2024 Virtual Town Hall Series: Topics in School Based Practice
School-based SLPs, you’re invited! The ASHA School Services in Speech-Language Pathology team is hosting a free virtual town hall series in 2024. The series includes five virtual events, each occurring from 7:00–8:30 p.m. ET.
Upcoming Town Halls
Ensuring Equity: Unpacking Disproportionality in Speech-Language Services
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 | 7:00–8:30 p.m., ET
Significant disproportionality occurs when students of certain racial and ethnic groups are identified for special education, placed in more restrictive education settings, and disciplined at higher rates than their peers. School based speech-language pathologists play a critical role in recognizing significant disproportionality and implementing assessment practices that do not over or under-identify students for speech-language services. This panel discussion will define factors that lead to significant disproportionality, the role of the school based SLP in recognizing practices that can lead to this trend, and ways to address it in their assessment practices.
This event will be recorded and is eligible for 1.5 Professional Development Hours (PDHs). A Certificate of Attendance will be provided to those who attend the full live presentation.
Town Hall Resources
Recent Town Halls
School Safety: A Town Hall for Educational Audiologists and SLPs
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 | 7:00–8:30 p.m., ET
The fourth ASHA School Services Virtual Town Hall event will include a panel of school-based experts who will discuss topics such as emergency procedures and safety drills, building and environmental safety, trauma-informed care, and best practices to safeguard the well-being of students with communication disorders.
You will leave empowered with the knowledge and tools needed to contribute effectively to safety in the school community.
Attendees to this virtual town hall will:
- Discuss three ways to support students who use AAC and students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) with emergency planning.
- Identify three safety plan-related action steps for your school and students.
- Explain three ways to collaborate with other school staff to support school safety and trauma-informed care.
Content shared during this virtual town hall will apply to all CSD professionals working in schools.
This event will be recorded and is eligible for 1.5 Professional Development Hours (PDHs). A Certificate of Attendance will be provided to those who attend the full live presentation.
Town Hall Resources
- School Safety panelist bios [PDF]
- School Safety slides [PDF]
- School Safety resource list [PDF]
- Additional resources from Amy Schlessman [PDF]
- Carroll County Public Schools Emergency Procedures Topic Boards [PDF, 8.6MB]
Workload Management Strategies: Implementing Service Delivery Models in Schools
Wednesday, August 28, 2024 | 7:00–8:30 p.m., ET
The third event in this series focuses on how to move students across the continuum of services.
Panelists will provide strategies and suggestions on how to leverage the use of a variety of service delivery models and resources to assist with workload management, increase collaboration, and improve generalization of students’ skills.
Following this town hall, participants will be able to:
- Implement variety of service delivery models (i.e., group sessions, classroom-based) and scheduling (i.e., 3:1 model, A-B schedules) when providing speech-language services
- Manage workload by varying service delivery models and scheduling
- Incorporate culturally responsive practices and materials within their therapy sessions
- Utilize the consultative model to ensure generalization of skills into the classroom setting and beyond
Town Hall Resources
- Workload Management Strategies Town Hall slides [PDF]
- Workload Management Strategies resources handout [PDF]
The Road Ahead: Postsecondary Transition Planning for Adolescents
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 | 7:00–8:30 p.m., ET
The second event in this series focuses on post-secondary transition planning for students with disabilities.
Join a panel of experts in a conversation to explore the role of the SLP, identify achievable goals, and gather supports and resources for successful student transition plans.
Following this town hall, participants will be able to:
- Locate and reference IDEA '04 requirements for post-secondary transition planning.
- Develop achievable, student-centered goals for post-secondary transition.
- Describe the role of the SLP in post-secondary transition planning.
Town Hall Resources
- Postsecondary Transition Planning Town Hall slides [PDF]
- Postsecondary Transition Planning infographic [PDF]
- Writing Postsecondary Transition Goals [PDF]
- Postsecondary Transition Planning Town Hall resources [PDF]
- Kim Murza Resources Handout [PDF]
- Phyllis Scott Examples of Interventions Handout [PDF]
Compensation Conversation—What SLPs in Schools Need to Know About Negotiating Salaries
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 | 7:00–8:30 p.m., ET
The first town hall in 2024 focused on strategies to improve salary and compensation.
Panelists came from school districts of all sizes across the country. They shared their experiences and ideas to accomplish goals like:
- getting a salary increase
- achieving a salary supplement or stipend
- negotiating a separate salary pay scale for SLPs
- getting reimbursed for professional certification and licensure
- earning financial support to attend relevant professional development
After attending this town hall, you’ll be able to
- identify at least two strategies to improve your compensation and benefits
- determine collaborators to make a difference in your compensation and benefits
