Speech-Language Pathology in the Schools: A Study of Variables Impacting Personnel Shortages in Urban Schools
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Date
2009-06
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to more fully understand the issues impacting recruitment and retention of SLPs in urban settings. The ultimate goal of the research will be to gain a more far-reaching understanding of the urban employment setting in speech-language pathology. More specifically, it will attempt to identify the characteristics of urban employment that: (1) attract SLPs in the first place (2) promote their retention or persuade them to maintain their employment as a long-term career choice, and most importantly (3) causes them to choose another employment setting initially or once employed by a major urban school district, causes them to leave and find employment in another work setting.
Method: Speech-language pathologists employed by the Cincinnati Public Schools, the Columbus Public Schools, and the Cleveland Public Schools completed a questionnaire that probed several aspects of the urban employment setting that may prove to be attractive or problematic to the entry-level speech-language professional. A portion of the questionnaire was scored on the basis of an informal content analysis to find common responses. Modal response categories are reported for other responses.
Results: The total of 54 respondents indicated (1) lack parental involvement (2) high caseloads (3) lack of support from administration/staff (3) high amounts of paperwork and (4) limited resources as reasons for dissatisfaction working in an urban school setting. The respondents indicated rewards to working in an urban school setting as (1) improving the lives of urban children (2) enjoy working with children and (3) diversity/variety of children in caseload.
Conclusion: This study, when shared with urban school districts in the state of Ohio, can help suggest ways in which administrations and professional organizations can better attract and support speech language pathologists. In addition, these data can begin to provide suggestions for how the profession can address personnel shortages, especially in urban areas. The study will provide some new answers to a compelling problem and arm the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at OSU with key data to broaden its research and training mission. Since OSU is located in a major urban setting these data will help target the proposal more precisely to current programmatic needs.
Description
This thesis was funded by the Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Scholarship and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Undergraduate Research Award.
Keywords
personnel shortages, urban schools