ADEPT for Speech-Language Therapists
Background
Following statewide implementation of South Carolina's ADEPT system in 1998, it became apparent that the performance standards for classroom teachers did not appropriately reflect what school-based speech-language therapists were expected to know and to be able to do. As a result, a statewide work group, comprised of representatives from school districts, institutions of higher education, and the State Department of Education, was formed to develop appropriate performance expectations for speech-language therapists. Following an extensive field review of these performance dimensions, a formal evaluation model was developed, disseminated for field review, and subsequently piloted during the 2001-02 school year. During the summer of 2002, the members of the work group met with the participants in the pilot project to review the results of the study and to develop recommendations for revising the evaluation model.
The ADEPT performance dimensions for speech-language therapists were approved by the State Board of Education in June 2003. The complete guidelines and materials for implementing the formal evaluation model appear in the following sections.
Training
Prior to evaluating speech-language therapists, all evaluators must successfully complete training in both the district's approved formal evaluation model and the special area model. The following materials are available to assist districts in conducting the special area evaluator training and in providing an orientation for speech-language therapists:
- A training videotape (October 2003) may be obtained from each district's ADEPT coordinator and/or from the Distance Education Learning Center (DELC).
- A PowerPoint presentation, ADEPT for Speech-Language Therapists, may be downloaded from this site.
Materials
The following materials are needed to conduct ADEPT formal evaluations of speech-language therapists:
Guidelines. This twelve-page PDF document includes the following information:
- Purpose and Intended Use
- Performance Dimensions
- Evaluation Teams
- Orientation
- Required Sources of Evidence and Timelines for Data Collection
- Documentation
- Evaluation Judgments and Conferences
- ADEPT for Speech-Language Therapists: Formal Evaluation At-A-Glance
- Criteria for Entry Into Programs of Special Education for Students With Disabilities
Documentation. This eleven-page Microsoft Word document includes sample key considerations for each performance dimension and provides an electronic template that allows
- individual evaluators to record their evidence and
- the evaluation team to write the consensus report.
Interview Form. This three-page Microsoft Word document includes the instructions and the interview questions necessary to collect evidence for Performance Dimensions 3 and 4.
Reflection on Speech-Language Therapy Session. This one-page Microsoft Word document, designed to be used as an electronic template, contains three critical elements on which the speech-language therapist is asked to reflect following each observation, as explained in the guidelines. This reflection, which requires the speech-language therapist to examine both practice and specific components related to student achievement, is part of the evidence that is examined under Performance Dimension 7.
Professional Performance Description. This one-page Microsoft Word document, designed to be used as an electronic template, is to be completed by the building administrator (and other supervisors, as appropriate) near the end of each semester of evaluation as part of the data collection process for Performance Dimension 10.
Professional Self-Report. This one-page Microsoft Word document, designed to be used as an electronic template, is to be completed by the speech-language therapist, as described in the guidelines, as part of the data collection process for Performance Dimension 10
Evaluation Summary. This one-page Microsoft Word document is to be completed by the evaluation team following the preliminary and final consensus meetings.
Additional Information
Questions or requests for additional information about ADEPT for Speech-Language Therapists may be addressed to Kathy Meeks.
The Division of Teacher Quality would like to thank the following individuals whose contributions helped make this project possible.
Video Participants
Joseph Bath
SC State Department of Education
Patricia Nagle
Lexington County School District 5
Dana W. Taylor
Lexington County School District 1
Marlene Metts
Lexington County School District 5
Work Group Participants
Debbie Arnold
Greenville County School District
Nicci Bennett
Hampton County School District 1
Celeste Blackmon
Sumter County School District 17
Dr. Susan Floyd
Florence County School District 3
Grace Gifford
Horry County School District
Kay Hensley
Fairfield County School District
Janette Jackson
Orangeburg County School District 5
Monica Lloyd
Kershaw County School District
Eleanor Manneraak
Colleton County School District
Kate Munson
Berkeley County School District
Patricia Nagle
Lexington County School District 5
Patty Neelands
Chester County School District
Anita Parker
Beaufort County School District
Constance Powell
Pickens County School District
Melanie Pulaski
USC-Beaufort
Darlene Rittel
Aiken County School District
Elaine Sanders-Jackson
Orangeburg County School District 5
Dr. Leigh Ann Spell
Columbia College
Valerie Tallon
Richland County School District 2
Nancy Thompson
Richland County School District 2
Dora Tucker
Richland County School District 1
Dawn Zimmerman
Newberry County School District
Pilot Project Participants
Mary Anderson
Horry County School District
Sheree Ansley
Spartanburg County School District 7
Claudia Baker
Lexington County School District 1
Richard Boisvert
Lee County School District
Rebecca Bowers
Horry County School District
Mary Bradley
Berkeley County School District
Bruce Bridges
Lexington County School District 1
Laverne Byrd
Laurens County School District 55
Regina Chesnut
Spartanburg County School District 7
Rebecca Edney
Lee County School District
Vickie Edwards
Lee County School District
Melissa Ford
Berkeley County School District
Carol Gardner
Spartanburg County School District 7
Sharon Griggs
Lee County School District
Vickie Guerry
Berkeley County School District
Judy Hammett
Berkeley County School District
Kerry Hershey
Lexington County School District 1
Melissa Isner
Horry County School District
Laurie Jackson
Lexington County School District 1
Ashley Keisler
Lexington County School District 1
Ruth Lilly
Horry County School District
Natalie Lockliear
Berkeley County School District
June Maranville
Lexington County School District 1
Cathy Mathias
Lexington County School District 1
Tiffany Matthews
Laurens County School District 55
Rebecca McKenzie
Lexington County School District 1
Judy Meggs
Laurens County School District 55
Rollin Mills
Lexington County School District 1
Greta Morgan
Lee County School District
Tom Siler
Lexington County School District 1
Tracie Simpson
Berkeley County School District
Karen Spires
Lexington County School District 1
Margaret Tabor
Berkeley County School District
Kathy Weir
Laurens County School District 55
Sue Whitaker
Spartanburg County School District 7
Debbie Whittingham
Spartanburg County School District 7
Mary Wilson
Lee County School District
Tina Wilson
Lee County School District
Flora Youmans
Laurens County School District 55
Special acknowledgements to former staff members of the SC Department of Education
Dr. Angela Bain
Dr. Peggy Torrey