Challenges of Successful Recruitment and Retention of School-Based SLPs

ASHA's Schools Survey identified important considerations for SLPs seeking employment, including large amount of paperwork, high workload/caseload size, limited time for collaboration, working conditions, low salary and professional environment. Each presents its own barriers related to recruitment and retention of qualified SLPs in school settings.

Low Salaries

ASHA's Schools Survey indicated that low salaries continue to be one of the greatest challenges faced by school-based SLPs. Although the salaries of school-based SLPs seem to be on the rise, salary is often a factor in job selection and may play a role in successful recruitment and retention.

Difficult Working Conditions

Historically, inadequate or unacceptable working conditions have discouraged SLPs from signing on and staying in the schools.

School-based SLPs listed their top five greatest challenges as follows:

Large amount of paperwork
High workload/caseload size
Volume of meetings
Limited time for collaboration
Limited family/caregiver involvement and support.

See the SLP Workforce and Work Conditions report for more information.

Research on Job Satisfaction

Various studies and surveys by professionals in the field have reported factors that influence the recruitment and retention of SLPs in school settings:

The Critical Shortage of Speech-Language Pathologists in the Public School Setting
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools

A questionnaire was distributed to SLPs employed in 10 school districts in Central Florida. The primary goal of the questionnaire was to elicit the perspectives of school-based SLPs regarding:

Factors in the work environment that contribute to retention—participants ranked working with children, school schedule, educational setting, and working with an experienced mentor as primary contributions
Factors in the work environment that hinder retention—workload, role ambiguity, salary, and caseload were primary contributions for dissatisfaction

Perceptions of Job Stress and Satisfaction Among School-Based SLPs: Challenges Versus Rewards
SIG 16 Perspectives on School-Based Issues

Specific demographic, caseload, and employment factors that may contribute to job stress and employment satisfaction were examined by surveying SLPs in school settings in Michigan during the 2003-2004 school year. In general, school-based SLPs reported high levels of job satisfaction, and relatively low levels of job stress. SLPs reported being more challenged by employment factors than by student-related issues.

Top three rewards—seeing students achieve their goals, working and interacting with students, and collaboration with colleagues
Top three challenges—paperwork (consistent predictor of job stress), workload/time constraints, and caseload size

Benefits and Characteristics of Mentoring Students and Young Professionals
SIG 11 Perspectives on Administration and Supervision

Mentoring has been cited in the literature as an effective factor in helping teambuilding in the workplace, retaining of new staff, fostering leadership development, and improving job satisfaction.

Speech-Language Pathologist Job Satisfaction in School Versus Medical Settings
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools

A job satisfaction survey was sent to SLPs in medical and school settings. SLPs in both settings reported to be generally satisfied in their jobs, but SLPs in medical settings had significantly higher satisfaction scores. SLPs in school settings reported high levels of satisfaction with the nature of work, and lowest ratings for operating conditions and promotion.

What Makes a Caseload (Un)Manageable? School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Speak
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools

This study was conducted with public school SLPs from across the country to identify current mean caseload size for school-based SLPs, a threshold at which caseload size begins to be perceived as unmanageable, and variables contributing to school-based SLPs' feelings of caseload manageability. Conclusions:

Caseload range of 56-60 students—approximately 59% of SLPs perceived their caseload as unmanageable
Caseload range of 46-50 students—approximately 39% of SLPs perceived their caseload as unmanageable
Caseload range of 41-45 students—approximately 20% of SLPs perceived their caseload as unmanageable
For SLPs with larger caseloads, years of experience and extent of collaboration were predictors of caseload unmanageability