1. New 216 License Speech/Language Therapist

2. Welcome Ann Moore Associate Superintendent of Education
Mississippi Department of Education
Office of Special Education
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

3. Review of the agenda for the day
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

4. History and Overview
Due to the continued, long-term shortage of master’s level 215 licensed Speech Language Pathologists in Mississippi, local school districts have not been able to recruit and employ fully qualified staff to serve all eligible students with speech/language disabilities.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

5. History and Overview
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has over the years granted renewable emergency and interim 215 licenses to ensure that districts are able to offer language speech services to eligible students as required by State and Federal regulations.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

6. Critical Issues
Each year the MDE has issued between 125 and 175 emergency and interim 215 licenses.
The emergency and interim 215 license holders have no restrictions on the scope of practice.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

7. Critical Issues
Many of the emergency and interim 215 license holders do not meet the master’s level program enrollment criteria, including the minimum required GPA and/or the required GRE score.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

8. Critical Issues
The total number of master’s level program slots at each IHL offering that degree is limited, and only those candidates with the highest GPA and GRE scores are accepted.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

9. Critical Issues
In 2010, Superintendent Tom Burnham challenged the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development (Commission), to develop a new bachelor’s level license that would achieve the following:
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

10. Critical Issues
To implement a bachelor’s degree program that would provide the clinical skills training and practicum experience necessary to provide articulation therapy services by July 2013
To eliminate the need for Emergency and Interim 215 licenses by July 2013
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

11. Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education
On July 9, 2010, the Commission approved a 5-year renewable Standard License for the 216 Speech/Language Therapist effective beginning July 1, 2013.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

12. Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education
The request was submitted to the State Board of Education.
The State Board of Education gave approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) process.
The APA process provided the public a period of time to comment on the Standard License for the 216 Speech/Language Therapist.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

13. State Board of Education Action
On October 21, 2010, the State Board of Education (Board) approved the new 216 license for a Speech/Language Therapist following implementation of the Administrative Procedures Act process. The new 216 license requires the following:
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

14. State Board of Education Action
a bachelor’s degree from an approved Speech Pathology or Communicative Disorder program;
passing scores on the Praxis I; and
limitations on the scope of practice to include articulation therapy under the guidance/supervision of a master’s level 215 licensed Speech/Language Pathologist.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

15. Task Force to Study and Make Recommendations
A Task Force was created by agreement of the Board and the State Superintendent of Education. Gloria Kellum, Ph.D., was appointed as the chair of the task force to advise and make recommendations to the Board and MDE. Task Force members were selected and appointed by the State Superintendent and by the Commissioner of Institutions of Higher Learning.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

16. Task Force to Study and Make Recommendations
The Task Force identified the following guiding principles:
Whether through screening, testing, providing direct services, supervising, or other roles and practices, speech/language pathology services impact children and their educational successes, and ultimately their transition from school to work.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

17. Task Force to Study and Make Recommendations
Eliminated emergency and interim certificates must be replaced with aggressive and creative recruitment of 215 licensed, master’s level speech/language pathologists and recruitment of 216 licensed, bachelor’s level personnel.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

18. Task Force to Study and Make Recommendations
After a year of intensive study and numerous meetings and conference calls, the Task Force report and recommendations were submitted to the State Board in March The State Board and MDE will consider all recommendations in establishing suggested guidelines to implement the new 216 Speech/Language Therapist license by July 2013.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

19. MDE/SBE Review and Recommendations
The MDE staff and State board members have carefully vetted all recommendations and developed specific guidelines for local school districts.
Guidance was presented to local school districts during regional superintendent training sessions.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

20. MDE/SBE Review and Recommendations
Training will be provided to special education directors on June 7, 2012.
Additional workshops will be scheduled this fall and next spring.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

21. Major Areas for Recommendations
Bachelor’s Degree Programs for Speech/Language Therapists. In order to transition to the new 216 License for a bachelor’s level Speech/Language Therapist to provide articulation therapy services to eligible students, the IHL bachelor’s level degree programs will need to provide an endorsement program of studies in speech/language that includes 100 hours of supervised clinical practice.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

22. Major Areas for Recommendations
Current Emergency and Interim 215 License Holders. The current Emergency and Interim 215 license holders may need some degree of clinical skills training and/or clinical practice (practicum experience). The experience, training, and education of the Emergency and Interim 215 license holder will determine the amount of time needed for additional clinical skills training and/or clinical practice.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

23. Major Areas for Recommendations
Scope of Practice for the 216 Speech/Language Therapist
A bachelor’s level Speech/Language Therapist (216) will be licensed to provide articulation assessment and treatment to eligible students.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

24. Major Areas for Recommendations
Articulation therapy includes the treatment of speech sound errors, instruction in correct sound production, and the facilitation of production in sentences and conversational speech.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

