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Synthesizes these issues around the central question, “Which alternative is best?” The analysis argues that resolution depends on value-based judgments, framed by “How much are test-takers willing to pay for a given outcome?” Concludes by exploring AI advancements to support these decisions.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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10.55521/10-022-206  \nStephen M. Marson, Ph. D., ACSW  \n[smarson3@outlook.com](smarson3@outlook.com)  \nUniversity of North Carolina at Pembroke  \n[https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4948-5777](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4948-5777)  \n[Guo Wei](Guo Wei), Ph. D.  \n[guo.wei@uncp.edu](guo.wei@uncp.edu)  \nUniversity of North Carolina at Pembroke  \n[https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9988-0498](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9988-0498)  \nCraig Taylor, BS  \n[ctalkobt@ctalkobt.net](ctalkobt@ctalkobt.net)  \nComputer Consultant  \n[https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1535-6319](https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1535-6319)  \nInternational Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics • Volume 22 (2025), Issue 2, Copyright 2025 by IFSW  \nThis text may be freely shared among individuals, but it may not be republished in any medium without express written consent from the author and advance notification of IFSW.  \nAbstract  \nWe present three issues for assessing minimum competency for clinical social workers as related to possible racial bias: 1) the inherent trade-offs between outcome alternatives; 2) the tension between subjective and objective measures of competence; and 3) the common misinterpretation of p-values as magical proofs. These issues are synthesized by examining the central question,“Which alternative is best?” Our analysis demonstrates that resolving this question ultimately  \n1 Grace Gates, LCSW provided a critical review for this report.  \nINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK VALUES AND ETHICS • VOLUME 22 (2025), ISSUE 2  \n70  \nA PERSPECTIVE ON RACIAL BIAS WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORK BOARDS (ASWB) EXAMS  \ndepends on a value-based judgment, framed as,“How much are test-takers willing to pay for a given outcome?”We conclude by exploring advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) . AI can provide a framework for navigating these complex trade-offs and informing critical decisions.  \nKey Terms:  \nASWB, ACSW, Racial Bias, Assessing Competence, Finances  \nIntroduction  \nA substantial body of literature examines potential racial bias in minimum competency examinations administered by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). Among these articles include Albright and Thyer (2010), Curran and Joo (2025), DeCarlo and Bean (2024), DeCarlo (2022), Kim (2023), Kim and Joo (2025), Marson (2022), Marson, Kersting and DeAngelis (2011), Marson and DeAngelis (2010), Marson, DeAngelis and Mittal (2010), Rigaud (2024), Torres, Maguire and Kogan (2024), Victor, Kubiak, Angell and Perron (2023) and Zajicek-Farber (2024) . Our contribution is to frame this debate through the inescapable statistical trade-off between Type I and Type II errors in competency assessment and to analyze the implications of this trade-off for both objective (e. g., ASWB) and subjective (e. g., ACSW) pathways.  \nOutcomes for Assessing Competence in Clinical Social Work  \n\n|  | PASS ASSESSMENT | FAIL ASSESSMENT |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| COMPETENT | A | B |\n| PRACTITIONER | Knows the material (pass) | Knows the material (fails) |\n| DEFICIENT | C | D |\n| PRACTITIONER | Doesn’t know (pass) | Doesn’t know (fails) |\n\nFigure 1: Outcomes for Assessing Clinical Social Work Competence  \nRegardless of the method for assessing minimum competence for clinical social work, the decision model yields four possible outcomes, as illustrated in Figure 1. The horizontal axis represents the assessment result (pass or fail), while the vertical axis distinguishes between two types of candidates. The “competent practitioner” represents a social worker with the necessary knowledge, skills, and pro-  \nINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK VALUES AND ETHICS • VOLUME 22 (2025), ISSUE 2  \n71  \nA PERSPECTIVE ON RACIAL BIAS WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORK BOARDS (ASWB) EXAMS  \nfessional ethics. The “deficient practitioner” represents a social worker who lacks the required competencies or adherence to ethical standards.  \nThe","cbCaioUQlXuFkeYU","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaioUQlXuFkeYU","pdf",137440,12,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n# Outcomes for Assessing Competence in Clinical Social Work\n## Figure 1: Outcomes for Assessing Clinical Social Work Competence\n## Cell A: Correct classification of competent practitioners\n## Cell B: False negative error\n## Cell C: False positive error\n## Cell D: True negative error\n# Discussion of key points and error trade-offs","[{\"question\":\"What are the three issues proposed for assessing minimum competency in clinical social work?\",\"answer\":\"The text identifies three issues: trade-offs between outcome alternatives, tension between subjective and objective measures of competence, and the common misinterpretation of p-values as magical proofs.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the document frame the central decision question?\",\"answer\":\"It centers the debate on “Which alternative is best?” and explains that resolving it depends on a value-based judgment about the cost to test-takers for a given outcome.\"},{\"question\":\"What do the four outcome cells (A–D) represent in competence assessment?\",\"answer\":\"Cell A is correct classification of competent practitioners, Cell B is false negatives (competent assessed as deficient), Cell C is false positives (incompetent assessed as competent), and Cell D is correct identification of deficient practitioners.\"}]","A Perspective on Racial Bias within the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Exams - Issue 2 - Abstract and Analysis | PDF",1789983162]