SSW Evaluation & Intervention Planning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A school social worker is developing a SMART goal for a student's IEP. Which goal best meets SMART criteria?
- Student will improve social skills
- Student will increase positive peer interactions from 2 to 5 per 30-minute lunch period by the end of Q2 (Correct answer)
- Student will try harder in social situations
- Student will become more comfortable around peers over time
Correct answer: Student will increase positive peer interactions from 2 to 5 per 30-minute lunch period by the end of Q2
A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound — only option B meets all five criteria.
Question 2: When conducting a needs assessment for a school-wide intervention program, a school social worker collects data from multiple sources. This approach is called:
- Triangulation (Correct answer)
- Normalization
- Stratification
- Manualization
Correct answer: Triangulation
Triangulation involves gathering data from multiple sources or methods to increase the validity and reliability of assessment findings.
Question 3: A student with a trauma history shows avoidant behavior during group counseling. A trauma-informed intervention plan would FIRST address which need?
- Academic remediation
- Safety and predictability in the therapeutic environment (Correct answer)
- Social skills training with peers
- Parent engagement in school activities
Correct answer: Safety and predictability in the therapeutic environment
Trauma-informed practice prioritizes establishing physical and emotional safety before pursuing other therapeutic goals.
Question 4: During an evaluation, a school social worker discovers a student has significant strengths in art and music. According to best practice in intervention planning, these strengths should be:
- Noted but not incorporated since they are unrelated to academic deficits
- Used as entry points and motivators within the intervention plan (Correct answer)
- Reported only in the eligibility section of the evaluation
- Shared only with parents, not the IEP team
Correct answer: Used as entry points and motivators within the intervention plan
Strengths-based practice uses a student's existing competencies and interests as leverage points to support intervention effectiveness.
Question 5: A school social worker is selecting an evidence-based intervention for a student with anxiety. Which criterion is MOST important when selecting an evidence-based program?
- The program is the newest available
- Research evidence supports its effectiveness with similar populations and presenting concerns (Correct answer)
- The program is the least expensive option
- The program was recommended by the student's pediatrician
Correct answer: Research evidence supports its effectiveness with similar populations and presenting concerns
Evidence-based practice requires matching the intervention to research supporting its effectiveness with comparable populations and problems.
Question 6: A school social worker conducts a home visit as part of a comprehensive evaluation. What is the PRIMARY purpose of this home visit?
- To determine whether the home is clean and safe for child protective purposes
- To gather information about the family environment, routines, and home-school connection (Correct answer)
- To deliver homework and academic materials to the family
- To conduct a standardized parent interview protocol
Correct answer: To gather information about the family environment, routines, and home-school connection
Home visits during evaluation are conducted to understand the family context, routines, and environmental factors that influence the student's functioning.
Question 7: A Tier 2 intervention in a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework is characterized by:
- Universal screening applied to all students
- Targeted, small-group interventions for students not responding to Tier 1 (Correct answer)
- Intensive, individualized support for the most at-risk students
- Referral to outside mental health agencies
Correct answer: Targeted, small-group interventions for students not responding to Tier 1
Tier 2 interventions are targeted and delivered in small groups to students who need more support than universal (Tier 1) strategies provide.
SSW Evaluation & Intervention Planning 3
A school social worker is developing a SMART goal for a student's IEP.
Which goal best meets SMART criteria?