TITLE:	School Speech Pathologist
REPORTS TO:	Building Principal and Director of Special Services
LENGTH OF YEAR:	Ten Months
LENGTH OF DAY:	Per PMFA-PMCSD Agreement

Purpose:  A school speech pathologist will be to provide prevention, assessment, and remediation services for students who exhibit difficulties in the areas of language, speech, voice, and fluency. These services are designed to help children meet their educational goals.  The school speech pathologist serves as a leader as well as an effective team member working with teachers, administrators and other school personnel to make sure that each student succeeds.  This includes participation on the Response to Intervention Team.  The school psychologist provides individual evaluations to new referrals and reevaluations to students with disabilities.  In collaboration with related service providers, the school speech pathologist prepares a written report for presentation to the Committee on Special Education.  As a consultant, the school speech pathologist empowers families to act on behalf of their children by helping parents/guardians identify student needs and shared interests, as well as access available school and community resources.

Core Values:

As a Pal-Mac staff, we believe that we can achieve our vision and accomplish our mission if, in all of our work, we focus on clearly defined and consistently demonstrated core values. 

In all of our actions and interactions we:

• Focus on students
• Value the power of positive relationships
• Act with integrity and honesty
• Work with a purpose, striving for excellence, pride and passion
• Approach experiences with an open mind and a willingness to grow
• Foster safety and a sense of belonging

Expected Results:

1. School speech pathologist will work with students, school staff, families and members of the community as an integral part of the educational program by:

• Providing service for students.
• Being available at the appropriate Open House.
• Encouraging parental involvement.
• Coordinating with community agencies for the purpose of determining appropriate treatments, etc. to meet the needs of specific students.
• Consulting with students, parents, teachers, administrators and members of both the school and the student services team to define and implement developmentally appropriate learning strategies for students.
• Assisting in the evaluation, planning and program development for children with disabilities and/or those referred to the Pupil Personnel Service (PPS) team, Saving Struggling Students Team (SSST), and/or Response to Intervention (RtI) team.
• Working closely with staff members, parents and other specialists to conduct comprehensive assessments in accordance with best practice, as well as federal and state regulation.
• Serving as a resource to colleagues to assist teachers in the development of remedial techniques regarding instructional strategies, assessment, accommodations and/or modifications to the curriculum and programs applicable to particular classroom situations.
• Making recommendations for additional services when appropriate, including the referral of the student/family to community agencies, services and programs as needed.
• Initiating and planning in-service programs for staff, parents and community members.

2. The school speech pathologist will be responsible for the planning and oversight of the speech program by: 

• Contributing to the development of program guidelines as appropriate.
• Cooperating with local education agencies, community and/or state programs to affect comprehensive services.
• Attending meetings, such as faculty meetings, special education meetings and parent teacher conferences.
• Serving on committees, such as curriculum development committee, school-based committees, and/or speech-language program development meetings.
• Scheduling interventions using a variety of service delivery models, including classroom intervention, consultation/collaboration and pull-out as appropriate to meet student needs in the least restrictive environment.
• Applying a systematic workload model to facilitate the organization of the speech language program within the school.
• Collaborating with school personnel, such as teachers and psychologists, to best meet the needs of all students.
• Meeting with related school personnel to coordinate specific objectives for individualized educational programs.
• Keeping data for program planning and decision making for students.
• Submitting reports which meet local and state requirements.
• Maintaining current files for use by authorized school personnel.
• Safeguarding confidentiality of student records.
• Completes records for third party reimbursement accurately and in a timely manner as appropriate.
• Providing services which hold the well-being of each student paramount.
• Guarding against conflicts of professional interest.
• Demonstrating knowledge of federal, state and local rules, regulations and laws.
• Complying with established lines of authority within the parameters of professional standards.

3. The school speech pathologist will be responsible for the screening, testing, diagnosing of students and the advising of faculty, parents and administrators by:

• Serving on student intervention team/Individualized Education Program (IEP) team as appropriate.
• Working with other professionals to carry out the screening process.
• Using appropriate screening instruments.
• Observing students in educational environments.
• Selecting appropriate assessments based on individual student needs.
• Administering tests according to acceptable procedures.
• Obtaining pertinent case history.
• Obtaining data from other professionals and parents.
• Integrating data from a variety of assessment techniques and sources.
• Determining the effects of the student’s impairment in regard to accessing the general curriculum.
• Presenting and explaining data to the IEP Team.
• Preparing evaluation summary.
• Presenting information to school personnel about language disorders as they relate to literacy and interactive communication skills.
• Presenting information to school personnel about speech disorders (articulation, voice, fluency) and their impact on communication and learning.
• Providing information to parents and teachers about speech, language and hearing development.
• Providing information to school personnel, parents and non-school agencies about current procedures and program guidelines.
• Speaking to community organizations and allied professionals, conducting workshops and providing public information when appropriate.

