Outcomes- 1998-2005

2004-2005

• Partnered with the University of Akron, and the Ohio Department of Education in the development of a multimedia tutorial via DVD technology that teaches parents and caregivers how to promote and enhance language and literacy development in a child's first five years.
• Partnered with the University of Cincinnati, University of Akron, Miami University and the University of Toledo in the development and delivery of 10 professional development and college credit web based courses for speech-language pathologists in language and literacy development and linking language and literacy skills to Ohio's Language Art's Academic Content Standards.
• Provided incentive and opportunity for an additional 14 Ohio Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology licensed individuals from the private sector to obtain Ohio Department of Education licensure in speech-language pathology or educational audiology through the tuition reimbursement initiative. Recipients pledged employment in Ohio schools for two years following completion of ODE requirements.
• Continued availability of a distance-learning course in the 'Organization and Administration of Public School Speech Pathology Programs,' required by most Ohio universities for speech-language pathologists earning Ohio Department of Education license. Current number of student enrollments 30.
• Awarded 13 scholarships to graduating speech-language pathologists who accepted school-based employment for the 2004-05 academic year.
• Provided 5 sign-on bonuses in school districts that have been unable to hire a speech-language pathologist and also been unable to obtain contract services.
• Awarded one scholarship to an individual who completed 8 OMNIE web-based undergraduate courses and was accepted into the graduate program at Ohio University.
• Continued availability of 10 undergraduate courses to support the recruitment of university students and other professionals with courses either required or recommended for admittance to graduate programs in speech pathology or audiology, thereby increasing the number of graduate school enrollments. Current number of student registrations is 210.
• Awarded 15 stipends to school-based speech-language pathologists or educational audiologists for recruitment efforts in developing and implementing unique ways to promote the professions at local high schools.
• Continued comprehensive statewide Speech Pathology and Audiology Recruitment Campaign (SPARC) to promote speech-language pathology and audiology in high schools and undergraduate programs through visitations and presentations in Ohio's colleges and universities.
• Presented Ohio's 'Don't Miss the Bus" recruitment project at the American Speech Hearing Language Association's annual 'Schools Conference" in Baltimore, MD, July, 2004.
• Manned and maintained OMNIE's recruitment booth and supported School Speech Supervisory and Audiology Network's recruitment booth at OSSPEAC Conference, November, 2004 and OSLHA Conference, March, 2005.
• Promotional materials for school employment and literacy professional development courses were distributed to all attendees. Direct contact was made with over 42 speech/language pathology graduate students, and 6 OBSLPA licensed SLPs interested in working in Ohio schools.
• Supported presentation of "Don't Miss the Bus" recruitment "Success Stories" by stipend winners at the OSLHA Convention, March, 2005.
• Maintained Ohio statewide schools 'employment opportunities' advertisement in Ohio Speech-Language- Hearing Association's newsletter "Communication Matters."

2003-2004

• Provided incentive and opportunity for 43 Ohio Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology licensed individuals from the private sector to obtain Ohio Department of Education licensure in speech-language pathology or educational audiology through the tuition reimbursement initiative. Recipients pledged employment in Ohio schools for two years following completion of ODE requirements.
• Supported development and availability of a distance-learning course in the organization and administration of public school speech pathology programs.
• Provided opportunity for a statewide Speech Pathology and Audiology Recruitment Campaign (SPARC) to promote speech-language pathology and audiology in high schools and undergraduate programs at colleges and universities. This included:
• Partnered with the University of Akron to develop career recruitment DVD titled "Don't Miss the Bus - Communication Happens in Schools."
• Developed, duplicated, and distributed 450 speech-language and audiology recruitment DVDs to college advisors and career counselors through visits to over 100 Ohio colleges and universities.
• Duplicated and distributed recruitment materials to 16 Special Education Regional Resource Centers for presentations and high school Career Days and Future Teacher of America Programs.
• Partnered with OSSPEAC to debut the DVD recruitment project to 700 school SLPs and audiologists to use in their own educational environments, i.e.; regular and special education teachers, parents, administrators.
• Distributed recruitment DVD and promotional materials to 873 public, private and parochial high schools in Ohio.
• Supported the recruitment of university students and other professionals through development and availability of ten distance learning undergraduate courses either required or recommended for admittance to graduate programs in speech pathology or audiology.
• Developed website for current and updated OMNIE information: http://www.omnie.org
• Developed and maintained on-going database of all statewide open school speech-language pathology and educational audiology positions.
• Initiated and facilitated changing the passing scores for the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Praxis II tests to 600 in order to be consistent with OBSLPA and ASHA, with an effective date of September 1, 2004.
• Distributed recruitment DVD to ASHA school leadership and 52 ASHA State Education Advocacy Leaders nationwide.

1998-2002

• Supported the creation of a consortium of 8 universities to collaboratively develop and deliver the 15 graduate level distance-learning courses required for completion of a Master's degree in speech-language pathology.
• Supported the opportunity for 58 school based speech language pathologists to obtain a Master's degree in speech pathology through distance learning while continuing their school employment.
• Researched the educational needs of over 1000 speech-language pathologists and audiologists statewide.

Updated by Nada Allender, M.A., CCC-SLP, OMNIE Project Coordinator, July, 2005