Caseload and Workload Approaches: An Overview

            According to the American Speech Language Hearing Association, there are two methods that school districts use to determine student ratios for speech language pathologists (SLPs) (ASHA, 2002a). The first method, the Caseload Approach, adds up the total number of students who receive direct, and sometimes indirect, services as part of their individualized education plans (IEP) or intervention plans. Alarmingly, some SLPs report that they are not even able to count intervention plan students when the Caseload Approach is utilized by their district. This approach assigns a SLP a certain amount of students based on a preset number. In reviewing data from a state survey of school-based SLPs, it was found that Ohio educational agencies use a Caseload Approach to determine student ratios 88% of the time (ASHA, 2008).

The second approach described by ASHA (2002a), the Workload Approach, first considers the scheduling and time demands of various school activities and duties (e.g., paperwork, assessments, screenings, meetings, planning time, bus duty, etc.) before the determination is made on how many students are assigned to the SLP for direct and indirect speech language pathology services and interventions. “It is the position of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) that the total workload activities required and performed by school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) must be taken into account to set caseload standards” (ASHA, 2002b, p.89). Below are the three principles that underlie the shift to a Workload Approach (ASHA, 2002a)

• Whenever a new student is added to the SLP’s caseload, additional time is needed for direct and indirect services, progress monitoring, assessments, and accompanying paperwork (e.g., IEPs, evaluation team reports, progress reports, lesson plans, Medicaid billing sheets, and other forms). Additionally, the SLP has to attend more meetings (e.g., IEP, MFE, parent/teacher conferences, MFE planning meetings, etc.) and maintain on-going parental and teacher contact.
• SLPs need to be given a caseload size that allows for the provision of Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) as spelled out on the child’s IEP. Additionally, progress that is agreed upon at IEP and intervention plan meetings requires the on-going evaluation of progress, collaboration with stake holders, and the implementation of best practices. SLPs need to be able to carryout all these elements of their job within the contractually defined work day.
• “Educational agencies must implement a workload analysis approach to setting caseload standards that allow SLPs to engage in the broad range of professional activities necessary to meet individual student needs” (p. 1).