25. Major Areas for Recommendations
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist may not perform duties related to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of more severe speech/language problems, including voice, fluency, and language disorders.
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist may not serve as the chairperson of the eligibility determination committee.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

26. Major Areas for Recommendations
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist will work under the guidance/direction of, and in collaboration with, a master’s-level, fully-certified Speech/Language Pathologist with a 215AA license and/or with an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

27. Major Areas for Recommendations
Additional suggested guidance is outlined in the following documents:
Working in Collaboration: A Mentoring Model developed by the DeSoto County School District, DeSoto County, MS
Scope of Practice for the 216 License, Speech/Language Therapist
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

28. Coordinator of Speech, Language and Hearing Impairment Service
Scope of Practice
Emily Ballard
Coordinator of Speech, Language and Hearing Impairment Service
DeSoto County Schools

29. Scope of Practice for the 216 License
The following suggested guidelines have been developed to provide overarching guidance to public school districts in implementing the new 216 license for Speech/Language Therapists.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

30. Scope of Practice for the 216 License
A bachelor’s level Speech/Language Therapist (216) will be licensed to provide articulation assessment and treatment to eligible students.
Articulation Therapy – includes the treatment of speech sound errors, instruction in correct sound production, and the facilitation of production in sentences and conversational speech.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

31. Scope of Practice for the 216 License
Students diagnosed with more severe speech problems (voice, fluency, and language disorders) must be served by a Speech/ Language Clinician/Pathologist, which is a master’s-level, fully-certified Speech/Language Pathologist with a 215AA license and/or with an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence.
The maximum caseload for the 216 Speech/Language Therapist is 60 students.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

32. Scope of Practice for the 216 License
The 216 Speech /Language Therapist will work under the guidance/direction of, and in collaboration with, a master’s-level, fully-certified Speech-Language Pathologist with a 215AA license and/or with an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence. (See the suggested guidance outlined in Working in Collaboration: A Mentoring Model developed by the DeSoto County School District.)
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

33. Scope of Practice for the 216 License
The scope of practice for the 216 Speech/Language Therapist may include the following duties:
Participate in Child Find activities as assigned by the district special education director and/or building principal.
Conduct articulation assessments and develop assessment reports.
Participate in meetings, including, but not limited to, TST, MET, IEPs, etc.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

34. Scope of Practice for the 216 License
Participate in the development of IEPs and any other related activities for scheduling and conducting the IEP meeting.
Conduct treatment of articulation deficits following the student’s IEP (a documented treatment plan) as assigned by the district special education director.
Communicate with parents/guardians, including, but not limited to, procedural safeguards, assessment results, eligibility requirements, and student progress on meeting IEP goals.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

35. Scope of Practice for the 216 License
Develop therapy schedules to implement IEPs.
Document therapy information such as therapy logs, notes, and other data.
Collaborate with school personnel as necessary to provide the articulation therapy services for the assigned caseload.
Maintain confidentiality of personal student information and educational records as required by State and Federal regulations.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

36. Scope of Practice for the 216 License
Perform other duties consistent with other school instructional staff as assigned by the director of special education and/or building principal.
Participate in other school-related activities consistent with other school instructional staff as assigned by the director of special education and/or building principal.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

37. Scope of Practice for the 216 License - Limitations
The following are not within the scope of practice for the 216 Speech/Language Therapist:
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist may not perform duties related to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of more severe speech/language problems, including voice, fluency, and language disorders.
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist may not serve as the chairperson of the eligibility determination committee.
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist may not represent himself or herself as a master’s-level, fully-certified Speech/Language Pathologist with a 215AA license and/or with an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

38. Working in Collaboration
Emily Ballard
Coordinator of Speech, Language and Hearing Impairment Service
DeSoto County Schools

39. Working in Collaboration: A Mentoring Model
By utilizing a collaborative/mentoring model, public school districts will be able to maximize the skills of available licensed professionals to serve all eligible students with disabilities. The 216 licensed Speech/Language Therapist and the 215 licensed Speech/Language Pathologist will work together utilizing a collaborative model as described below.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

40. Working in Collaboration: A Mentoring Model
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist will provide articulation therapy services (assessment and treatment) under the guidance/direction of, and in collaboration with, a Speech/Language Pathologist who is fully certified at the master’s level (215-AA and/or ASHA-CCC).
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

41. Working in Collaboration: A Mentoring Model
The 215 licensed Speech/Language Pathologist assigned to provide guidance/supervision will foster a mentoring relationship with the 216 licensed Speech/Language Therapist.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

42. Working in Collaboration: A Mentoring Model
The guidance/supervision is NOT an administrative role.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

43. Stages of Mentorship for the 216 Speech/Language Therapist
A continuum of direct observation, collaboration, consultation and mentoring will be implemented. The experience, training, and education of the 216 Speech/Language Therapist will determine the amount of time needed for direction under the master’s level Speech/Language Pathologist (215).
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