4. The school speech pathologist will be responsible for managing and conducting therapy by:

• Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of New York State Standards 
• Collaborating/consulting with classroom teachers in the management of speech language disorders.
• Plans evidence-based interventions appropriate for individual students and groups of students.
• Implementing the service delivery model most appropriate to the students’ degree of severity.
• Providing activities commensurate with students’ interests and aptitudes.
• Modifies therapeutic instructional approaches and other functions from data gathered during therapy.
• Selecting/implementing evidence-based practices which support the goals and objectives of the speech and language program.
• Using evidence-based methods and techniques appropriate to stated objectives.
• Designing, selecting and/or modifying special curricula/therapy content.
• Using a variety of equipment, materials, devices and aids.
• Using systematic and evidence-based intervention strategies to foster communicative competence.
• Providing feedback and reinforcement to students.
• Requesting adequate facilities, materials and equipment.
• Using and maintaining facilities, materials and equipment in an optimal manner.
• Arranging therapy environments to create optimum learning conditions.
• Choosing therapy materials to meet the needs, age, cultural differences and interests of individual students.
• Using systematic procedures for review of student progress.
• Changing activities on the basis of student progress.
• Using language appropriate to the listener.
• Maintaining confidentiality of information received.
• Promoting respect for cultural differences.
• Encouraging others to understand and respect those with disabilities.

5. The school speech pathologist will be responsible for adhering to local, state, and federal regulations and ethical practices by:

• Completing procedural documentation appropriately.
• Demonstrating knowledge and use of testing procedures.
• Abiding by a professional code of ethics.
• Developing appropriate IEPs based on students’ strengths & needs.
• Demonstrating awareness of professional performance in due process matters and litigious environments.
• Submitting to the appropriate person(s) and maintaining a schedule for speech-language screening, hearing screening, diagnostic assessments, therapy/instructional services and other activities.
• Providing and following schedules for assigned schools and informs appropriate personnel of departures from schedule.
• Keeping an updated schedule of each student’s therapy.
• Arranging travel time to maximize contact with students and to accomplish other duties.
• Participating in professional meetings, symposia and workshops directly related to the speech-language-hearing profession.
• Reviewing speech, language and hearing literature and making use of new information during therapy and instructional procedures.
• Applying knowledge gained from continuing education activities.
• Exploring and disseminating information about new and/or improved methods for serving students.

6. The school speech pathologist will serve as a liaison for parents, faculty, administrators, outside agencies, and parents by:

• Consulting with parents and teachers relative to identified and non-identified students.
• Consulting with other personnel such as the principal, nurse, occupational therapist, physical therapist, psychologist, director of exceptional children, social worker, home-school coordinator, guidance counselor, other speech-language pathologists and special educators.
• Giving written information to teachers, parents and others on ways to foster speech language growth.
• Talking with teachers formally and informally about individual student’s needs and progress.
• Requesting specific information on individual student’s receiving services from non-school agencies (e.g., clinics, hospitals, physicians, health departments, day care centers, etc.) with signed release of information.
• Gathering general information about services offered by non-school agencies.
• Coordinating students’ therapeutic service with those provided by non-school agencies by telephone, written communication and/or formal meetings.
• Determining needs for referrals, collaborates and consults with audiologists regarding hearing services.
• Performing hearing screenings in a timely manner.
• Collaborating appropriately with other allied health professionals (e.g., physicians, therapists, etc.).

7. All parents, students, community members, employees, and all visitors to the Palmyra-Macedon CSD will experience the Pal-Mac Way by:

• Greeting parents, students, community members, employees, and all visitors with a friendly and helpful attitude.
• Displaying a customer service approach when working with others in person, on the phone, and through written and electronic communication.
• Being attentive to the needs of all individuals who request their assistance.
• Communicating clearly, both verbally and in writing.
• Utilizing their skills to de-escalate a situation when other people are in a heightened or excited state.

8. The school speech pathologist will perform all other duties as assigned by the Building Principal or Director of Special Services.