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The Critical Shortage of Speech-Language Pathologists in the Public School Setting: Features of the Work Environment That Affect Recruitment and Retention

Contact author: Debra L. Edgar, The University of Central Florida, Communication Disorders Clinic, 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 155, Orlando, FL 32816-2215. E-mail: dedgar{at}mail.ucf.edu

PURPOSE: The primary focus of this study was to elicit the perspectives of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding features of the work environment that contribute to and/or hinder recruitment and retention in the public school setting.

METHOD: A questionnaire was distributed to SLPs employed in 10 school districts in Central Florida representing small, medium, and large school districts. The primary goal of the questionnaire was to elicit the perspectives of school-based SLPs regarding (a) factors in the work environment that contribute to retention, (b) factors in the work environment that hinder retention, and (c) issues that may contribute to the recruitment and retention of SLPs in the school setting. A total of 382 questionnaires was obtained, yielding a 64.5% response rate.

RESULTS: The participants ranked working with children, school schedule, and educational setting as primary reasons for their satisfaction with working in the public school setting. The participants ranked workload, role ambiguity, salary, and caseload as primary reasons for their dissatisfaction with working in the public school setting.

CONCLUSION: Themes emerged from the data that provide insight into several factors that serve as powerful influences in understanding issues of recruitment and retention of SLPs in the public school setting.

KEY WORDS: critical shortage, recruitment, retention, workload, caseload

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