A study done in 1968-1969 by students at Portland State University School of Social Work at the request of the Oregon State Public Welfare Commission Staff Development Division sought to devise an instrument for assessing the effectiveness of teaching the casework principles of Felix P. Biestek to casework trainees :in the public welfare's orientation program. The test instrument developed was found to have low, but acceptable, internal reliability. Building en the previous year's work, this 1969-1970 study sought to determine the validity of the test instrument by relating test scores to two measures of job performance, namely the latest supervisory civil service rating and a self-rating. Data was collected on thirty of the original test group. The test instrument was determined to be invalid on the basis of these assessments which used measures of total job performance as validating criteria. The study group concluded that the instrument should not be used by itself to determine the effectiveness of teaching casework principles to caseworkers in a public welfare orientation program. While the instrument was being tested, it was recognized that orientation training covers more than just Biestek’s casework principles. Other types of knowledge are also needed for caseworkers to perform effectively on their jobs. Consequently, the scope of the project was enlarged to include an exploration of other factors in caseworker development during orientation. To explore other factors, two instruments were used. One was a questionnaire developed by the group to obtain background information and to measure some attitudes of the caseworker toward his job and the welfare agency. The second was an instrument borrowed from the Oregon State Fish Commission for determining job satisfaction attitudes. The findings of the questionnaire indicated that informal training and supervision were important in caseworker development. The importance of supervision was reinforced by responses given to the survey of job satisfaction attitudes. The survey elicited complaints about bureaucratic agencies, i.e., the red tape, little use or trying of innovative methods, and poor communications within the agency and to the public. In view of the findings, the study group made six recommendations to the Oregon State Public Welfare Division regarding their orientation and staff development program. The study conclusions state that further research is needed (1) to define the casework job and then develop a test to measure a worker’s competency; (2) to develop tools to determine the social work attitudes, knowledge, and skills of the bachelor level service worker; and (3) to investigate use of the structured versus unstructured situation for teaching new caseworkers.

This study was undertaken as a first step in measuring effectiveness of the Oregon State Public Welfare Orientation Center program in teaching principles of the casework relationship as conceptualized by Felix P. Biestek. This anticipated the development of a reasonably reliable instrument, improvement and validation of which would be undertaken in a subsequent study. The population tested was made up of male and female college graduates, newly hired by the State, who were then entering a four week orientation program for caseworkers. Their education and experience varied, but all had passed the State Civil Service examination for this position. Learning was tested on concepts of purposeful expression of feelings, controlled emotional involvement, acceptance, individualization, .non-judgmental attitude, client self-determination, and confidentiality. From constructed test questions, two tests were formulated and administered in a pretest. Following evaluation of the pretest, the questions were revised and used for two versions of the test which were administered to two orientation classes before and after training. Internal and inter-test reliability, item analysis, and sensitivity were determined for the instrument. Pre-training and post-training differences within and between groups were estimated statistically. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that the tests were moderately reliable both internally and with each other. The testing instruments were able to discriminate between before and after scores. There was significant learning in that scores were higher after completion of the training session beyond chance.

Early in the fall of 1973, the Oregon Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) decided to sponsor a statewide training project in cooperation with seven chapters in other Department of Health, Education and Welfare (DHEW) regions across the United States. These workshops were to comprise Stage I of a two-stage plan; they were to serve as demonstration projects. Their planning, implementation and evaluation were to be seriously reviewed and studied afterword in an attempt to devise a model, or models, for Stage II, when a great number of such workshops would be held across the nation. The training plan ensued as part of a contract between NASW and the Health Resource Administration of DHEW, and was entitled Project Provide. The purpose of the contract was to train social work designees and consultants who are employed in Long Term Care Facilities (LTCF). The objective of the training was to initiate and/or improve appropriate social services to reduce the unmet social and human needs of residents and their families.

This research study is an evaluation of a graduate social work training program funded by NIMH of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare entitled "Teaching-Trainingship Grant in School Social Work." This grant provides training opportunities in a field placement at John Adams High School in Portland, Oregon, for Portland State University School of Social Work Masters degree candidates. Originally approved in June 1969, the grant became operational for the school year 1970-71. In addition to faculty salaries, supplies, professional consu1tation, fees, etc. the grant provides trainee stipends for selected students participating in the program. Both first and second year students in the graduate program are eligible for field placement at John Adams High School where they spend two days per week as school social work trainees. The unit is currently instucted by an MSW social worker who is a faculty member of the School of Social Work at Portland State University. The instructor provides a variety of training experiences for students including direct services to clients and families, supervision, consultation, program development, teaching and research. The primary focus of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program. at Adams High School. Secondarily, this study will attempt to answer three basic questions: Can a graduate school social work field instruction program in public school social work on the elementary and secondary levels be evaluated? Can an ongoing instrument be developed allowing for evaluation of program and individual instruction? Can the study provide analytical data for the program director's evaluation of the effectiveness of his training? This study was undertaken by the authors because of an interest in program evaluation as an integral function of professional social work practice. We feel agencies, particularly those financed through public funds are increasingly being pressured to not only quantify, but to qualify program effectiveness. Funding bodies now require evaluative research documenting direction and effectiveness of social programs. Findings of this study should be of value not only to the funding source and the program director, but also to other students who in the future may wish to conduct similar studies in evaluation of graduate social work field instruction. The following chapter discusses the background and development of John Adams High School and the educational climate that made possible the inclusion of this training program as a part of the learning experiences offered. Chapter III deals with the objectives of the training program. Chapter IV examines evaluative research. Chapter V develops the methodology of the research. The charts and statistics used are examined in Chapter VI. The data are presented and analyzed in Chapter VII. Summary, conclusions and recommendations are then set forth in the final chapter.

National movement and local demands indicated the necessity of training programs for child care workers (herein referred to as CCW's) in Oregon. In 1966, the "First National Survey of Children's Residential Institution" was done by Pappenforst & Kilpatrick. This survey showed that the primary concern of directors of children's institution was the quality of CCW's. A national conference was held in Cleveland in 1967 to study the characteristics essential to excellent performance and make recommendations for training programs of CCW's in residential treatment for children.There have been numerous expressions of the demands for training programs in Oregon by directors of agenciesas well as the Oregon Association of Child Care Workers. (herein referred to as OACCW). The objective of this research was to study residential child care in Oregon as a service delivery system, and to study the manpower element of the system in relation to the development of a feasible training program for CCW's serving now or in the future in various private or public residential child care agencies in Oregon.

The alumni survey conducted at Portland State University School of Social Work by second year students had two purposes. One purpose was to fulfill the research practicum requirements of a Masters of Social Work degree by providing experience in the area of applied survey research. The other was to provide a data base for future alumni research at the school.