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Academic Preparation for the School-Based SLP A
National Survey Jennifer Means, SLP.D.,
CCC-SLP West Chester University of Pennsylvania
ABSTRACT
RESULTS
The purpose of this study was to ascertain the
number of ASHA accredited graduate CD programs
offering specific coursework addressing
school-based issues for the SLP including federal
and state laws, IEP writing, implementation of
curriculum and service delivery models. This
research was conducted through email survey
distribution to 250 universities and colleges
through out the United States. Information
regarding course offering, course content and
instructor were included in the survey. Data were
collected from the respondents and analyzed. The
results of this survey are presented with
curriculum development and program planning
suggestions.
PURPOSE

• Survey Q1-10
• 69 states require teacher certification (often
  additional requirements beyond licensure)
• 43 - 11-20 grads/yr, 35 - 21-30 grad/yr, 11 -
  31-40 grad/yr, lt1 - gt1,lt50
• 64 programs require a school-based SLP course
• 73 programs reported 90-100 students complete a
  school-based practicum
• 80 faculty taught course, 20 use adjuncts or
  other professionals
• 93 address both federal and state educational
  laws
• 100 address all service delivery models
• 71 teach curriculum integration
• 98 teach IEP writing
• 89 teach ER writing

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the
number of ASHA accredited graduate CD/SLP
programs requiring specific coursework addressing
school-based issues for the SLP. Surveyed
pedagogical topics included federal and state
laws, ER/IEP writing, curriculum integration, and
service delivery models.
INTRODUCTION
PROCEDURE
As graduate programs prepare masters
level students for the workplace, many
preparation issues have arisen. Since ASHA has
altered the required number of clinical hours
with specific populations, students may leave
programs without proper preparation for disorders
such and voice and fluency. Recent research has
examined the preparedness of students in these
particular areas. Clinicians continue to report a
lack of preparation for treating those who
stutter (Kelly et al, 1997 Yaruss, 1999) and
those with voice disorders (van Mersbergen,
Ostrem and Titze, 2001). Due to this lack of
specialization, one may question other areas of
specific preparation. Crais and Leonard (1990)
found that only 32 of 102 program respondents
offer a course in addressing the needs of infants
and toddlers.   This leads to the question of
how programs prepare SLP students to work in
school based-settings. Issues such as education
on federal/state law, writing legally defensible
IEPs and learning curriculum integration are
among the essential skills a school based SLP
must acquire. These concepts are critical given
that approximately 65 of ASHA SLPs work in the
schools, with even more speech therapists
employed by the public school that do not hold
ASHA certification. If the majority of educated
SLPs choose to practice in school systems, it
seems reasonable to examine if higher education
programs are preparing students to work in this
chosen setting. Most university and college
programs educate students utilizing a medical
model in which students complete coursework on
disorders, obtain onsite clinical hours, accrue
observation hours in a variety of settings and
complete their program with externships in both
medical and school-based setting. Most program
curriculum focuses on disorders from a clinical
perspective thus preparing the student for
employment in similar settings. However, when
provided a course which prepares students for the
school-based environment though instruction on
federal and state law, writing IEPs, national and
state curriculum, implementing the curriculum in
therapy, and inclusionary practices, students
responded feeling more prepared for their school
based externship than their medical externship
which did not have a preparatory course (Means,
2006). As a result of this previous preparedness
research, a medical course was added to the
program curriculum to better prepare students for
their medical externship.
DISCUSSION

• This research was conducted through email
  survey distribution to 250 program directors of
  ASHA accredited CD/SLP programs in universities
  and colleges throughout the United States.
  Information regarding course offering, course
  content and instructor were included in the
  survey. A total of three attempts for completion
  were made before concluding data collection.
• The survey consisted of 10 questions addressing
  each institutions MA program in Communicative
  Disorders specifically related to pedagogy
  addressing school-based issues. The questionnaire
  contained the following questions (questions 5-10
  are only completed if the respondent answered
  yes to question 3)
• Does your state require a license or state
  teacher certification?
• How many students complete your graduate program
  per year?
• Does your institution offer a required graduate
  level course addressing school-based SLP
  programming?
• Approximately what percentage of students
  complete a school-based affiliation/practicum? 
• Is the instructor of the school-based course a
  faculty member or an adjunct instructor?
• Does the course include instruction on federal
  and/or state educational law?
• Which methods of speech and language service
  deliveries are addressed (pull-out, consultation,
  collaboration, inclusion)?
• Are the students instructed on state curriculum?
• Are the students instructed on writing IEPs?
• Are the students instructed on writing Evaluation
  reports?

Of the respondents, 64 of the programs require
a course addressing the aforementioned concepts.
However, the majority of the institutions
reported that 90-100 of their graduate students
complete a school-based externship suggesting
that not all school-based setting bound SLP
students are thoroughly prepared for this
setting. The nationwide shortage of SLPs
impacts all settings. However in the schools,
there is a demonstrated shortage of qualified
SLPs. Edgar and Rosa-Lugo (2007) found that close
to 25 of the school-based SLPs in Central
Florida schools are unqualified thus holding a
temporary teaching certificate. In addition, only
5 of that group is enrolled in a Masters Degree
program. These findings indicated that there are
fewer qualified SLPs working in the Central
Florida School District than in 2001.They also
suggested that most SLPs are likely to remain in
the school setting after the first three years of
employment. Based on the results of this study,
it is recommended that CD/SLP programs require
coursework addressing state and federal polices
related to school-based practices. Pedagogy
should include current practice standards on
ER/IEP , writing, curriculum integration,
workload model, Response to Intervention.
REFERENCES
Kelly, E., Martin, J., Baker, K., Rivera, N.,
Birshop, J., Krizizke, D., Stettler, D. Stealy,
J. (1997). Academic and clnical preparation and
practices of school Speech-Language Pathologists
with people who stutter. Language, Speech, and
Hearing Services in the Schools. 28, 195-212.
Yaruss, S. (1999). Current status of academic
and clinical education in fluency disorders at
ASHA-accredited training programs. Journal of
Fluency Disorders, 24, 169-183. van Mersbergen,
M., Ostrem, J. Titze, I. (2001). Preparation of
the Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in
voice An educational survey. Journal of Voice,
15 (2). 237-250. Crais, E. Leonard, L. (1990).
PL99-457 Are speech language pathologists
prepared for the challenge? ASHA., 30 (4),
57-61. Means, J. (2006). Student-rated
preparedness for medical and school based
ffiliations. AHSA Annual Convention. Miami Beach,
FL. Edgar and Rosa-Lugo (2007). The critical
shortage of Speech-Language Pathologist in the
public school setting Features of the work
environment that affect recruitment and
retention. Language, Speech and Hearing Services
in Schools. 38, 31-46 ASHA (2006). Supply and
demand for Speech-Language Pathologist Resource
List. Rockville, MD.