External SLP Supervisor Information

Practicum Dates:

Spring 2024 (all placements)

Jan 16 - May 11, 2024

• The university is closed for Spring Break from March 25 to March 30, 2024. Students are required to follow their supervisors' schedules and should attend their placements on these dates.

• Midterms for full-time Student Teachers should be completed March 4 through March 8, 2024.

• Midterms for part-time Enrichment students should be completed March 4 through March 16, 2024.

• Final performance evaluations should be completed for all students the week of April 29, 2024.   

Summer 2024

Full-Time Externship

May 20 - July 26, 2024

Part-Time Enrichment 

May 28 - Aug 3, 2024

Fall 2024 (all placements)

Aug 19 -Dec 7, 2024

ASHA Certification and State Licensure

• Ensure your ASHA certification and state licensure are current and will be current during the entire time your student will be with you.
• Ensure you meet ASHA’s 2020 standards for supervision, as listed in V-E, “Supervision of students must be provided by a clinical educator who holds ASHA certification in the appropriate profession and who, after earning the CCC-A or CCC-SLP, has completed (1) a minimum of 9 months of full-time clinical experience (or its part-time equivalent), and (2) a minimum of 2 hours of professional development in clinical instruction/supervision.”  This must be met for all supervisors, including those working with students completing hearing screenings in the community, as well as those completing undergraduate guided observations.
• If you haven’t completed a one-time professional development in supervision, we are happy to offer a complementary one on the supervisory process.   Please reach out to your clinical liaison for more information.
• Read ASHA's Frequently Asked Questions about Student Supervision.

Get familiar with the expectations and grading of your student

• The web-based program Calipso is used for grading and clock hour approval.   You will need to register for Calipso through Kent State University. 
• All supervisors, please be  sure to check the Calipso tab on the home page for information and instructions for grading and clockhour approval.
• The different types of external placements have different tabs on the home page (Extern, Student Teaching, and Enrichment). If you’re unsure which type of placement your student is enrolled in, ask your student.  Please review the information under the appropriate tab to learn more about expectations and grading.

Connect with your student

• Your student has been instructed to contact you, and please expect their email from a Kent State address. If you haven’t received it yet, please check your spam/junk mail.  You are always welcome to reach out to your student as well. 
• Suggested information to share with your student might include:
  • Daily hours, including expectations for holidays and supervisor vacations
  • Dress code
  • Any onboarding requirements for your site, such as background checks, immunizations, special trainings, badges/name tags, etc
  • Any recommended materials they should review prior to the start date related to client population seen at your site
  • Directions, parking, information related lunch/breaks
• Suggested information to discuss with your student prior to and at the beginning of the placement
  • Mutual expectations and learning objectives, including workload, supervision style, and goals for the semester
  • Have a discussion about the student’s hours, areas of strengths/needs, and prior experience

Do my students need a specific amount of hours?

While we do need to keep an eye on hours in general, especially in their last semester, we always stress to the students that they should be focusing on experiences to help prepare them after graduation and not on clockhours.  There’s so much to be learned, like scheduling or billing, that doesn’t involve clockhours at all.  Likewise, if a student obtains the 375 hours they need for ASHA certification, they are still expected to continue the learning process and work their established schedule until the end of the semester.

I work on a holiday when the university is closed.  Does my student still need to come?

Yes!  Your student is to follow your schedule, not the university’s, even when it involves emergency closings, like a snow day.

Do I have to do a midterm even if the student is just with me for half a semester?

We do understand the desire to keep paperwork to a minimum!  As part of the supervisory process, it’s important to give your student that necessary feedback halfway through. If you talk to your liaison, they can share with you information on how to “duplicate” your midterm, allowing you to edit it for your final performance evaluation.  This will be a time saver at the end of the semester.  You can also find those instructions in our section on Calipso.

Can students bring university tests to evaluate some of the clients I have on caseload?

