1. Doing the Dance: Flexible Scheduling and Service Delivery
Rebecca McKenzie-Appling
MS-CCC/SLP
EdD Educational Administration

2. Disclosure
I have no relevant financial or non- financial relationships to disclose regarding this presentation.

3. Learning Outcomes Attendees will be able to:
-discuss federal, state, and local policies
that influence the changing roles of speech-language
pathologists in the school setting and its effects on
service delivery;
-state the benefits of one service delivery model: flexible
scheduling (3-to-1 model);
-consider one district’s journey to implementation of
flexible scheduling in relation to your own setting.

4. Federal… Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) 2004
IDEA
2004
IEP
SLP
Services
Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Access to General Education
Least Restrictive Environment

5. ASHA Roles & Responsibilities
Work Across All Levels
Serving a Range of Disorders
Ensuring Educational Relevance
Providing Unique Contributions to Curriculum
Highlighting Language & Literacy
Providing Culturally Competent Services

6. Meeting our responsibilities- HOW ?
The ASHA Leader School Matters 1 Aug 2010
New Service Delivery Models: Connecting SLPs with Teachers and Curriculum
Perry Flynn
One of the greatest challenges of school-based practice is to how to deliver speech-language services in a way that affects the most change in students within the confines of the daily schedule and logistics of the school environment.
Education law (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA 2004) supports serving students in the least restrictive environment (LRE), which can be interpreted not only as a place but also as inclusion with typical peers. For most students, inclusion means that speech-language services should take place with typical peers in the classroom environment, which can include the classroom as well as the lunchroom, playground, art room, gym, and field trips….

7. What did we say?
ASHA Schools Survey Report: SLP Caseload Characteristics Trends, 1995 – 2016;
date November 15, 2016.

8. Primarily in PULL-OUT services
We served students …
Primarily in PULL-OUT services
79%

9. Classroom-based/integrated services
We served students …
21%
Classroom-based/integrated services

10. What did we say?

11. Top Six Challenges 71% Large amount of paperwork 79%
High workload/caseload
71%
Limited collaboration time
54%
Budget constraints %
Incorporating optimal service delivery models
44%
Limited understanding of my role by others %

12. What’s the norm… The ASHA Leader School Matters 1 Jan 2012
Service Delivery in Schools: A National Survey
A survey finds that 30-minute speech-language sessions once or twice a week remain the norm.
Jayne BrandelJayne Brandel and Diane Frome Loeb
 Most school-based speech-language pathologists use traditional service methods—group treatment once or twice a week for 30 minutes—for most of their students, despite the availability of alternative methods and their belief that they individualize treatment.
This seeming discrepancy, revealed from a survey of school-based speech-language pathologists, may be the result of several factors, including the clinician’s caseload size and graduate training (Brandel & Loeb, 2011)….

13. Moving from…

14. To what…

15. What to do…

16. Making discoveries…

17. It has many names. Cyclical Schedule Flexible Schedule 3 : 1
What does it mean?

18. A service delivery model that is…
A combination approach
DIRECT speech language therapy for students;
Collaborative / “Coaching” with educational staff and parents.

19. What does change…

20. Not a change…

21. NEW…

22. Getting out of our box…

23. 3:1 versus Traditional SLP Feedback: Other Staff Responses:
Allowed adequate time for prime duties other
than direct services;
Allowed time to make-up therapy sessions that
were cancelled by the SLP;
Allowed provision of necessary consultation/
collaboration time to educators;
Allowed alignment of S/L objectives to the
students’ TEKS & classroom curriculum;
SLPs reported higher rate of job satisfaction.
Other Staff Responses:
Facilitated carryover of communication
abilities in many environments;
Allowed for support of the TEKS and
alignment of curriculum;
Can ask the SLP to consult with me
[teacher].
Texas: Data from Round Rock and Austin Independent School Districts
“Service Delivery Models: Making Life Better in Schools” ASHA Schools Connect 2017

24. How to begin…

25. We did our homework. Our timeline began JANUARY 2017
FIRST: Core group of SLPs (all levels met with Director of Special Services)
Next: With Director’s “Go Ahead”
-ALL SLPs joined conversation;
Engaged in collaborative learning
about 3:1 model-
-What
-Who
-Where
-When
-How
Decision made “On GO” FALL 2017

26. Getting EVERYONE on the same page!
District Lead SLP notified principals of proposed change “Flexible Scheduling”
August “Back to School” district SLP session
-Forms support
-Collaborative weeks set
on the district calendar
-Video review [tool for
schools]
Extended Timeline set for initial implementation to full rollout.

27. Communicate…Communicate…Communicate!
Flexible Scheduling
ROLL OUT
“Dos”
Administration
and Staff Memo
Powerpoint-
Administration
SLP Powerpoint –
Faculty & Staff

28. Informing…Changing Were there challenges?
Introducing staff and parents-
Were there challenges?

29. Organize…Organize…Organize!
Collaboration-Coaching Weeks
“Consistent Districtwide Schedule”
Document:
-Model/Teach
-Observation
-Progress Monitoring
-Discussion/Feedback
“Plan with the end in mind!”

30. Documenting what we do…

31. about flexible scheduling?
POSITIVES…
What are we
-feeling,
-seeing,
-thinking,
-hearing
about flexible scheduling?

32. Inclusive Services…
In the classroom….
-A plus;
-A minus; and/or -A

33. WHY?

34. As SLPs, what are our mandates?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires:
- that our work “align with curriculum;” and
- includes “counseling and guidance of parents, children, and
teachers regarding speech and language impairments.”
Be as efficient as possible in the delivery of services.
- A flexible scheduling model supports greater generalization of
new skills.
Be as effective as possible in the delivery of speech and language services.

35. If you have questions
That Need
Answers