Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Madelaine Ramey
Committee Member
Betty Boult
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
applied dissertation, benefit, December 2002, December 2004, development, directors, disabled students, entrance criteria, entrance guidelines, exit criteria, exit guidelines, hearing impairments, interviews, North Orange County, NOC SELPA, percentage of students, school districts, SELPA directors, special education, special education local plan area, speech and language impairments, speech and language pathologists, speech impairments, state data, surveys, training
Abstract
The purpose of applied dissertation was to assist the 5 school districts of the North Orange County (NOC) special education local plan area (SELPA) to develop entrance and exit guidelines for speech and language impairments (SLI).
Seventy-five state SELPA directors were asked if they had developed entrance and exit criteria for speech and language programs. Of the 18 responding, 4 directors reported that they had developed criteria. The state data revealed that all 4 of these SELPAs had a lower percentage of students identified as SLI than the NOC SELPA. Interviews of 10 speech and language pathologists (SLP) in the NOC SELPA were conducted. All staff interviewed stated that they felt there would be a benefit towards the development of exit criteria.
Utilizing a committee of SLPs selected by this researcher, entrance and exit guidelines were developed for use by SLPs in the NOC SELPA. Each SLP received training and a copy of the guidelines. In a survey conducted in April 2003, the SLPs indicated that they considered the guidelines beneficial. It is anticipated that the percentage of disabled students in the NOC SELPA identified as SLI will be reduced from 40% to 25% over the 3-year period, December 2002 to December 2004.