Speech Language Pathology
2018-2019 Program Review

The Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) Program is newest of the six (6) programs in the State of California that is approved by the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board (SLPAHADB). The SLPA Program was launched in fall 2008, has steadily grown over the course of 11 years, and is preparing to graduate its tenth group of SLPA students. The mission of the SLPA Program at American River College is to provide high quality instruction when preparing students for work in an adjunctive capacity to qualified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in a variety of service delivery settings. The training is based on a firm understanding of the characteristics, causes and treatment of human communication disorders across the lifespan. The comprehensive competency-based field practice is intended to provide students with the opportunity to develop and practice these service delivery skills with appropriate professional supervision. An additional function of the SLPA Program is to support the students of American River College through service projects affiliated with courses, i.e., having the SLPA students provide speech, language, and hearing screenings to the children enrolled at the Child Development Center (CDC); the SLPA Program Coordinator supporting teachers at the CDC; etc.

The mission of American River College "places students first in providing an academically rich, inclusive environment that inspires critical thinking, learning and achievement, and responsible participation in the community." The SLPA Program does just that . . . places students first. The full time and adjunct faculty do their best to connect with the students and offer a safe space to learn foundational information in the area of communication disorders and treatment for communication disorders. The SLPA students are supported in the growth of their clinical skill sets and development of overall professionalism. The area of communication disorders is difficult to navigate with a lot of medically complex terms, clientele with overlapping diagnoses, and an ever-changing scope of responsibilities for the SLPA, but the work of the SLPA is incredibly rewarding. The students are pushed/encouraged to do their best because their future clients depend on this. This leads up to the culminating final experience of clinical fieldwork - an opportunity for the fourth semester SLPA student to get hands-on clinical experience working alongside a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP). This site supervisor is hand-picked for them using numerous variables - offering the best possible learning opportunity to tap in to their current complimentary skill sets and to develop their new skill set as a clinician. The SLPA student is assisted through their enrollment within the SLPA Program. Second Semester Students: SLPA students are required to begin observation of the licensed SLP in the field. This supports the students by allowing them to witness (first-hand), how communication therapy plays out in real life. They are provided with a unique interview opportunity by multiple SLPs in the community - providing feedback about articulation/voice/fluency, the ability to answer questions, and professionalism in a single interview event. SLPs who are employed in various settings (private practice, preschool, school-age, medical) are invited for a second semester Q&A session - providing rich information from industry leaders. The SLPA Program Coordinator offers a single personal one-on-one meeting to help the student with academic planning. Third Semester Students: SLPA students are still required to complete observation of the licensed SLP in the field. Therapy break-out activities are provided to help them become more skilled at their work. The SLPA Program Coordinator offers two personal one-on-one meetings to help the student plan and prepare for clinical fieldwork. Fourth Semester Students: SLPA students are observed in the field twice per clinical fieldwork placement. This helps communication between the student and site supervisor as well as a personal take on the student's clinical skill set. A resume workshop is provided for the students to prepare them for employment search after graduation. Employed SLPAs in the community - former graduates from the ARC SLPA Program - are invited to share information about "real life scenarios" and lessons learned from professional practice. At the end of the fourth semester, the student participates in a final exit interview in which all paperwork is reviewed including their application for SLPA registration to the SLPAHADB. The ARC mission continues, "serving the greater Sacramento region, offers education and support for students to strengthen basic skills, earn associate degrees and certificates, transfer to other colleges and universities, and achieve career as well as other academic and personal goals." The fourth semester clinical fieldwork placements occur throughout the greater Sacramento region and even extends to outlying areas, i.e., Bay Area, Placer County, etc. Most SLPA students are here to earn their Associate in Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Many people enrolled in the SLPA Program transfer to four-year institutions to earn a BA/BS in the field of communication disorders - several go on to earn their MA/MS. One student even earned a Doctorate of Audiology, AuD. Additionally, the bachelor-level student comes back to ARC for core coursework and clinical fieldwork placement to help with requirements to become a registered SLPA in the State of California as most four-year educational institutions have eliminated undergraduate clinical fieldwork - so the student is left without the ability to work with the degree obtained. American River College to the rescue! The SLPA Program at ARC serves the community and offers annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Continuing Educational Units (CEUs) for people maintaining their licensure in the industry - SLPs, SLPAs, speech pathology aides (SPAs), and administrators. Workshops have been held annually on the campus of ARC and this academic year (2018-2019), two workshops were held to support the student body as well as the community.