Students have access to a limited amount of diagnostic tests in our Performing Arts Library that they can check out and bring to external sites.  All other materials in our clinic are accessible to students to reference on-campus only, but they are encouraged to use them to review test manuals, spark ideas for their own lesson plans, or make educational use copies of workbook materials. 

I have multiple students. Are they allowed to co-treat?

In most cases, now that the pandemic is over, students co-treating are required to split minutes. That being said, if multiple students are actively involved the entire time, based on your clinical judgment, they are both permitted to count the entire time.

I am sick/on vacation/have a planned leave. Does the student need to come in anyhow?

While you can ultimately determine what is most appropriate for your student and facility, some suggestions we have

• Have your student work with another SLP that meets ASHA’s supervisory requirements.

• Have your student shadow and learn from other disciplines to expand their knowledge of the setting.

• Oftentimes, it’s so busy at the placement that students don’t always have the luxury to explore therapy materials or work on chart review skills (even with clients no longer on caseload), so this is a great opportunity to come in and practice.   

• Get caught up on documentation or work ahead with lesson plans/reports

Whatever ultimately works best, please communicate any schedule alterations with your liaison.

What can count as clockhours?

Students can count time when they’re with a client or caregiver, much in the same we would bill insurance.   They cannot count documentation time unless it’s at point of service and they’re doing client education on goals and progress.   If students are in a care meeting, they can count the time they are actively discussing the client but not the time they are passively listening.  Clients or caregivers must be present in real-time, so a phone call discussion can count for clockhours, but not an email.

ASHA’s 2020 standard V-C states: Only direct contact (e.g., the individual receiving services must be present) with the individual or the individual’s family in assessment, intervention, and/or counseling can be counted toward practicum. When counting clinical practicum hours for purposes of ASHA certification, only the actual time spent in sessions can be counted, and the time spent cannot be rounded up to the nearest 15-minute interval.

Important Dates to follow (unless other arrangements are made through your liaison):
 

Spring 2024 

Jan 16 - May 11, 2024

• The university is closed for Spring Break from March 25 to March 30, 2024. Students are required to follow their supervisors' schedules and should attend their placements on these dates.

• Midterms for part-time Enrichment students should be completed March 4 through March 16, 2024.

• Final performance evaluations should be completed for all students the week of April 29, 2024.   

Information about Enrichment Students

Enrichment students are in their 3rd or 4th semester. Enrichment placements are part-time and might be a student’s first external experience outside of the university clinic. These students may require more guidance and support initially but are expected to increase their level of independence and demonstrate competency in all aspects of the setting by the end of the placement. 

Enrichment students will be taking classes concurrently with their placement. The following courses may have been completed or will be in process during their placement.  Please discuss with your student which courses they have completed or are taking, with the expectation that they should be able to pull from their coursework to assist them during their time at the placement.

• Normal Language Processes

• Disorders of Articulation and Phonology

• Language Assessment and Intervention in Early Childhood

• Aphasia

• Research Methods in Speech-Language Pathology

• Language Assessment and Intervention with School-Age Populations

• Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Pediatric Medical Issues

• Voice Disorders

• Advanced Speech and Voice Science

• Adult Dysphagia

• Communication Modalities and Assistive Technology

• Motor Speech Disorders in Children and Adults

• Acquired Cognitive Communicative Impairments

• Fluency Disorders

In addition, all enrichment students have completed Clinical Colloquium, where they received instructions on file reviews, assessments,  lesson plans, SOAPs, clinical writing, report writing, counseling, goal writing, teaching, teletherapy assessments/treatment, the supervisory process, ethics, HIPAA, FERPA, universal and standard precautions, and evidence-based practice.

Please visit the Kent State University Resources section for a list of forms and resources provided to your student to be utilized at their placement.

 You will be assigned a university liaison whose role is to support you and the student in this process. Your liaison will contact you regarding midterm check-ins and further additional details.  In order to maintain contact, each student is required to complete biweekly reflection forms discussing experiences, goals, and any concerns and submit them to their liaison. 
    
