-environment and systems perspective to assess the problem. Describe how you identified the problem, referencing the assessment process and findings. The problem should be clearly defined and linked to patterns or conditions within the school or community. Discuss the case, framing it based on systemic inequities and how they might influence the problem and the student’s access to support.
  • Intervention Plan: Develop a multilayered intervention plan that addresses needs at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Micro-level strategies may involve direct support to the student (e.g., individual counseling or skill-building); mezzo-level strategies might include peer support, family engagement, or classroom-wide accommodations; and macro-level strategies could involve policy recommendations, school-wide programming, or shifts in school culture. Include scientifically based practices with supporting citations.
  • Resource Identification and Brokering: Identify the community, school-based, or technological resources the student will access as part of the plan. Highlight how you will broker services and collaborate with other professionals (e.g., teachers, administrators, counselors). Explain how cultural competence informs your understanding of available resources and how access can be equitable and relevant for the student’s identity and context.
  • Cultural Competency and Anti-Racism: Reflect on how your identity, biases, and privileges may impact your assessment and planning process. Incorporate an element into your plan that explicitly aims to dismantle structurally racist policies or practices. This may include removing barriers to services, advocating for inclusive programs, or targeting historically underserved student populations.

Success: A successful submission will demonstrate a comprehensive assessment of a student’s needs within the context of school culture and systemic influences. The intervention plan will be clearly structured, actionable, and span micro, mezzo, and macro levels, incorporating scientifically based practices. Students will thoughtfully integrate relevant resources and outline collaborative strategies with school and community partners. Strong assignments will include self-reflection on personal bias and privilege, and propose interventions that actively dismantle structurally racist policies or practices. The final product will be professionally written, well-organized, and adhere to APA formatting and assignment guidelines.

Appendix D. School Intervention Assessment and Plan Rubric

The School Intervention Assessment and Plan Rubric assesses students’ ability to analyze student needs within a school context, frame a problem using relevant data and systems-level thinking, and develop a feasible, multilayered intervention plan. The rubric also measures students’ capacity to integrate school and community resources, demonstrate collaborative practice, and reflect critically on issues of bias, privilege, and ADEI. Students are expected to apply ethical reasoning, use scientifically based practices, and present their work in a clear, organized, and scholarly manner that adheres to APA formatting standards and assignment requirements.

Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
a. Summarize internalized racial bias by self-reflecting on personal history, power, position, and opportunities for change.
b. Utilize social work research, community-based education, social justice practices, policy analysis and advocacy, and/or non-profit administration and leadership to dismantle structurally racist practices and policies.

Description Initial Emerging Developed Highly Developed
Self-Reflection on Internalized Racial Bias Does not include self-reflection on bias. Self-reflection on bias is limited or vague. Reflects on biases, but does not fully explore identity, privilege, and positionality and/or does not consider opportunities for personal growth. Provides a clear, insightful reflection on personal identity, privilege, and positionality. Thoughtfully examines internalized bias and identifies intentional strategies for growth and change.
Dismantling Structurally Racist Practices and Policies Does not address structural racism or propose related interventions. Recognizes structural racism but proposed actions are vague or disconnected from ADEI principles. Identifies structurally racist practices and proposes general strategies, but lacks supporting sources and/or does not clearly connect interventions to systems-level thinking Applies scientifically based approaches to identify and address structural racism. Proposes specific, actionable steps grounded in ADEI principles and systems-level understanding.

General Assignment Expectations

Description Initial Emerging Developed Highly Developed
Assessment and Problem Framing Student needs are vague or missing. Problem is unclear, lacks context. No meaningful connection to school culture or systemic issues. Describes the student’s needs but lacks depth or clarity. Problem is identified but not well-supported contextual discussion and it is not connected to school culture or systemic influences. Student needs are described. The problem is framed by the school context. Connections to school culture and systemic factors are made but may need more depth. Provides a well-articulated and comprehensive assessment of the student’s needs. The problem is clearly defined and situated within school culture and broader systemic issues.
Intervention Plan and Implementation Intervention plan is missing, unrealistic, or lacks coherence. A basic intervention plan is presented but lacks detail and the plan only includes one or two levels of intervention. Intervention plan is logical and includes micro, mezzo, and macro elements. Strategies are generally discussed but lack discussion of evidence. Presents a clear, feasible, and multilayered intervention plan with specific actions at all three levels. Integrates scientifically supported practices with strong justification for selected strategies
Resource Integration and Collaboration Few or no resources are identified. Collaboration is not discussed. Mentions some relevant resources and collaboration, but the discussion is limited or underdeveloped. Includes appropriate resources and outlines basic strategies for collaboration. Demonstrates thoughtful integration of relevant school, community, and technological resources. Collaboration is clearly planned.
Organization, Clarity, and APA Formatting The paper lacks clear organization; tone is informal or inappropriate for academic paper; Some organization is evident but ideas may be disjointed; tone is uneven or somewhat unprofessional; Citations and references are mostly missing or significantly flawed. The paper is generally well-organized with a mostly professional tone; minor APA formatting errors are present but do not detract significantly from clarity. The paper is clearly and logically organized with a consistently professional, action-oriented tone; APA citations and references are accurate and properly formatted throughout.
Following assignment requirements Does not follow the assignment description. Somewhat follows the assignment description, but significant errors exist. Follows the assignment description and requirements but has minor errors. Closely follows the assignment description and requirements.

Course Evaluation: Focus on Change

Change is hard. A key aspect of being a social worker is asking our clients to change. As faculty and a university, we want to provide the best educational experience we can for you. That requires evaluating our classes and the program as a whole. One part of this is through course evaluations.

Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “to improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.”

We might not be able to make it to being perfect, but having an internal review process with real-life data such as that from course evaluations can become the vehicle we explore the changes we need to make inside of our individual classes and the social work program.

[Whole Group Activity] Complete Course Evaluation

Reference

Taken from https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill

Winston Churchill (June 23, 1925), His complete speeches, 1897–1963, edited by Robert Rhodes James, Chelsea House ed., vol. 4 (1922–1928), p. 3706. During a debate with Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden.

Educational Staff Associate (ESA) Certificate: First Time Application

This class has a unique aspect to it, that when you finish the class you will have completed one of the requirements towards obtaining a ESA.

Info can be found at: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/certification/educational-staff-associate-esa-certificates

The process is:

  • Master’s degree in social work (official transcripts)
  • Complete an ESA course approved by the Professional Educational Standards Board (PESB).
  • Submit fingerprints for a background check if a valid certificate is not already on record
  • Pay Fee and Apply at OSPI