| Course | MSW 546 Social Work Practice - Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Week | 2 |
| Paper type | Goal attainment scaling |
| Length | About 460 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Chamberlain University |
| Program | Master of Social Work (MSW) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MSW 546 Week 2
Goal Attainment Scaling for V.'s Two Contract Goals: Five Levels Written Before Any Score, the Expected Level Argued, Cells a Stranger Could Score, Room to Fall and a Scoring Rule With a Date
Student Name
Chamberlain University
MSW 546: Social Work Practice - Evaluation
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Goal Attainment Scaling for V.'s Two Contract Goals: Five Levels Written Before Any Score, the Expected Level Argued, Cells a Stranger Could Score, Room to Fall and a Scoring Rule With a Date
The Method
Goal attainment scaling sets five levels for each goal, from much worse than expected to much better, written before any outcome is known (Kiresuk & Sherman, 1968). V. and I wrote these on February 26, at the same session as the contract.
The Scale
Table 1
Goal Attainment Scale for V.
| Level | Goal 1: Mornings | Goal 2: Enjoyed activities |
|---|---|---|
| Much worse (-2) | Child misses the bus more than once a week | No enjoyed activity in a week |
| Somewhat worse (-1) | V. drives the child every day; no walks | One activity every other week |
| Expected (0) | V. walks the child to the bus 2 of 3 scheduled mornings | Two activities a week |
| Somewhat better (+1) | V. walks 3 of 3 scheduled mornings | Three activities a week |
| Much better (+2) | V. walks 3 of 3 and adds a fourth morning | Four or more activities a week, at least one with another adult |
Note. Note. Levels written February 26, 2027. Scored from V.'s activity log for the two weeks before each scoring date.
The Expected Level, Argued
V. had walked to the bus zero times in February. Two of three mornings is a large change but one V. thought was possible because the child enjoys the walk. We set it as expected, not as the best outcome, so there was room above it.
Room to Fall
Each goal has two levels below expected. A scale with no room to fall cannot show a setback, and V.'s custody dispute made a setback likely.
The April score of -1 on Goal 2 is the proof that this mattered. Without a level below expected, the custody week would have been recorded as "expected" or left out, and the scale would have shown steady progress that did not happen.
Scoring Rule and Date
Score on April 15 and June 10 from the log for the preceding two weeks. If the log is missing more than three days, score from V.'s report and mark it.
Scores
April 15: Goal 1, 0; Goal 2, -1 (the custody filing week). June 10: Goal 1, +1; Goal 2, +2.
What a Stranger Could Score
Each cell is a count from the log. A supervisor reading the log could assign the same level without asking me.
References
Kiresuk, T. J., & Sherman, R. E. (1968). Goal attainment scaling: A general method for evaluating comprehensive community mental health programs. Community Mental Health Journal, 4(6), 443-453. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01530764
What the MSW 546 Week 2 assignment asks for
Goal attainment scaling sets five levels for each goal, from much worse than expected to much better, before any result is known. Write the levels with the client at the time the goal is set and record the date. Argue for the expected level using the client's starting point, so it is neither a guarantee nor a stretch. Keep room to fall: two levels below expected. Make each cell something a stranger could score from the record, such as a count. Set scoring dates and a rule for missing data. Then report the scores, including any below expected. Two or three goals is a manageable number for one scale.
Inside the MSW 546 Week 2 example
The method section cites Kiresuk and Sherman (1968) and dates the levels to February 26, the day of the contract. A table sets five levels for mornings walked and enjoyed activities per week. The expected level of two of three mornings is argued from a February count of zero. A section explains the two levels below expected and shows the April score of minus one in the custody week as proof they mattered. The scoring rule sets April 15 and June 10 and says how to score from V.'s report if the log is missing. June scores are plus one and plus two. A closing section shows each cell can be scored from the log alone.
Where the points sit in the MSW 546 Week 2 rubric
Assessors look for levels written in advance and scored from the record. A scale built after the outcome, or with only levels at and above expected, loses the most. Credit goes to five levels per goal, an expected level argued from a baseline, cells a stranger could score and dated scoring with a rule for gaps. Reporting a below-expected score earns marks because it shows the scale was honest. The method should be cited from its source in APA style. The client's role in writing the levels should be clear. Tables need a title and a note on when the levels were written. The client's part in writing the levels should be visible, since a scale written by the worker alone measures the worker's hopes.
MSW 546 Week 2 help: mistakes that cost points
Scales most often lose marks when the expected level is set at what the worker hopes rather than what the baseline suggests. Another frequent gap is cells that need the worker's judgment, such as client seems more engaged. Some scales leave no room below expected, so setbacks disappear. Others never set a scoring date. If your client's goal is hard to count, find one observable behavior that stands for it and say why. A scale that a supervisor could score from the file without asking you a question meets the standard. Write the levels on the same day as the goal, keep the dated copy and score from it without editing the wording later.
Get a MSW-546 Week 2 example written to your instructions
Send the Week 2 instructions with the goals your case actually had, and a completed scale is written to your section's template and returned inside 24 to 48 hours, the first one free. MSW-546 is taught work on cases your section hands out, so nothing written here reaches into an agency's own files or onto a form somebody has to countersign.
More MSW 546 papers and MSW samples
- MSW 546 Week 1: Work Versus Change Post
- MSW 546 Week 3: Baseline and Follow-up Chart
- MSW 546 Week 4: Practice Effectiveness Memo
- MSW 546 Week 5: Client Feedback Review
- MSW 546 Week 6: No-change Explanation
- MSW 546 Week 7: Termination Summary
- MSW 546 Week 8: Practice Evaluation Portfolio
- MSW 545 Week 2: Treatment Option Comparison for V.
- MSW 544 Week 2: Presenting Problem Summary for V.
- MSW 543 Week 2: First Contact Log
- MSW 542 Week 2: Child Alone Value Conflict
MSW 546 Week 2 questions, answered
How many goals should the scale carry?
Two or three in most sections, and the assignment sets it where it says so. The constraint is wording rather than ambition: every goal you add costs five carefully written cells, and scales carrying six goals almost always contain rows nobody could score. The example runs three goals and shows what each cell has to do.
Does the person help write the levels?
Where the case allows it, yes, and saying so earns something. A goal worded in the person's own terms produces cells that mean something to them and a score they can dispute, which is closer to what the profession says about self-determination than a table built for them. Where the material is a case your section wrote, write the scale as it would have been negotiated.
Is goal attainment scaling the same as a standardized measure?
No, and the difference is the point of the week. A published scale arrives already worded and lets you compare one case against others; this one is built for a single situation and cannot travel. Sections accept both, often together, and the marks come from saying which question each of them can answer for your case.
Where can I find a free MSW 546 Week 2 sample paper?
Look below the facts table for the full MSW 546 Week 2 goal attainment scale, five levels per goal, written in February and scored in April and June.
Why does the MSW 546 Week 2 scale keep two levels below expected?
So a setback can be recorded; V.'s activities scored minus one in the April custody week, which a scale without room to fall would have hidden.