Talking Points to Advocate for...

Salary Supplement and Other Compensation | Utilizing a Caseload/Workload Model to Determine Caseload Size | Recruitment and Retention | The Impact of Critical Shortages

Salary Supplement and Other Compensation

Providing a salary supplement for ASHA certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may help districts and schools to:

• recruit highly qualified SLPs
• reduce SLP vacancies; and
• increase compensation for SLPs who meet ASHA's national certifcation requirements

Districts may provide a salary supplement, stipend, or increased compensation for professional achieivements such as:

• obtaining or maintaining the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) or C-SLPA credential
• obtaining or maintaining state licensure
• managing and increased workload due to Medicaid billing and paperwork requirements*
• serving as a mentor to early-career SLPs or ASHA Clinical Fellows
• supervising speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) or graduate students
• providing multilingual services
• attending individualized education program (IEP) meetings outside of the contractual day
• providing summer school or after school programming

*Revenue from Medicaid funds may be used to by a school district to support speech-language program costs.

Providing SLPs with salary supplements, stipends, and other compensation increases job satisfaction and enhances recruitment and retention of highly qualified SLPs.

• Offering paid release time or reimbursement for continuing education demonstrates a district's commitment to quality and ongoing improvement of skills and capabilities.
• Providing training and access to current technology shows the district's willingness to streamline worklflows and paperwork burden.
• Hiring additional support staff or dedicating the work time of existing staff to help manage administrative tasks allows the SLP to spend more time with students and families/caregivers.
• Providing a separate salary scale, step, or lane change that is based on other comparable district schedules, such as those for school psychologists, show a district's commitment to retaining highly qualified SLPs.

Utilizing a Workload Model to Determine Caseload Size

Utlilizing a workload model enables SLPs to:

• provide high-quality services to students;
• spend time collaborating with members of the IEP team, including caregivers; and
• vary service delivery for optimal student outcomes.

For each student added to an SLP’s caseload, the SLP may have up to 10 meetings and 52 forms to complete, resulting in less time for direct intervention and collaboration with teachers and families/caregivers.

High caseload and workload in schools impact SLPs, SLPAs and students receiving speech-language services.

Impact on SLPs and SLPAs

• high levels of overwhelm and burnout
• job satisfaction
• limited flexibility with service delivery and collaboration
• limited opportunity for collaboration and interprofessional practice to improve generalization
• limited time for professional development
• limited ability to pursue leadership roles and diminished capacity for supervision
• less timely completion of compliance tasks (e.g., Medicaid billing, documentation, etc.) and paperwork

Impact on Students

• slower progress on academic and functional goals
• limited integration of services into the least restrictive environment (e.g., classroom)
• lack of individualized service delivery

Impact on School Districts

• delays in identification; over- and under-identification
• increased due-process complaints
• lower Medicaid reimbursement
• challenges in service delivery
• missed sessions (creating the need for compensatory services)
• costs associated with high staff turnover
• lower staff retention rates and difficulty recruiting new staff

Recruitment and Retention

There are several ways that school districts can attract, retain, and recruit qualified SLPs and SLPAs to fill open positions and address persistent vacancies:

• Utilize a workload model for determining caseload.
• Offer salaries that are competitive with neighboring districts.
• Offer student loan support and/or loan forgiveness.
• Provide a stipend for tests and materials.
• Offer a mentoring program for new hires.
• Provide a sign-on bonus.
• Provide a housing allowance, access to affordable housing or access to a low-interest loan.
• Credit an applicant’s previous work experience, regardless of setting, toward placement on the salary scale.
• Release time and reimbursement for continuing education and professional development.
• Provide compensation for state licensure fees and ASHA dues.
• Offer tuition reimbursement for those wishing to further their education.

The Impact of Critical Shortages

Shortages of SLPs in schools are a growing challenge. According to the most recent ASHA Schools Survey, the number of SLPs who selected “personnel shortages” as one of their biggest challenges has nearly doubled over the past 8 years. When school districts are unable to recruit qualified SLPs to fill vacancies, the impacts are far reaching. Potential impacts on students include:

• delayed identification of communication disorders
• decreased performance on IEP goals
• missed services
• services delivered by unqualified staff when qualified substitutes are not available