Improving the Writing Skills of Social Work Students

Abstract

This article discusses the declining ability of social work students to write proficiently and offers a brief historical review of different approaches to the writing problems of American students. It describes the development of a writing assistance program at a graduate school and the program’s outcomes after its initial year. Using a global writing assessment, the authors found that 1/3 of entering MSW students had inadequate writing skills, and only 57% of these took advantage of the writing assistance offered.