After a review of the past several annual reports, along with the associated data provided, several elements suggest the SLPA Program's intended outcomes have been generally achieved. Growth of the SLPA Program has remained consistent. The first graduating class of 2010 had a total of 10 students. The current (and tenth) graduating class of 2019 is expected to be at 32 students. Success is measured by the following: - issuance of the Associate in Science Degree in Speech Pathology, OR, - the BA/BS (returning student) completes core curriculum (SLPA 105, SLPA 110, SLPA 120 and SLPA 121), AND - subsequent SLPA registration with the State of California The educational fortitude of the SLPA Program has improved since its inception. A major curriculum change occurred during this reporting cycle and the SLPA Program now has more core curriculum offerings, less duplicated material across classes, and approval from the industry site supervisors as well as SLPA Advisory Committee. Originally the SLPA Program was a 42-unit course of study with a total of four (4) core courses (totaling 13 units). A curriculum modification was authorized by the SLPAHADB and took place beginning fall 2017. The new SLPA Program curriculum unveiled a 41-unit course of study with a total of six (6) core courses (totaling 19 units). Two new core courses were developed including the following: SLPA 105 - Articulation and Phonology for the SLPA; and SLPA 115 - Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinical Strategies. The first cohort of students (under the modified curriculum) is in their fourth semester and the fieldwork supervisors are very happy with the results of increased core coursework to prepare each student for the fieldwork experience and future employment. Two additional courses were developed in Socrates for the SLPA Program: SLPA 126 = Neurogenic Communication Disorders for the SLPA; and SLPA 305 = Childhood Language Development. These courses were developed to assist with upcoming industry changes for a national SLPA examination through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). They are in the "Tech Review" process. Course topics/materials presentations are essential for this CTE program and all faculty, both full time and adjunct, attempt to stay abreast of current research to enhance student understanding. Presently there are two (2) adjunct faculty affiliated with the SLPA Program and both are in the process developing their skill sets as adult educators. Both adjunct faculty are completing a 7-month online training program from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), specifically "Effective College Instruction". They are in the process of completing 25 course modules and implementing practices learned into their current assigned courses. The SLPA Program Coordinator has attended annual industry conventions to learn about current research in the field of speech pathology as well as network with other SLPA Program Coordinators in the state. All faculty have earned CEUs in the area of SLP/SLPA supervision and therapy practices, along with other topics, in order to maintain licensure by the SLPAHADB. When looking at Enrollment data and progress toward the SLPA Program's objectives - every ethnic category charted on has increased in number of students enrolled in both fall and spring semesters with 2018 data being the highest enrollment (for every category). This indicates that the SLPA Program is reaching out to the diverse student body within ARC and has resulted in a more diverse student body enrolled in SLPA Program coursework.

Enrollment data shows growth in numbers with every ethnic category - with the highest numbers in 2018. Gender Enrollment data continues to show that the SLPA Program student body is primarily female - which does not deviate from the industry of speech pathology. This continues to pose a challenge, although the SLPA Program Coordinator tries to attend as many outreach events as possible to continue to diversify the student body by piquing interest in the field of communication disorders. Outreach efforts continue to work with various community stakeholders (high schools, charter school programs, Career Center events, campus-based Welcome Day, etc.). Productivity data demonstrates increases for both fall and spring terms. Consistent growth in productivity throughout the fall terms has been observed while inconsistent growth in productivity in the spring terms has been observed. This is judged due to course offering availability. The SLPA Program received a "green light icon" when looking at the disproportionate impact (DI) that may exist in the success rates of different racial/ethnic groups within the SLPA Program - which is positive. When looking at the specific data from each racial/ethnic group, a "yellow light icon" was received for only one category of student: Hispanic/Latino. This is important to know moving forward to be sure to provide all students with available ARC resources and/or community resources to improve potential success - academic and/or environmental. Additional staff training could potentially improve this item. The SLPA Program has met all Department Set Standards for data sets collected from the original core coursework (SLPA 300, SLPA 110, SLPA 120, and SLPA 121) and one recommended course (SLPA 125). The target academic year (2017-2018) demonstrates growth ABOVE the previous three-year average for each class. The smallest success rate identified in the data has consistently been with SLPA 300. This is a first semester course in the SLPA core coursework and is used by other programs for certificates - Early Childhood Education and Gerontology. A student is not considered a part of the SLPA Program until he/she completes SLPA 300 with a "C" or better and has subsequently enrolled in second semester coursework. Some additional information about student success lies within the realm of the licensing board post graduation/completion. Each AS student graduate and BS student completer must apply to the State of California to earn their SLPA registration status. The following is the data obtained of SLPA graduates/completers earning the SLPA registration in the State of California since the first cohort: - 2010 = 10/10 = 100% - 2011 = 10/12 = 83.33% - 2012 = 12/12 = 100% - 2013 = 22/22 = 100% - 2014 = 14/15 = 93.33% - 2015 = 19/21 = 90.48% - 2016 = 22/24 = 91.67% - 2017 = 23/24 = 95.83% - 2018 = 30/34 = 88.24% (one student went directly to a BS SLP program at CSUS, so perhaps the numbers should read 30/33 = 90.91%) - OVERALL 162/174 = 93.10% success rate.

