Do You Have a Vacancy? Factors Affecting Personnel Shortages and Strategies for Successful Recruitment/Retention

1. Do You Have a Vacancy? FactorsAffecting Personnel Shortages and Strategies for Successful Recruitment/Retention National Early Childhood Conference Arlington, Virginia December 3, 2007 Sharon S. Ringwalt, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

2. IDEA 2004 Personnel Requirements • Changes in standards for States • State-approved requirements • Waivers • CSPD • Potential and/or possible implications • Preparation • Outcomes • Two-tiered system • Reimbursement • Identification • Supervision • Job satisfaction source: www.asha.org

3. Supply vs. Demand • Increase in: • Number of master’s programs in speech-language pathology (SLP) • Number of master’s degrees awarded • Number of children diagnosed with speech or language impairment • Number of diagnosed disabilities with accompanying speech or language disorders • Additional needs: • Supply of SLPs • Flexible and creative training alternatives source: www.asha.org

4. Perceptions and Facts • 2004 ASHA Schools Survey: 62% of ASHA-certified school-based SLPs indicated shortage of qualified SLPs in their school district • Urban and rural settings • Culturally and linguistically diverse children and youth • 2005 School Board News: SLPs opt for higher paying jobs in other settings • US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: SLP ranked 12th in large growth occupations requiring a professional degree • Expectation: 27% growth between 2002 and 2012 = 26,000 job openings • Total = 49,000 expected openings due to growth, retirement, other reasons for leaving job source: www.asha.org

5. Shortage data – Nationwide • 59% of School Administrators report greatest impact = shortage of qualified applicants • 49% of SLPs were age 45 or older • Oldest in suburban & rural areas; in western US • Additional 5% planned to leave position ASAP • Fewer younger SLPs to fill anticipated vacancies • Confirmed by 2004 ASHA membership data source: www.asha.org

6. Shortage data – State-specific • Texas (2003) • 55% of respondents reported unfilled FTEs; average = 4.5% across districts; highest in urban • 20% of Special Ed Directors provided compensatory services (before or after school) for children not served due to shortages • 16% annual attrition rate for school-based SLPs source: www.asha.org

7. Shortage data – State-specific • Washington (2004) • 187 advertised vacancies in 2003-04 school year • Greatest need in urban & rural areas • 116 SLPs eligible to retire within next 5 years • North Carolina (2005) • SLPs among top 3 professions with vacancies • Sign-on bonuses range from $2K - $5K source: www.asha.org

8. Vacancies’ Effects • Increased caseloads • Fewer opportunities to network or collaborate • Decreased opportunities for individual student services • Decreased quality of services • Decreased qualifications of service providers • Contracted services • Findings consistent by setting and area source: www.asha.org

9. Challenges to Recruitment and Retention of Qualified Personnel • Salaries • Working Conditions • Paperwork • Planning/Meeting Time • Technology source: www.asha.org

10. ASHA’s Response to SLP Shortages: Focused Initiative – 2007 Work Plan • Issue 1: Acquisition of data and information on the underlying factors that lead to persistent vacancies for qualified SLPs and audiologists in educational and health care employment settings will facilitate development of actions to alleviate personnel shortages/persistent vacancies source: www.asha.org

11. ASHA’s Response to SLP Shortages: Focused Initiative – 2007 Work Plan, cont. • Outcomes for Issue 1: • Increased availability of data and information on the underlying factors/root causes that lead to personnel shortages/persistent vacancies • Availability of action plans to alleviate personnel shortages/persistent vacancies based on knowledge of current data and information on the underlying factors that lead to personnel shortages/persistent vacancies source: www.asha.org

12. ASHA’s Response to SLP Shortages: Focused Initiative – 2007 Work Plan, cont. • Issue 2: Personnel shortages/persistent vacancies for qualified speech-language pathologists and audiologists in education and health care employment settings result in requests to lower state certification/licensure requirements for speech-language pathologists and audiologists and employment of less qualified individuals to provide services source: www.asha.org

13. ASHA’s Response to SLP Shortages: Focused Initiative – 2007 Work Plan, cont. • Outcomes for Issue 2: • A decreased number of state education and licensing agencies that initiate action to reduce state certification/licensure standards for speech-language pathologists and audiologists employed in education and health care settings • An increased number of education and health care agencies that use an enhanced salary and benefits package as well as better working conditions to recruit and retain qualified speech-language pathologists and audiologists • A decreased number of reported vacancies for audiologists and speech-language pathologists employed in education and health care employment settings source: www.asha.org