If there are any concerns at any time, let us know sooner rather than later so your liaison can meet with you and the student and provide support.

Grading Enrichment Students

Enrichment students will receive a midterm and a final performance evaluation through a web based program, Calipso, by scoring skills on a scale of 1-5.   A student receiving a score of 3, 4, or 5 on a skill indicates that basic competency is met.  Scores of 1 or 2 indicate that basic competency is not yet met, and the student will need to remediate in that area before graduating.  If a student is performing up to expectations but there has been a lack of opportunity in a particular area for the student, they should be scored based on their demonstrated skills and not penalized due to lack of opportunity.  Remember that all students will likely require some level of support, given that they are still in training.  All individual scores are averaged together to determine the final grade.  Graduate students are required to receive a minimum of a B to pass. Please see our Calipso Information page and FAQs for further details on grading students.
 

Important Dates to follow (unless other arrangements are made through your liaison):
 

Summer 2024 

     May 20, 2024--July 26, 2024

• Finals due and all clockhours approved July 22--July 27, 2024
• The university is closed for Memorial Day on May 27, Juneteenth on June 19, and Independence Day on July 4.
• Students are required to follow your schedule and should attend their placements on these dates.  This includes if the university is closed for inclement weather.

Information about Extern Students

Extern students are nearing the end of the program and are in their 5th or 6th  semester. Extern placements are generally full-time at a single placement or two part-time placements during the week. Some students may have had experience with clients in medically-based settings and should be able to demonstrate more independence in their skills. Some students may not have had prior experience and may require additional support and guidance at the beginning of the placement. All students will have had experience with pediatrics, and a 6th-semester student will have already completed their student teaching placement in the public schools.  All students are expected to demonstrate consistent competency in all aspects expected of the setting by the end of the placement.   6th-semester students will be graduating at the end of their extern semester and beginning their CF.

Students in their 6th semester will have completed all coursework; 5th-semester students will have completed the following coursework with the exception of Fluency and Public School Techniques in Communication Disorders.  You should expect students to apply what they’ve learned in the following courses: 

• Normal Language Processes
• Disorders of Articulation and Phonology
• Language Assessment and Intervention in Early Childhood
• Aphasia
• Research Methods in Speech-Language Pathology
• Language Assessment and Intervention with School-Age Populations
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Pediatric Medical Issues
• Voice Disorders
• Advanced Speech and Voice Science
• Adult Dysphagia
• Communication Modalities and Assistive Technology
• Motor Speech Disorders in Children and Adults
• Acquired Cognitive Communicative Impairments
• Fluency Disorders

In addition, all Externs have completed Clinical Colloquium where they received instructions on file reviews, assessments, lesson plans, SOAPs, clinical writing, report writing, counseling, goal writing, teaching, teletherapy assessments and treatment, the supervisory process, ethics, HIPAA, FERPA, universal and standard precautions, and evidence-based practice.

Please review your student’s Extern Terms and Conditions to become familiar with the expectations and requirements. Please also visit the KSU Resources Page here for a list of forms and resources provided to your student to be utilized at their placement.

 You will be assigned a university liaison whose role is to support you and the student in this process. Your liaison will contact you regarding midterm check-ins and further additional details.  In order to maintain contact, each student is required to completed biweekly reflection forms discussing experiences, goals and any concerns, and submit them to their liaison. 

If there are any concerns at any time, let us know sooner rather than later so your liaison can meet with you and the student and provide support.

Grading Externship Students

Externship students will receive a midterm and a final performance evaluation through a web based program, Calipso, by scoring skills on a scale of 1-5.   A student receiving a score of 3, 4, or 5 on a skill indicates that basic competency is met.  Scores of 1 or 2 indicate that basic competency is not yet met, and the student will need to remediate in that area before graduating.  If a student is performing up to expectations but there has been a lack of opportunity in a particular area for the student, they should be scored based on their demonstrated skills and not penalized due to lack of opportunity.  Remember that all students will likely require some level of support, given that they are still in training.  All individual scores are averaged together to determine the final grade.  Graduate students are required to receive a minimum of a B to pass. Please see our Calipso Information page and Frequently Asked Questions for further details on grading students.

