School social work outcomes: Perspectives of school social workers and school administrators

In an era of fiscal constraint and increased accountability, consistent perceptions of the expectations, means of funding, and reporting of outcomes between administrators and school social workers is vital. School social workers and school administrators in four school districts in Minnesota were surveyed regarding outcomes expected as a result of school social work services as well as the sources of funding for these services. Both administrators and school social workers reported that increasing school attendance and decreasing discipline problems were the most important outcomes. Data on rate of discipline problems and attendance were most commonly used by school social workers to demonstrate the effectiveness of their services. Almost one-third of the school social workers surveyed reported that they did not present these data to others.