14. State loan forgiveness efforts Other state financial initiatives: CA: Reduced interest rate or no-money-down mortgages on housing loans for SLPs who reside and teach in less desirable areas CT: SLPs hired to work in shortage areas while maintaining their previous salary level and full pension for 1 year FL: Bank of America offered no-points fixed-rate mortgages to SLPs MD: Offered salary differential to SLPs to work in shortage areas ND: Offered reduced interest rate and ND: Offered reduced interest rate and no-money down loans for individuals in service professions CA: DOE developed initiative to recruit graduates from state-approved master’s degree programs and to increase retention through improved working conditions VA: DOE offered financial incentives to recruit qualified SLPs, including sign-on bonuses, tuition assistance and loan forgiveness. Some districts recognize the CCC; pay ASHA dues, for continuing education workshops/conferences, relocation expenses; and offer separate salary scales Recruitment Initiatives: State source: www.asha.org

15. Recruitment Initiatives: University Training Programs • University of Arizona Pathways Program in Tucson has joined with local school districts to offer graduate programs to bachelor's level clinicians working in the schools. The program hopes to expand to include other training programs in the state. In addition, the program is considering adding graduate level slots for "grow your own" students. For more information, contact Betty McDonald at bettymcd@email.arizona.edu. • University of Maryland and the Montgomery County Schools (MCPS) have collaborated to produce additional master's SLP students. The program chooses applicants who are committed to working in a school setting. A scholarship for selected students covers all expenses; in exchange, the student agrees to work for MCPS for 3 years after graduation. For more information, contact Colleen Worthington at cworth@hesp.umd.edu. source: www.asha.org

16. Recruitment Initiatives: University Training Programs, continued • William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ, is collaborating with the Paterson School District to assist with the shortage of qualified SLPs in New Jersey. Contact Margaret Meth at methm@wpunj.edu for more information. • The University of Northern Colorado and University of Colorado-Boulder are partners with 11 local school districts to increase the number of qualified SLPs and reduce the shortage in the schools. The project is funded by the Colorado Department of Education. For further information, contact Karen Kelly at kelly_k@cde.state.co.us • Texas Tech University and Lubbock Independent School District Partnership; the district hires junior and senior level undergraduates as "clerks," then continues to employ them as SLPAs once they achieve a bachelor's degree. Once they earn a master’s degree, the district provides a CF experience and employs the students as fully certified SLPs upon completion of the CF. For more information, contact Sherry Sancibrian at sherry.sancibrian@ttuhsc.edu source: www.asha.org

17. Recruitment Initiatives: State – Example Initiatives for Early Intervention, Special Education, and Related Service Providers • OR – The Oregon Department of Education, Office of Student Learning and Partnerships and the Teaching Research Institute at Western Oregon University have a collaborate effort to increase special education and related service personnel (http://www.tr.wou.edu/rrp/overview.htm) • RI – University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College have developed a comprehensive plan to increase personnel in Early Intervention careers (http://www.uri.edu/frp/ei.htm)

18. Additional ASHA and State SLP/A Association Efforts • OR: reviewed literature on recruitment and retention, published survey on available distance ed programs in the state, surveyed school districts to determine extent of shortage, and developed career fairs for SLPs in training programs • MN: developed 6-part DVD to promote SLP practice in schools, to use at high school career fairs and in presentations to boards, regulatory agencies, and legislative committees • ASHA awarded 7 state associations (NH, ID, TX,UT, TN, OK, VA, and AZ) grants for maintenance of standards to address personnel shortages source: www.asha.org

19. Additional Resources • Comparing Personnel Development of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as amended in 1997 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004: http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=3&TopicID=138&DocumentID=2706 • Center To Inform Personnel Preparation Policy And Practice In Early Intervention And Pre School Education: http://www.uconnucedd.org/per_prep_center/index.html • National Center for Special Education Personnel and Related Service Providers’ Recruitment and Retention Resources: http://www.personnelcenter.org/resources.cfm • National Center for Personnel Preparation in Special Education at Minority Institutions of Higher Education: http://www.monarchcenter.org/

20. Additional Resources, continued • Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education: http://www.coe.ufl.edu/copsse/index.php • OSEP-funded Personnel Preparation grants: http://www.nectac.org/search/proj/persprepproj.asp • APTA’s Mentoring program: http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Mentoring_Program1&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=52&ContentID=40377 • AOTA’s resources for student recruitment: http://www.aota.org/Educate/EdRes/StuRecruit/38333.aspx