2010-11-13 LPS - Student Services Staffing & Financial Assessment

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9 ï»òÙ®±«°·¦» Most students in Lexington receive speech and language services individually or in groups of 2. Nearly 75% of therapist time is spent in sessions of 1 or 2 students. In fact, 44% of all therapist time is in 1:1 sessions. Ò«³¾»®±º¬«¼»²¬·²¹®±«° The likelihood of 1:1 service seems to depend more on the therapist than on student need. There is a very wide variation by therapist. Based on our interviews, there are no clear guidelines in the district concerning group size (or other aspects of speech and language). Group size is a topic where common practice does not align with best practice. The pattern of very small groupings is not uncommon for affluent suburban communities. It can, however, be hard to justify based on student need. For example: Less than 10% of the IEPs (based on SEMS Tracker) require 1:1 service. The National Reading Panel recommends groups of 3-5 students for reading remediation, which is very similar to language services. Social pragmatics is more realistic in groups of 4-5 students. Our work with leading universities suggests that most students would be well served in groups of 2-4 students. The District Management Council 7 Harcourt Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 - Tel:1877-DMC-3500 | Fax:617-491-5266 |www.dmcouncil.org