44. Stages of Mentorship for the 216 Speech/Language Therapist
Transition to each stage is based on the mentoring 215 Speech/Language Pathologist’s observation and judgment of the 216 Speech/Language Therapist’s clinical performance and the 216 Speech/Language Therapist’s input and confidence level. Likewise, if a 216 Speech/Language Therapist is having difficulty at the collaborative or consultative level, then the 215 Speech/Language Pathologist may deem it necessary to step back to the previous mentoring stage until competence is achieved.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

45. Direct/Active Stage
The mentoring 215 Speech/ Language Pathologist will provide direct and active mentoring, modeling and feedback on all clinical duties and responsibilities of the 216 Speech/Language Therapist.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

46. Direct/Active Stage
The goal of this stage is to identify the 216 Speech/Language Therapist’s strengths/weaknesses and build on them and to ensure that 216 Speech/Language Therapists understand their role, job duties, and responsibilities. The task is to give them the support they need to perform more independently and move into the collaborative stage of the mentoring relationship.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

47. Direct/Active Stage
Based on the 216 Speech/Language Therapist’s clinical practicum experience and/or prior work experience, the length of this direct/active stage may vary for each 216 Speech/Language Therapist.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

48. Collaborative Stage
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist begins to take a more active role in clinical duties by problem-solving, decision-making, and evaluating clinical/job performance. Mentor and mentee communicate/collaborate and work together as colleagues to ensure the professional growth of the 216 Speech/Language Therapist and that appropriate clinical services are being provided.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

49. Consultative Stage
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist has gained enough competencies and confidence in evaluating his/her own performance accurately. The 216 Speech/Language Therapist acts independently, but with consultation and feedback, when necessary, from the mentoring 215 Speech/Language Pathologist.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

50. Examples of Implementing a Collaborative Model
Emily Ballard
Coordinator of Speech, Language and Hearing Impairment Service
DeSoto County Schools

51. Articulation Therapy
Articulation therapy includes the treatment of speech sound errors, instruction in correct sound production, and the facilitation of production in sentences and conversational speech.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

52. Articulation Disorders
Articulation Disorders are based on difficulty learning to physically produce the intended phonemes.
Omissions: Certain sounds are not produced (e.g., fi' for fish)
Additions/Commissions: An extra sound or sounds are added to the intended word (e.g., fith for fish).
Distortions: Sounds are changed slightly so that the intended sound may be recognized but sound "wrong," or may not sound like any sound in the language (e.g., lisp).
Substitutions: One or more sounds are substituted for another (e.g., wabbit for rabbit).
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

53. Range of Articulation Disorders
Articulation disorders range from mild to severe cases.
Mild cases - speech that can be understood by everyone but in which some sounds are slightly mispronounced (e.g., lisp)
Severe cases - speech is completely incomprehensible, even to family
Medical Articulation Disorders - have a known anatomical, physiological, or neurological basis
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

54. Articulation Disorders
Children who have problems creating speech sounds may have academic problems in subject areas such as spelling or reading.
The speech language therapist will also coordinate programs and services with general education and/or special education service providers.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

55. Collaboration between 215 Speech Pathologist and 216 Speech Therapist
The 215 Speech/Language Pathologist will serve in a mentoring, collaborative role to direct and guide the 216 Licensed Speech/Language Therapist.
The role of the 215 Speech/Language Pathologist is NOT as a supervisor or administrator.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

56. Supervision
Caseloads and assignments will be made by the Special Education Director.
The 215 Speech/Language Pathologist and the 216 Speech/Language Therapist will work under the administrative supervision of the Special Education Director.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

57. Collaborative Model
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist and the 215 Speech/Language Pathologist will work together to review IEPs and caseloads under the supervision of the Special Education Director.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

58. The Three Stages of Mentoring Model
The 216 Speech/Language Therapist and the 215 Speech/Language Pathologist will work together utilizing a collaborative model as described below.
Direct/Active Stage
Collaborative Stage
Consultative Stage
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

59. Case Management
Using the stages of the mentoring model, the 215 Speech/Language Pathologist will assist in making recommendations to determine the severity of the articulation cases being considered.
The skillset of the 216 Speech/Language Therapist will determine the severity of the articulation disorders to be served.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

60. Case Management
When the 216 Speech/Language Therapist has gained enough competencies and confidence in evaluating his/her own performance accurately, the 216 Speech/Language Therapist will act independently, but with consultation and feedback, when necessary, from the mentoring 215 Speech/Language Pathologist.
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education

61. Case Management and the Mentoring Model
In summary, this will be an individualized and fluid process under the continued supervision of the Special Education Director.
The experience, training, and education of the 216 Speech/Language Therapist will determine the amount of time needed for direction under the master’s level Speech/Language Pathologist (215).
June 2012
Office of Instructional Enhancement and Internal Operations/Office of Special Education