Mary Nienow

Biographic Data

ID4100482
NAMEMary Nienow
GIVEN NAMESMary
FAMILY NAMENienow
SIGNATURENIENOW M
AFFILIATIONS,
ORCID0000-0001-9269-0122
VERIFIEDYes
TOTAL WORKS7
TOTAL CITATIONS14
AUTHOR COUNT7
EDITOR COUNT0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR2016
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2025
H-INDEX2

  • Examining State Policy Responses to Racial Disparities in Social Work Licensure Exams

    Open AccessMary Nienow, Dawn Apgar et al.ARTICLEAdvances in Social Work2025

    This study explored how states responded to the release of the 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis, which revealed significant disparities in pass rates between Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) test takers and their White counterparts on the Association of Social Work Boards’ social work licensure exams. Using the conceptual framework of policy advocacy developed by Gen and Conley Wright (2013) to assess the inputs, activities, and ou…

  • Uniquely Biased

    Open AccessMatt P DeCarlo, Mary NienowARTICLEAdvances in Social Work2025

    After publication of the 2022 Pass Rate Analysis demonstrating that minoritized social workers pass at less than half the rate of white social workers, the Association of Social Work Board (ASWB) Examination Guidebook (ASWB, 2023a), revised its psychometric reporting of exam fairness from “statistically free from race and gender bias” (ASWB, 2022a, p. 3) to “differences in exam performance for...different demographic groups...is influenced by man…

  • In Pursuit of the Status Quo

    Open AccessMatt P DeCarlo, Mary NienowARTICLEAdvances in Social Work2025

    The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Examination Program is used in all 50 states to regulate the practice of clinical social work and in the majority of states to regulate the practice of masters and bachelors-level social work. After releasing descriptive data demonstrating biases in exam pass rates by race, age, and dominant language, ASWB engaged in research and regulatory actions that violate social work ethics and psychometric best …

  • Racial Disparity in Social Work Licensure Exam Pass Rates

    Open AccessMary Nienow, Emi Sogabe et al.ARTICLEResearch on Social Work Practice2022Cited by: 2References: 10

    Purpose: This article provides a brief overview of social work regulation and the context surrounding calls for greater transparency of demographic data related to social work licensing exam pass rates and the subsequent release of said data by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). Methods: An exploratory review of the existing literature regarding social work regulation and bias in professional licensing examinations was conducted. Resul…

  • Newly Released Data on Examination Pass Rates Supports Need for Widespread Reform

    Open AccessDawn Apgar, Mary NienowARTICLEResearch on Social Work Practice2022Cited by: 1References: 4

  • Critical Time in Regulation of Social Work Practice

    Open AccessDawn Apgar, Mary NienowARTICLEResearch on Social Work Practice2022

  • Insights on Professional Identification and Licensure from Community Practice Social Workers

    Elizabeth Lightfoot, Mary Nienow et al.ARTICLEJournal of Community Practice2016Cited by: 11References: 31

    This article describes a qualitative study designed to explore both how community practice social workers identify professionally and to examine their view towards professional regulation. Thirty-five MSW-level social workers in a large metropolitan region who self-identified as community practice social worker participated in in-depth interviews. The respondents shared their views regarding professional identification as social workers and the i…