Important Dates to follow (unless other arrangements are made through your liaison):
 

Spring 2024

First Six Weeks of Semester Jan 16, 2024 – Feb 23, 2024

• Graduate student at school-based placement full-time

Seventh week through End of Semester Feb 26, 2024 – May 3, 2024

• Graduate student at school-based placement full-time.

Midterm Evaluation Week of March 4, 2024 – March 8, 2024

Final Evaluation Week of April 29, 2024- May 3, 2024

Information about Student Teachers

Student teachers are nearing the end of their program and are in their 5th or 6th semester. Most students may have had experience with pediatrics, often in school-based settings, and should be able to demonstrate more independence in their skills. Some students may not have had prior experience and may require additional support and guidance at the beginning of the placement.   All students are expected to demonstrate consistent competency in all aspects expected of the setting by the end of the placement.   6th-semester students will be graduating at the end of their student teaching semester and beginning their CF year.

Students in their 5th-semester will be concurrently taking Public School Techniques but otherwise have completed all their academic courses; 6th-semester students will have completed all their coursework with the exception of Fluency and Public School Techniques, which they will be taking concurrently.  You should expect students to apply what they’ve learned in the following courses:  

• Normal Language Processes

• Disorders of Articulation and Phonology

• Language Assessment and Intervention in Early Childhood

• Aphasia

• Research Methods in Speech-Language Pathology

• Language Assessment and Intervention with School-Age Populations

• Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Pediatric Medical Issues

• Voice Disorders

• Advanced Speech and Voice Science

• Adult Dysphagia

• Communication Modalities and Assistive Technology

• Motor Speech Disorders in Children and Adults

• Acquired Cognitive Communicative Impairments

• Fluency Disorders

• Public School Techniques in Communication Disorders

In addition, all Student Teachers have completed Clinical Colloquium, where they received instructions on file reviews, assessments,  lesson plans, SOAPs, clinical writing, report writing, counseling, goal writing, teaching, teletherapy assessments/treatment, the supervisory process, ethics, HIPAA, FERPA, universal and standard precautions, and evidence-based practice.

Please review your student’s handbook for student teaching to become familiar with the expectations and requirements.   Please also visit the KSU Resources Page for a list of forms and resources provided to your student to be utilized at their placement.

You will have a university liaison whose role is to support you and the student in this process. Your liaison will contact you regarding regular check-ins and further additional details.  In order to maintain contact, each student has the opportunity to discuss concerns with their liaison and also during their weekly Public Schools Techniques academic class. If you have any concerns at any time, let us know sooner rather than later so your liaison can meet with you and the student and provide support.

Grading Student Teachers

Student Teachers will receive a midterm and a final performance evaluation through a web based program, Calipso, by scoring skills on a scale of 1-5.   A student receiving a score of 3, 4, or 5 on a skill indicates that basic competency is met.  Scores of 1 or 2 indicate that basic competency is not yet met, and the student will need to remediate in that area before graduating.  If a student is performing up to expectations but there has been a lack of opportunity in a particular area for the student, they should be scored based on their demonstrated skills and not penalized due to lack of opportunity.  Remember that all students will likely require some level of support, given that they are still in training.  All individual scores are averaged together to determine the final grade of “Pass” or “Fail.”  Please see our Calipso Information page and FAQs for further details on grading students.

At Kent State University we use CALIPSO (Clinical Assessment of Learning Inventory of Performance Streamlined Office Operations), a web-based a program that manages graduate student clinical records.  All supervisors must register for Calipso with Kent State, even if they have an account through another university or used it as a student themselves.

