School
Services News
Welcome to the
School Services News portion of the MSHA website. The purpose of
this portion of the website is to provide information related to
practice of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in Missouri
public schools. Also included are items of interest to
professionals practicing in Early Childhood Special Education
settings. MSHA members’ suggestions for additions or changes in
the format of the Schools News section are appreciated. You can
comment by emailing Brenda at
msha@showmemsha.org
Latest Information From the VP for School Services
Missouri SEAL
School Certification and
Licensure
Eligibility
Substitute SLPS
Missed
Therapy Sessions
Salary Stipends
Early Childhood News
Frequently Asked Questions
Links
LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE VP FOR SCHOOL SERVICES:
SOCIAL SECURITY/PSRS:
Historically
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) employed by Missouri public
schools have participated fully in the Missouri Public School
Retirement System (PSRS). On October 22, 2008, the Office of
Administration (OA) which administers and helps interpret the
federal Social Security regulations for Missouri sent out a memo
to all school districts regarding Social Security withholding for
school employees who had previously participated in the PSRS and
were exempt from Social Security withholding.
In a nutshell, what
the changes would have done for a number of school employees,
including SLPs and Audiologists is change the way they pay into
the PSRS system. Employees not on the original 50+ year old agreement
exempting them from Social Security would be required to pay 2/3
of the PSRS withholding and full Social Security withholding.
This would be a total of 15.2% withholding from each check. It is
assumed that because of the Windfall Elimination Provision of
Social Security, most of these professionals would receive little
benefit from the portion paid into Social Security and the PSRS
benefits would be reduced.
On 11/18/08, the OA
issued the decision that Counselors will continue to be exempt
from Social Security based on documentation from 1948 that
Counselors were required to hold a teaching certificate. The same
decision stated that “other similar positions including, but not
limited to, School Psychological Examiners, School Psychologists,
Adult Education Supervisors, Career Education Counselors, Career
Education Placement Coordinators, and Speech-Language Pathologists
are still under review and are not considered exempt at this
point.”
As a result of the
numerous contacts from a number of education-related agencies
(including MSHA), the Missouri Delegation consisting of senators
and representatives from Missouri to Washington, D.C. requested
and received a meeting with representatives of the Internal
Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration
(12/12/08).
The SSA, IRS,
Public School Retirement System, and the Missouri Office of
Administration formed a task force that was to begin meeting on
Monday, December 15 to address this issue and was given 60 days to
complete its work. The final meeting (of three) of the Federal
Task Force for Missouri Public Schools with MO educational
association leaders was February 5, 2009. At that time it was
confirmed that SS changes would begin on 7/1/10, “no earlier or
later.” The PSRS stated that, “Generally, however, it
appears that fewer PSRS-positions would be required to contribute
to Social Security than was originally thought. “ Other than
that announcement, further word was not being made public.
Click here for a copy of the letter which ASHA submitted to the
Social Security office on MSHA’s behalf.
The Section 218
Task Force released its report on April 13, 2009. For a complete
copy of the report, go to
http://www.msaonline.org/pages/uploaded_files/MO%20Final%20Report.pdf
.
The most critical
recommendation of the Task Force was that a full time "teacher"
who has both a license to teach and is employed in a position that
Missouri law requires a license to teach will continue to be
excluded from Social Security coverage and from paying SS taxes.
This will be decided based on DESE Core Data codes to determine if
certification is required.
Core Data Codes from 10 through 60 require a license to teach
which is essentially all "teachers", including Speech-Language
Pathologists who are employed full-time in that position! Your
Student Services Certification falls in that category regardless
of which path you took to obtain it.
This will apply to full time employees only. If you are a part
time employee (less than 17 hours per week), it is more difficult
to determine and will depend on the category the school district
falls into. For more info, check the above link. Also, it appears
that retirees who return to work in a position covered by PSRS
less than 550 hours per year, will not be exempt from SS and will
be required to pay SS taxes beginning July 1, 2010. There are
also some SLPs who are considered Critical Shortage Hires. If you
fall in that category, you would also NOT be exempt and will have
to begin paying
SS taxes July 1, 2010.
