Ohio’s Operating Standards and Workload: A Two-Prong Approach

In the State of Ohio, the Operating Standards for Ohio Educational Agencies serving Children with Disabilities (2008) mandate a two prong approach to determine student ratios for preschool and school-age providers of speech language pathology services. This approach aligns with the Workload Approach advocated by ASHA (2002a). Despite this two prong approach to the determination of caseload ratios, the fact that only 12% of the Ohio SLPs utilize this workload approach is an alarming statistic (ASHA, 2008).

The following in Table 1 represents the Two-prong Workload Approach that is spelled out in the Ohio Operating Standards. 

Table 1.
Two Prong Approach to Determining Ratios for Preschool and School-age Providers in Ohio
Prong 1: Paragraph 3301-51-09 (I) (1) (a-d) on page 164-165 reads as follows: 

(1) The school district, county board of mental retardation and developmental disabilities (county board of MR/DD), and other educational agencies shall determine ratios for an individual service provider by considering scheduling and time demands of preschool or school-age service providers, including but not limited to the following:

  • (a) All areas of service provided to children with and without disabilities, including screening, assessment, consultation, counseling, training, and related duties in the school setting, intervention design, and educational interventions.

  • (b) The severity of each eligible child’s need, and the level and frequency  of services necessary for children to attain IEP goals and objectives.

  • (c) Time needed for planning in accordance with paragraph (A)(9) of the rule 3301-35-05 of the Administrative Code.

  • (d) Additional time for diagnostic testing and classroom observation;  coordination of the program; parent, staff, and agency conferences concerning individual children; staff development activities; and follow-up; and the demands of an itinerant schedule, including the number of  buildings, the distance between buildings, and travel. Prong 2: Paragraph 3301-51-09 (I) (3) (f) on page 167 reads as follows
(3) Related service providers for preschool and school-age children with disabilities shall provide direct services in accordance with the following ratios. Additionally, consideration shall be given to paragraph (I)(1) of this rule. Indirect and direct services shall be provided in accordance with each child’s IEP.

(f) A speech and language pathologist shall provide services to no more than eighty school-age children with disabilities; or no more than fifty school-age children with multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, or orthopedic/other health impairments; or no more than fifty preschool children with disabilities. Each school district shall provide services at the ratio of one speech and language pathologist per two thousand students as required by paragraph (F) of section 3317.15 of the Revised Code.

In Ohio, if a school district or other educational agency wishes to exceed the ratio requirement, a waiver must be obtained through the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). The educational agency must provide the ODE Office of Exceptional Children in writing a request that spells out how long the waiver is needed and provide a rationale for the request. This request must be reviewed annually by the educational agency.