Dear Mayor Muriel Bowser; Executive Director LaTrice Herndon; Deputy Director Wayne Turnage; Director Sharon Lewis; Councilmember Gray; and DC Board of Social Work:

We are writing to you with grave concern over the recent release of the Association of Social Work Board’s (ASWB) test pass rates, which show alarming and unjust racial disparities. The signers of this letter advocate that the DC Board of Social Work immediately remove the requirement for the ASWB test at the Bachelors (LSWA) and Masters (LGSW) level. We also advocate for the DC Board of Social Work to explore alternatives to ASWB clinical and advanced generalist exams that will not uphold racism.

The newly released ASWB test data shows substantial differences in the pass rates between white test takers and BIPOC test takers, particularly Black test takers. (https://www.aswb.org/exam/contributing-to-the-conversation/) Eliminating these tests will instantly bring more equity to our field, which will benefit both social work graduates and social work clients. The recent statistics published by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) reveal:

-Nationally, the Bachelors level exam had an eventual pass rate of 81.6% white, 58.5% Hispanic/Latino, and 38.3% Black. For Washington, DC, the eventual pass rate was 88.9% white and 33.3% Black (not enough test takers to publish data for Hispanic/Latino).

-Nationally, the Masters level exam had an eventual pass rate of 90.8% white, 71.2% Hispanic/Latino, and 51.9% Black. For Washington, DC, the eventual pass rate was 99.2% white, 81.1% Hispanic/Latino, and 70.5% Black.

-Nationally, the Clinical level exam had an eventual pass rate of 90.7% white, 76.6% Hispanic/Latino, and 57.0% Black. For Washington, DC the eventual pass rate was 96.9% white, 91.9% Hispanic/Latino, and 75.4% Black.

The statistics are also noteworthy at Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited schools in and around Washington, DC:

-At Catholic University of America, the eventual pass rate for the Masters level exam was 93.2% white and 49.1% Black (not enough test takers for publishable data for Hispanic/Latino). For the Clinical exam, the eventual pass rate was 89.2% white, 72.7% Hispanic/Latino, and 88.2% Black.

-At Howard University, the eventual pass rate for the Masters level exam was 43.2% Black (not enough test takers for publishable data for white and Hispanic/Latino). For the Clinical exam, the eventual pass rate was 38.3% Black (not enough test takers for publishable data for white and Hispanic/Latino).

-Both Gallaudet University and University of the District of Columbia’s small programs did not allow for publishable data.

-At University of Maryland, Baltimore, the eventual pass rate for the Masters level exam was 94.6% white, 80.8% Hispanic/Latino, and 53.8% Black. For the Clinical exam, the eventual pass rate was 92.5% white, 69.7% Hispanic/Latino, and 48.5% Black.

-At Virginia Commonwealth University, the eventual pass rate for the Masters level exam was 84.4% white and 84.6% Black (not enough test takers for publishable data for Hispanic/Latino). For the Clinical exam, the eventual pass rate was 90.8% white and 57.1% Black (not enough test takers for publishable data for Hispanic/Latino).  Of note, there is an age component to these exams as well. Pass rates consistently go down as test taker age goes up. Older and second career social workers bring important perspectives to the profession, and the ASWB tests keep these social workers out of the field. The ASWB exams are profoundly flawed. We are deeply concerned about the obvious racism in the ASWB tests. ASWB had a rich opportunity to reflect on their own data and how they might work to make their tests more equitable. The largest takeaways from their data discussion were, however:

-Other standardized tests (such as the bar exam or Praxis®) also have lower pass rates from BIPOC communities, so this is a systems issue, not an issue with ASWB tests.

-“Stereotype threat” causes BIPOC individuals to get overly anxious and fail the exam because they are worried about fulfilling negative stereotypes about their racial or cultural group.

-Older students have extra challenges in their lives, such as family responsibilities, that interfere with their ability to study for and pass the exam. All of these discussion points serve to place the onus for racial and age disparities on larger, undefined systemic issues or on the test-taking populations, ignoring long-standing concerns about the exams that have been raised for decades. Additionally, there is no evidence that shows the connection between exam scores and competent, ethical practice, meaning that the exams are sustaining racial and other inequalities for no apparent purpose.  Currently, all present evidence suggests that ASWB gets richer at the expense of our profession and the communities we serve. We are concerned that ASWB seeks to uphold the status quo and white supremacy. We are concerned that the test is Eurocentric and not culturally competent. The ASWB’s own data and lack of accountability shows that our concerns are valid.