Many, if not most, of you made a lot of contacts
early in this battle. Please now take the time to thank the people
who worked on our behalf...especially Claire McCaskill and Kit
Bond.
CCC/NBT:
In July, 2008, in
an attempt to obtain the same stipend for CCC’d SLPs as is
provided Nationally Board certified teachers, SLPs in the
Springfield Public Schools petitioned the Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education (DESE) to evaluate the credentials of SLPs
and determine that they are equivalent to those of Nationally
Board Certified teachers.
On December 15,
Rusty Rosenkoetter, Coordinator of Educator Certification for DESE,
responded that she had completed a side-by-side review of the CCC
standards and the National Board Teacher standards. She asked for
an official letter from the MSHA Executive Board (EB) to take the
request to the advisory committee and then, depending on the
committee’s decision, to the State Board of Education.
The MSHA VP for School Services presented a formal request to DESE
January 14, 2009 and was informed that it would take 5-8 months to
receive a response since changes can only be made twice a year.
She was contacted by DESE on February 25 and informed that the
request had been tabled until April, 2009 due to some opposition
on the advisory committee. More information was requested and
immediately provided. Members will be advised of further
updates via the Listserv as they are received.
Click here for
a copy of MSHA’s formal request to DESE..
MISSOURI HAS SEALS?
State
Education Advocacy Leaders (SEALs) are appointed by
ASHA-recognized Speech-Language-Hearing Associations to act as
advocates on issues related to education. The
State Education Advocacy Leaders were established in 1999 under
ASHA's Priorities. The mission of the SEALs network is to “enhance
and perpetuate the advocacy, leadership, and clinical management
skills of school-based ASHA members at the state and local levels
to influence administrative and public policy decisions that
affect the delivery of speech-language pathology and audiology
services in school settings.” (www.asha.org).
Missouri’s SEAL is Brenda Martien. Click
here to email Brenda.
SCHOOL CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE
Important: The
Missouri Speech-Language-Hearing Association is NOT a licensing
agent. MSHA supports ASHA, the State Board of Healing Arts, and
the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the agencies
which license or credential professionals.
Missouri has a dual certification system for SLPs
practicing in the public schools of the state. The Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requires a Student
Services Certificate of License to Teach as a Speech-Language
Pathologist. This can be obtained by completing specific
requirements in a teacher education program including professional
course content in Speech Pathology and a minimum of 300 practicum
hours or it can be obtained by possession of a Missouri
license as a
Speech-Language Pathologist from the Missouri Board of
Registration for the Healing Arts. In either case, it is
necessary to apply for the Student Services Certificate.
Click here for
information
about certification.
Click here for an application form for the Student Services
Certificate.
Click here for an application form for renewal of the Student
Services Certificate.
Click Here for information about obtaining a Missouri license
through the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts as
either a Speech-Language Pathologist or Audiologist.
ELIGIBILITY
Federal law requires each state to establish
criteria for qualifying children ages 0-21 as eligible to receive
Special Education and Related services. DESE’s criteria for each
category of disability is summarized in the State Plan for Special
Education.
Click here for eligibility information for all categories.
Categories of communication disorders (language, articulation,
fluency, voice) are on pages 27 to 28.
Click here for
to access further information about eligibility for Sound System
Disorder.
.
SUBSTITUTE SLPs and MISSED THERAPY SESSIONS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The question of how to handle missed therapy
sessions in the public schools comes up frequently. On 11/2/06,
ASHA requested clarification from the federal Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP) as to interpretation based on the IDEA
Amendments of 2004. On 3/8/07, OSEP responded by addressing
ASHA’s question about the need to use substitutes and to schedule
make up sessions when speech/language sessions are missed as a
result of either the child’s absences, the SLP’s absences, or
other causes such as school activities. OSEP stated that these
issues are not addressed in the federal law or the federal
regulations. According to OSEP, it is up to each state to ensure
a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Therefore, each
school entity needs to consider the effect of absences (child’s or
SLP’s) or other causes of missed sessions on the child’s progress
toward IEP goals. If the goals are not likely to be met, missed
sessions may be a denial of FAPE.