If you have not yet registered for Calipso, please contact Dr. Sue Grogan-Johnson or Erin Kolonich with a copy of your ASHA number to initiate the process.   You will then receive an auto generated email from Calipso with a registration link and a temporary PIN.

You can read our instructions on how to approve clockhours, and complete midterm/final performance evaluations.

Grading Description and Grading Scales

Student skills are scored s on a scale of 1-5.   A student receiving a score of 3, 4 or 5 on a skill indicates that basic competency is met.  Scores of 1 or 2 indicate that basic competency is not yet met, and the student will need to remediate in that area before graduating.

Please note a 5 does not indicate a fully skilled therapist, but just that they’re independent with that skill 91% of the time.
A score of 4 indicates that student is meeting minimal competency and demonstrates the skill 76-90% of the time.
A score of 3 indicates the student is meeting minimal competency and demonstrates the skill 51-75% of the time.
A score of 2 indicates that the student is not meeting minimal competency, and demonstrates the skill less than 50% of the time.
If a student is performing up to expectations but there has been a lack of opportunity in a particular area for the student, they should be scored based on their demonstrated skills and not penalized due to lack of opportunity.  Remember, that all students will likely require some level of support, given that they are still in training.   
If you have any questions or concerns about a student meeting competency (e.g. scores below a 3), please immediately contact your liaison for assistance. 
 

Description of Clinical Rating Scales for Grading Purposes:

1 Not evident: Skill not evident most of the time. Student requires direct instruction to modify behavior
and is unaware of need to change. Supervisor must model behavior and implement the skill required for
client to receive optimal care. Supervisor provides numerous instructions and frequent modeling. Student
needs consistent guidance. (skill is present <25% of the time).

2 Inconsistent: Skill may be emerging but is inconsistent or inadequate given the student’s level of training
and experience. Student may show awareness of need to change behavior. Supervisor provides instructions
and support for all aspects of case management and services. Student needs more than an average amount
of guidance. (skill is present < 50% of the time).

3 Acceptable: Skill is present and needs further development, refinement, or consistency. Student is aware
of need to modify behavior, but does not do this independently. Student may not have had enough
exposure or opportunity to demonstrate skill. Supervisor provides on-going monitoring and feedback;
focuses on increasing student’s critical thinking on how/when to improve skill. Student needs an average
amount of guidance. (skill is present 51-75% of the time).

4 Satisfactory: Skill is developed/implemented most of the time and needs continued refinement or
consistency. Student is aware and can modify behavior in-session, and can self-evaluate. Problem-solving
is independent. Student needs less than an average amount of guidance. Supervisor acts as a
collaborator to plan and suggest possible alternatives. (skill is present 76-90% of the time).

5 Consistent: Skill is consistent and well developed. Student can modify own behavior as needed and is an
independent problem-solver. Student can maintain skills with other clients, and in other settings, when
appropriate. Student shows independence in providing services. Supervisor serves as consultant in areas
where student has less experience; provides guidance on ideas initiated by student. (skill is present >90%
of the time).

Grading Scales

All individual scores are averaged together to determine the final grade.  Graduate students are required to receive a minimum of a B to pass. Please see our sections on Enrichment, Extern, Student Teaching, and our FAQs for further details on grading students

Part Time Enrichment Students' Grading Scale

Full Time Externship Students' Grading Scale

Full Time Student Teachers' Grading Scale

Definitions for the "Big 9" Areas to Grade

Speech Sound Production

Speech sound production, to encompass articulation, motor planning and execution, phonology and accent modification

Fluency and fluency disorders

 A fluency disorder is an interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by atypical rate, rhythm, and repetitions in sounds, syllables, words, and phrases. This may be accompanied by excessive tension, struggle behavior, and secondary mannerisms.

Voice

 Voice and Resonance, including respiration and phonation.

Language

 Receptive and expressive language, including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics (language use and social aspects of communication), prelinguistic communication, paralinguistic communication (e.g., gestures, signs, body language), and literacy in speaking, listening, reading, and writing

Hearing

Hearing, including the impact on speech and language.