We believe that the best way to overcome this systemic, racist barrier is to eliminate it as quickly as possible. This is why the DC Board of Social Work must immediately remove the requirement for the ASWB test at the Bachelors (LSWA) and Masters (LGSW) level. We also advocate for the DC Board of Social Work to explore alternatives to ASWB clinical and advanced generalist exams that will not uphold racism. It is imperative that we divest from racist systems that uphold white supremacy. BIPOC graduates take the test more frequently and have lower pass rates than their white counterparts. (The ASWB obfuscates this data by focusing on “eventual” pass rates rather than first-time pass rates.) This traps BIPOC individuals in lower-paying jobs or forces BIPOC individuals out of the profession entirely due to DC’s stringent rules surrounding unlicensed social work. 

Given pass rate disparity, the questions about the exam’s validity, and the expense of the exam coupled with wealth inequality between BIPOC and white families, as long as these tests are a licensure requirement, the DC Board of Social Work is directly perpetuating the oppressive, racist, classist systems it purports to eliminate. Our own NASW Code of Ethics states, “Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice.” How can we do this for our clients if we do not look in the mirror at ourselves? How can we claim to celebrate diversity when we erect a barrier that unjustly prevents BIPOC individuals from finding footing in our profession? How can we ethically ask anyone, but especially BIPOC individuals, to continue to pay substantial sums of money into systems of racial oppression?

Many signers have either personally experienced or have directly witnessed competent, practice-ready BIPOC social work graduates struggle with passing the Bachelors and Masters level tests. Washington, DC social workers serve a great number of BIPOC clients, and our clients deserve to be served by social workers who look like them and are a part of their community. According to the 2020 Census, the population of Washington, DC is 45.9% white, 45.8% Black, and 11.5% Hispanic/Latino. (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/DC) These discriminatory tests withhold vital social workers from clients who need social workers; this is especially egregious during the nationwide mental health crisis brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Eliminating these exams will elevate the quality and quantity of practitioners available to clients in Washington, DC. Both Bachelors and Masters level social workers receive consistent, regular supervision from more experienced social workers. Individuals with BSW or MSW degrees would still need to undergo all other current requirements for licensure such as a criminal background check and graduation from a CSWE accredited program; only the ASWB test must be eliminated.

Many vital human services jobs in Washington, DC that are filled by social workers do not require a social work degree or licensure. However, because of the authority of the DC Board of Social Work over individuals with BSW or MSW degrees, social work degree holders who are unable to pass the Bachelors or Masters level exam are unable to work in any human services job. Individuals with any other degree are allowed to fill a human services job, even with a degree that is wholly unrelated to working with people. Clients benefit when social workers fill these vital human services positions; they do not benefit from only being served by social workers who are able to pass a discriminatory test. 

Social workers who wish to pursue independent licensure with an examination will still have the opportunity to do so when they have completed the supervised practice requirements for the independent practice exams (either LISW or LICSW). We would like this to be through newly developed anti-racist tests, but we recognize that will be a lengthy process. We, therefore, must take the immediate step of eliminating the Bachelors (LSWA) and Masters (LGSW) testing requirements in order to reduce the racial disparities in our field. 

Eliminating these exams has precedent. There are other states in our country that do not require the Bachelors level exam, the Masters level exam, or both. The only test currently required by all 50 states + DC is the Clinical level (LICSW) exam. Illinois recently removed its requirement for the ASWB test for the Masters level, which so far has resulted in almost 3,000 newly licensed social workers in the first six months of 2022, compared to 421 social workers licensed in that same time period in 2021.

In light of the recent data release, there is a nationwide movement to limit or eliminate the importance of the ASWB test. A Change.org petition to eliminate all ASWB exams has over 8,000 signatures at the time of this writing and continues to grow. (https://www.change.org/p/aswb-end-discriminatory-social-work-licensing-exams). 

As the seat of our Nation’s Capital, our board of social work sets an example for the rest of the nation. We hope that you will take this opportunity to serve not only our city, but our nation as a whole. Everyone benefits when there is a larger, more diverse pool of competent social workers available to practice.

Sincerely,