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by Charlette Green and Lydia Kopel
Language is the foundation upon which most learning is built. In Georgia, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are participating in an innovative project to boost students' language skills. The Georgia Department of Education (DOE) is partnering with local school systems to use SLPs in kindergarten classes to boost language skills of all students, including those at risk of school failure. Emphasis is placed on language and phonemic awareness skills.
Education professionals know students come to school with a vast diversity of experiences, knowledge, and language proficiency. Research shows those with decreased skills can lag behind and are ill-equipped to learn the curriculum.
Many students enter school with low levels of language and phonemic awareness, which are essential building blocks for reading performance. Through more efficient use of school-based SLPs, the Georgia DOE is helping local school systems improve student academic achievement, preventing the need for special education referrals and addressing over-representation of minority students in special education.
During the 2004-2005 school year, nine pilot sites were implemented as part of the Georgia State Improvement Grant. At each site, SLPs used various models of co-teaching with kindergarten teachers for at least one instructional segment a week. The SLPs modeled specific instructional strategies that would improve students' phonemic awareness and language skills. The Georgia DOE initiative used SLPs' expertise by providing in-class support for all students who lacked these skills and their kindergarten teachers. Over time, the kindergarten teachers embedded these instructional practices throughout the school day.
The program was designed to proactively build a strong language foundation that would benefit most students in the general education classroom in closing the achievement gap. Once a strong foundation in listening and speaking skills was established, it paved the way for learning to occur in the other areas of language, such as reading and writing. Through this initiative schools were better able to meet the demands of No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 by effectively using the SLP, an expert in oral and listening language development.
The program was developed by the Georgia School-based Speech-Language Pathology Leadership Team (GSSLPLT), the core members being: 10 practicing school-based SLPs, three local special education administrators one DOE representative, and a representative from Valdosta State's communication disorders program. (Core and consulting members can be found in The ASHA Leader Online by searching on the title of the article.)
Promising Results
The three-year project, now into its second year, has already achieved positive results. The children's phonemic awareness skills were assessed using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) subtests for phonemic segmentation fluency (PSF), initial sound fluency (ISF), and letter naming fluency. Results from these subtests revealed a 51% decrease in the "at risk" scores and 49% increase in "some risk" scores on the ISF subtest. Scores on the PSF revealed a 52% decrease in the "at risk" group and 44% increase in the "low risk" group.
The general education teachers also saw the results of the program. On pre- and post-collaboration comments, one teacher said, "This is a wonderful program. My Early Intervention Program (EIP) and non-EIP children have learned phonics, spelling, and reading rules."
Respondents did note that more training was needed on collaborative teaching.
Meeting Mandates
NCLB accountability affects the entire school building, including SLPs. The law requires all education professionals to be proactive in catching students before they fail, not waiting until students finally qualify for special education services to receive needed support. IDEA '04 aligned with NCLB in improving student academic achievement for all students with disabilities and decreasing the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education.
According to IDEA '04, local school systems found by their state to have a significant disproportionate representation of minority students must use 15% of their special education funds next school year for early intervening services for the affected minority group prior to placement in special education. SLPs have wrestled with how to demonstrate their impact on improving student academic achievement.
What is the school-based SLP's role in prevention of academic difficulties due to language needs and early intervening services? The Georgia DOE's SLP Leadership Team is on its way to answering these questions and others. It is expected that the students who received this support will demonstrate improved academic performance. Also, the number of referrals to the student's support team and for special education assessment is expected to decrease.
Charlette Green is an SLP currently employed as the state Speech-Language Consultant for the Georgia Department of Education, Division for Exceptional Students. Green is a member of ASHA's School Finance Committee. Contact her at cgreen@doe.k12.ga.us.
Lydia Kopel is a practicing SLP currently employed as a coordinator for the Communication Disorders Program in the Fulton County School System. Contact her at kopel@charter.net.
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