Swallowing

Swallowing/feeding, including (a) structure and function of orofacial myology and (b) oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, pulmonary, esophageal, gastrointestinal, and related functions.

Cognition

 Cognitive aspects of communication including attention, memory, sequencing, problem-solving, and executive functioning

Social Aspects

Social aspects of communication, including challenging behavior, ineffective social skills, lack of communication opportunities

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Modalities

 Communication modalities (including oral, manual, augmentative and alternative communication techniques and assistive technologies)

Diagnostic and Treatment Materials

The Kent State University Resource Room houses a significant number of diagnostic tests, materials, workbooks, etc.  While students are not permitted to remove materials from the Resource Room to use at their external sites, they are strongly encouraged to use the Resource Room during their free time to review and practice tests, get inspiration for activities, and make copies of workbook materials for educational purposes. 

The Performing Arts Library (PAL) on Kent State's main campus has a limited selection of diagnostic tests that students are permitted to check out of the library and use at their external sites for a limited time. These tests include:

• Batelle Developmental Inventory- 2nd ed. (BDI-2)
• Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language- 2nd. Ed. (CASL-2)
• Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals- 5th ed. Metalinguistics (CELF-5)
• Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test- 4th ed. (EOWPVT-4)
• Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation- 3rd ed.(GFTA-3)
• Phonological Awareness Test- 2nd ed. (PAT-2)
• Ross Information Processing Assessment- Geriatric 2nd ed. (RIPA-G2)
• Screening Test for Developmental Apraxia of Speech- 2nd ed. (STDAS-2)
• Slosson Intelligence Test for Children and Adults- 4th ed. (SIT-4)
• Structured Photographic Articulation Test- 3rd ed. (SPAT-D 3)
• Stuttering Severity Instrument- 4th ed. (SSI-4)
• Test of Adolescent/ Adult Word Finding- 2nd ed. (TAWF-2)
• Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language- 4th ed. (TACL-4)
• Test of Early Language Development- 4th ed. (TELD-4)
• Test of Narrative Language- 2nd ed. (TNL-2)
• The Word Test- 3rd ed.

We are always looking for ideas regarding items to place in the PAL, so please complete this Performing Arts Library (PAL) Materials Request Form  with any suggestions.

Online Resources

In addition to checking out items from the PAL and reviewing materials in our Resource Rooms, students have access to the following online resources:

• Activity Studio by Honeycomb Speech Therapy
• LessonPix Custom Learning Materials
• Speechpathology.com Educational Access to view lectures and presentations for learning purposes
• Examples of Acute Hospital Objectives 
• Information on Adult Diagnostics and Goal Writing
• Adult Externship Responsibilities 
• Assessment, Goals and Treatment References for Dementia Cognitive Communication Disorders Malone 2020
• Clinical Performance Continuum
• Enrichment and Extern Clinical Supervision Guidelines 
• Long Term Care Weekly Responsibilities
• Medical Terminology
   

Kent State University's Free Supervisory Professional Development 

Starting in January 2020, ASHA's new standard requires all supervisors to have a one-time, 2-hour professional development course in the area of supervision.

We are happy to support our external clinical educators in completing this requirement through viewing a presentation by Mrs. Lynn Berk, one of our Senior Lecturers and Clinical Liaisons, on the supervisory process.

If you are interested in completing this requirement, please contact Dr. Sue Grogan-Johnson, Graduate Coordinator or Erin Kolonich, SLP Clinic Coordinator to gain access to the course.

ASHA Resources for Supervisors

2020 Standards of Supervision

Frequently Asked Questions about Student Supervision

Clinical Education and Supervision

Issues in Ethics: Supervision of Student Clinicians

Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Student Supervision

From My Perspective/Opinion: A Call for Culturally Responsive Supervision

Supervision of Graduate Students: Billing and Payment Compliance

2023 Code of Ethics