Statistically free of race and gender bias" Gaslighting as methodology in social work licensing exams

Presenter: Matthew DeCarlo, PhD, MSW

Category 1 CEUs - 1.5

This event will explain in simple terms why the ASWB exams show such unequal outcomes for demographic groups. Participants will review the NCME Standards that the Association of Social Work Boards cites but does not follow, and the facilitator will review both the standards and psychometrics literature on the deeply inequitable impact of ASWB's methodological errors on oppressed and minoritized groups. Finally, participants will examine ASWB's structural role within the profession, its wide profit margin and substantial net assets as a purported nonprofit, and its role as both exam developer and exam purchaser for the profession of social work.

Workshop Objectives:

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Define differential item functioning and differential test functioning, applying them specifically to bias in the ASWB exams.
2. Identify the conceptual reasons for different response for different races in the psychometrics literature.
3. Apply the NCME Standards to the development of licensing exams, building on participant knowledge about standardized psychometric measures used in clinical practice.
4. Contextualize racial bias data within the need for a diverse and representative clinical workforce as well as the professions' grand challenge to eradicate racism.

Agenda:

• Reviewing gaslighting as a concept, and gathering first thoughts about the topic.
• Prepared presentation.
• Q&A with a practitioner blocked by biased exams.
• How to move forward

Recommended Reading: American Psychological Association, the American Educational Research Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education . (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. American Educational Research Association. https://www.testingstandards.net/open-access-files.html