Click here to for the letter from OSEP
In an attempt to receive written clarification from
DESE as to the state policy and ask them to consider the OSEP
opinion, the MSHA Executive Board developed a Position Statement
about missed sessions and presented a draft to Heidi Atkins
Lieberman, assistant commissioner of education, on May 19, 2008.
Click here
for a copy of the Position Statement.
DESE responded quickly and on 5/23/08, the
following message was sent to school administrators via the DESE
SELS List: ” The U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP) issued a policy letter in March 2007
(Letter to Clarke). That letter included several issues; one of
those issues was compensatory services. In the letter, OSEP
changed its mid-1990's position on compensatory services by noting
that IDEA really does not provide for compensatory services, that
the issue boils down to a free appropriate public education (FAPE)
and that whether a child is in need of compensatory services is an
individualized issue. It "encouraged" schools to convene IEP
teams to address compensatory services when there has been a
failure to implement due to things like provider absences.
After careful consideration and discussion, we have reached the
conclusion that our long-standing position that provider absences
requires either full make-up services OR an IEP team meeting and
decision on the extent, if any, of compensatory services needed,
is without authority. However, we strongly recommend that
responsible public agencies consider continuing to address
provider absences by either full make-up of services OR convening
the IEP team to address the need for compensatory services. This
is one way to ensure FAPE has been addressed. We also encourage
you to discuss this with your school district lawyer.”
SALARY STIPENDS/INCENTIVES FOR SLPS IN
MISSOURI SCHOOLS
In an attempt to help SLPs who are trying to get
school districts to provide incentives to help with recruitment
and retention of audiologists and SLPs, MSHA has compiled a chart
of districts which provide some type of stipend or other
incentive. Click here for
the chart.
The information on this chart came from MSHA
members who responded to a request for the information.
Your help is needed in keeping it up to
date. If information on the chart is incorrect or incomplete or
if your district is not listed, please email correct information
to
bmartien@centurytel.net.
If you know a contact for a neighboring district that is not
listed, please provide that information as well. The more
complete it is, the more useful this list will be to SLPs
advocating for their districts to provide incentives.
EARLY CHILDHOOD NEWS:
Click here for DESE’s FAQ Re: First Steps.
SCHOOL AFFAIRS NEWS
Check back soon for updates.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
LINKS
ASHA
Missouri
State Board for the Healing Arts
Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
Parents as Teachers National Office
Project
ACCESS
Missouri Council
for Administrators of Special Education
SLP/Audiology Job site
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SOUND SYSTEM DISORDERS IN MISSOURI
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Following is
information to assist SLPs determine eligibility for diagnosis of
children with Sound System Disorders (SSD) in Missouri public
schools.
1. DESE System for
SSD with Single Error Sound
The first item is the
chart accepted by the Missouri Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education (DESE) in September, 2007 for initial
diagnosis of a single sound disorder. Click here
for the chart.
For further information
about initial determination of eligibility for Sound System
Disorder, go to
http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/PDF/SSQA.pdf
for a Q&A on the DESE website.
2. System for
Guiding Professional Judgment for SSD with Multiple Sound Errors
A procedure for using
professional judgment in determining eligibility when sound system
disorders involve more than a single sound was developed by Dr.
Julie Masterson and Sarah Basye (Missouri State University) with
input from a team of clinicians working in Missouri Schools,
including Susan Borgmeyer, Elaine Kempker, and Brenda
Martien. The system is
based on current research on typical phonological development in
children. A "Quick Start" for Recommendations for Using
Professional Judgment can be obtained by
clicking here.
For the accompanying research base, click
here.
3. DESE-MSHA 2001
Chart for Developmental/Non-Developmental Errors
This chart was
developed by a task force including DESE and MSHA representatives
in 2001 that is based on studies by Shriberg, 1993.
School districts that were using this chart prior to the
publication of the DESE chart in 2007 may continue to use
it when considering initial eligibility for SSD on the condition
that there is more than a single sound error present.
When determining
initial eligibility for children with phonological processing
errors, districts may choose to use either the Masterson/Basye
system or the Shriberg chart or may use other normative data. It
is strongly recommended by MSHA that the evaluation report state
which data was used.
Remember that when
determining initial eligibility for a child with a single sound
error, the DESE chart must be used in Missouri public
schools.
