The Role of the Evaluator
Performance Assessment of Contributions and Effectiveness of Speech-Language Pathologists (PAC)
The purpose of a professional evaluation is twofold. First, the evaluation is to determine if the professional is meeting professional standards in light of the individual's specific roles and responsibilities. Second, evaluation results are used to guide professional development to ensure continuous professional growth.
Although it is strongly recommended that evaluators have experience and expertise in the professional area of the individual being evaluated, in some instances districts do not have the administrative resources to hire an individual with those qualifications. Consideration should be given to collaborating with university speech/language program personnel or forming a consortium with surrounding districts to contract an individual who holds the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology and has experience and expertise in evaluating school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). If neither of these options is available, the evaluator who does not hold the CCC-SLP should become familiar with the roles and responsibilities of a school-based SLP. ASHA offers the following resources that can be helpful to the evaluation process:
These documents will provide a wide range of information to assist a supervisor to better understand the specific roles, responsibilities, and professional standards, as well as other ethical and scope issues, within which an SLP should operate.
Furthermore, it is important that the evaluator be familiar with the SLP's caseload size, as well as the complexity and range of communication disorders of the students served. SLPs typically work with students individually or in small groups, both within the classroom and in the SLP's therapy room. SLPs who have an appropriate workload are better able to perform all of the roles and responsibilities necessary for full integration and collaboration within the school community and are better able to facilitate progress for the students.
The PACE has outlined a series of objectives that a school-based SLP should achieve. Descriptions of achievement of each objective are listed in the chart below.
Following the evaluation, the evaluator and the SLP should discuss areas needing improvement or expanded knowledge. Based on the evaluation, professional development goals and a plan and training resources should be established For example, an SLP may need access to training in specific areas, such as fluency treatment, compliance issues, service delivery models, curriculum-based instruction, or collaboration strategies. Release time and funding for SLPs to access appropriate training should be provided.
| Performance objective |
Indicators |
Necessary administrative support |
| Demonstrate knowledge in the subject areas of speech-language pathology and related areas (e.g., literacy). |
An SLP should have the knowledge to assess and treat a wide range of communication disorders, as well as understand the connection between language and literacy. He or she also should be knowledgeable about the general education curriculum and the communication demands of the curriculum and classroom. |
There are a wide range of communication disorders addressed within the school community, but an SLP may not have expertise in all areas. Additional training is often necessary to address areas such as feeding and swallowing, etc.
Districts must provide continuing education specific to the SLP’s needs. |
| Provide appropriate and educationally relevant services that reflect evidence-based practices. |
SLPs have a wide range of resources from which to choose treatment strategies. Their work must support students in achieving both academic and social success.
The evaluator should observe the SLP using different strategies and materials tailored to the individual needs of each student. |
It is important to provide the SLP with a caseload, time, and opportunity to collaborate with classroom teachers to ensure strong ties between the SLP’s treatment and the students’ academic success. |
| Provide services that are compliant with state and federal regulations for children with IEPs. |
A review of a sampling of the SLP’s files should indicate that documents are drafted and presented to the educational team within timelines mandated by federal and state regulations and that they contain all required elements. The SLP should also have collected information from a range or sources, including the classroom teachers and parents. |
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| Demonstrate the ability to conduct appropriate, comprehensive evaluations for students who may be experiencing a variety of communication disorders. |
Assessment needs to be a dynamic process that uses a wide range of standardized assessments as well as other assessment sources, including performance on classroom and state assessments, observation of the student in the classroom and teacher and parent input. |
Districts must provide SLPs with adequate funding to purchase current standardized speech and language assessment tools, as well as time to collect a wide range of data. |
| Provide appropriate and dynamic service delivery methods consistent with the wide variety of individual student needs. |
Services should be delivered for the amount of time (duration of sessions), in the appropriate setting (in or outside of the general education classroom), and with the prescribed frequency (number of times seen per week) necessary to facilitate progress. The SLP’s schedule should reflect changes in service delivery based on student growth and other factors. |
The SLP should be provided with an appropriate workload that allows for flexibility in scheduling based on student need. |
| Demonstrate collaboration with classroom teachers and other professionals. |
An SLP should communicate with other professionals in the school on a regular basis to be knowledgeable about the classroom objectives and the impact of the communication disorder on classroom performance, as well as to provide team members with information about facilitating communication in their respective settings. |
It is important to provide the SLP with a caseload, time, and opportunity to collaborate with classroom teachers to ensure strong ties between the SLP’s treatment and the students’ academic success. |
| Provide opportunities for families to be involved in the student’s speech-language pathology services. |
The SLP reports progress information to families as often as those in general education provide progress reports/report cards, as required by law.
Additionally, the SLP should solicit input from families during the assessment and during the development of the draft IEP.
In many cases, it is appropriate for the SLP to have regular communication with families to provide them with information about facilitating communication in the home setting. |
The SLP reports progress information to families as often as those in general education provide progress reports/report cards, as required by law.
Additionally, the SLP should solicit input from families during the assessment and during the development of the draft IEP.
In many cases, it is appropriate for the SLP to have regular communication with families to provide them with information about facilitating communication in the home setting. It is important to provide the SLP with time to collaborate with families to ensure family support and active participation in the therapy process. |
| Earn continuing education or professional development units sufficient to meet ASHA requirements for certification maintenance as well as state certification and licensing requirements. |
SLPs are required to maintain state or national certification. They may also be subject to educational credential and licensure requirements.
It is always necessary to acquire new information to better serve students. |
SLPs must have access to and financial support for professional development training specific to their unique roles and responsibilities. |
| Contribute to various building or district initiatives. |
SLPs need to be involved in building and district activities, such as Response to Intervention, and to show evidence of sharing their expertise through presentations to families and educators. |
SLPs need to be included in Response to Intervention teams and invited to provide information to staff and family about links between communication and academic success. |