The unit reviewed the outcomes on the data provided and saw a few areas that provide the faculty opportunities to improve outcomes - improving enrollment numbers of the male student in the SLPA Program; and improving success rates for Hispanic/Latino SLPA student. Both of these issues can be addressed through continued efforts at outreach and communication. One way to do this is by continuing to attend outreach events to reach a diverse population (high school career fairs, Welcome Day, industry events, etc.) to share information about the benefits of the field of communication disorders to pique the interest of potential students. The faculty members (full time and adjunct) should be diligent about monitoring all student behavior (attendance, academic performance, etc.) and reach out to those students with academic resources, community resources, etc., to equip the said student. This change in focus may assist the disproportionately impacted student with success strategies. More will continue to become known about the changing speech pathology industry standard in the months to come with regard to the upcoming national examination for SLPAs. As more information is revealed, additional curricular changes can be made to provide the SLPA student with the most comprehensive educational experience - AND to reach out to former SLPA graduates/completers for topic review in preparation for the national examination.

The ideal future of the SLPA Program is to continue to be the most sought after SLPA Program in Northern California. Currently, the SLPA Program graduates/completers are doing an excellent job at interview and are positively viewed upon in the community within the workplace. The SLPA Program would benefit from having a .40 Program Coordination time allotment. The increase in number of students has a direct impact on the amount of time necessary for program management, SLPA fieldwork contract establishment, general issues in the SLPA Program, SLPA Program outreach, etc. The upcoming national SLPA examination also may impact curriculum so additional program modifications require more time. The SLPA Program would benefit from another full time faculty member to increase course offerings (required and recommended), and to meet the needs of the ever-growing SLPA Program student body. Utilization of the Health and Education Program Assistant with administrative tasks would be very desirable to assist with the SLPA Program as a whole. There are many tasks that this person could assist with including the following: SLPA student file maintenance, SLPA fieldwork contract updates, budget string follow ups, CEU/special event planning and participation, etc. With more SLPA faculty, the ARC workplace/campus would benefit by additional staff training and service projects on the campus as a whole. The following are activities that could be conducted to serve the campus (both students and staff): - FLEX opportunity: Servicing the ARC College Student with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) - speech and hearing screenings to be held at the Child Development Center (CDC) - hearing screenings for the student body and staff - the creation of "Children's Day" - a multi departmental service project highlighting the academic programs at ARC AND using these departments to reach out into the community, i.e., SLPA = provide free speech and hearing screenings; Art = face painting; Music = offer music during the event, have a look and see experience for the child; Library = donate a single free-book to each child; ECE/CDC = offer tours of the CDC; PE = create an obstacle course; Nutrition = seminar on healthy snacks; Hospitality Management = the creation of healthy snacks, etc.

The SLPA Program has several goals/objectives towards improving effectiveness. One objective includes updating course content and the creation of curriculum to better streamline student learning (in relation to industry standards) and ensure continued student success outcomes. With the pending national SLPA examination, the SLPA Program needs to be sure that current and former SLPA students have access to the national expectations, are equipped for the national examination, and subsequently pass the national examination. Success will be measured by collecting data on completion rates, graduation rates, transfer rates, and passing of the upcoming SLPA national examination. Another goal area towards improving effectiveness is to create a "fast track" for the SLP BA/BS student returning to ARC for clinical fieldwork coursework in order to apply for SLPA registration with the State of California. At the present time, the SLP BA/BS student must complete two semesters of prerequisites and an additional semester enrolled in SLPA 121 - clinical fieldwork - a three (3) semester commitment. The SLPA Program would like to reduce the completion time frame to a total of two (2) semesters with all prerequisites in one semester followed by subsequent fieldwork enrollment. Success will be measured by planning and completion of the project. An additional goal area toward improving effectiveness is to develop more streamlined student/faculty communication and faculty paperwork effectiveness. The SLPA Program has good communication skills within the unit overall, but could improve for the benefit of both SLPA student as well as SLPA faculty. The utilization of Canvas might not be presently used towards its maximum benefit. By improving information available on Canvas, students will have quicker access to ARC resources as well as community resources. A standard clinical fieldwork observation form needs to be developed along with a SLPA Student Performance Improvement Plan for Fieldwork (SLPA PIP-F). By creation of a standard observation form, ARC SLPA faculty will have a unified form to address specific clinical skills observed and be able to communicate quicker with the SLPA student and site supervisor. The creation of a SLPA PIP-F will allow the SLPA student to take on a more active role in developing absent or emerging skills thus enhancing critical thinking and problem solving. This will also creating a standard with which to deal with a struggling SLPA student.

The review of the disproportionately impacted (DI) students indicates that the SLPA Program was ranked as meeting the standard (green) for all racial/ethnic groups as a whole; however, upon closer look at the data, the Hispanic/Latino group was just outside of the DI's threshold (receiving a "yellow" ranking). This is important to know moving forward to be sure to provide all students with available ARC resources and/or community resources to improve potential success - academic and/or environmental. Additional staff training could potentially improve this item. By meeting the needs of the students, ARC SLPA full time and adjunct faculty could be spearheading social justice issues by identifying need and providing more foundational academic support - reflective in equity.