Speech Only Case Management

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NORTH★STAR | PD Practice & Reflection Handout

SESSION WORKSPACE

Participant Name: ____________________________________

Date of Session: ____________________________________

Do Now Reflection

Your student is currently classified as ESLS, and the general education teacher reports reading comprehension and spelling issues. Jot down your immediate planning steps.

Pre-Referral MTSS Process Note-Taking

Identify the 3 critical steps of the Pre-Referral Articulation/Fluency workflow and the sole clinical focus of the SLP observation:

Practice 1: Boundary Spotting Workspace

Determine the action for Scenario A, Scenario B, and Scenario C.

Scenario A Action

Scenario B Action

Scenario C Action

💡 Core Idea 1: Protect the Boundary

"ESLS is a highly specialized speech classification, not a backdoor for language testing. If you suspect language-based learning disabilities, elevate to the CST / flag for MTSS intervention support."

Practice 2: EdPlan Mapping (Sarah's Fluency Case)

Identify the specific assessments, procedures, and timelines to select in EdPlan.

💡 Core Idea 2: Precision in Documentation

"Your selections on the EdPlan Evaluation Planning screens are not just clerical options. They dictate legal limits. Select ONLY Appraisal of Speech to protect compliance under New Jersey Special Education Code."

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NORTH★STAR | PD Practice & Reflection Handout

SESSION WORKSPACE

Practice 3: Standards-Aligned Goal Formulation

Draft a speech goal for John Test (baseline: 60% accuracy for /r/ and /s/ blends with visual and verbal prompts).

Condition (Services)

Targeted Skill (SL.8.4)

Criteria (Accuracy)

💡 Core Idea 3: Connect Data to Standards

"An exemplary Speech IEP connects current baseline data directly to the student's standard. A goal must tell a teacher exactly what condition, what standard, and what level of accuracy to measure."

Culminating Challenge: The Case of "Marcus"

Draft the complete compliance package response for Marcus (triennial review, articulation, hoarse vocal quality).

EdPlan Checklists & Timelines

Standards-Aligned IEP Goal Draft

Overall Practice Reflection Question

How does establishing rigid boundaries in clinical scope and pre-referral steps prevent legal vulnerability in Evaluation Determination and enable specific instructional goal setting?

💡 Core Idea 4: The Cohesive Loop

"Elite case management requires a seamless loop: Clinical boundaries safeguard your scope. Clean EdPlan data preserves compliance. Standards-aligned goals maximize student growth. Miss one, and you compromise the whole."

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PRO FACILITATION TIP:

School SLPs often feel pressured by general education teachers to test language skills "since you're already in there." Use Slide 7's Core Idea and Slide 8's 3-step pre-referral workflow to empower SLPs to say, "I must protect the legal boundaries of our ESLS speech-only classification. Let's submit an MTSS request and proceed with an informal observation instead."

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NORTH★STAR | ESLS Case Management PD Guide

FACILITATOR EDITION

PART 2: IEP WRITING & CULMINATING PRACTICE (SLIDES 14-23)

How to facilitate standards-based goal drafting, overall synthesis, and final case debriefing.

Slides 14-17: IEP PLAAFP & Goals (Pacing: 15 mins)

Action: Review standard-aligned requirements under N.J.A.C. 6A:14. Ensure participants understand the manual rule update: For parental concerns on Speech-Language IEP pages, SLPs must write 'Refer to parental input section of IEP.' Walk through Practice 3 (John's Articulation Goal) on Handout Page 3.
Key Scripting: "Every goal must start with the standard service condition: 'Given Speech and Language Services.' We then copy-paste the NJ standard after 'Student will' and append our measurable baseline-driven criteria."

Slides 18-19: Mid-Session Synthesis (Pacing: 10 mins)

Action: Give SLPs 2 minutes of silent write time on Handout Page 3. Then, hold a partner share-out.
Key Scripting: "Let's connect the dots. A solid boundary in Step 1 keeps your testing brief and legal in Step 2, leading to laser-focused IEP goals in Step 3. How does this cohesive loops approach protect your clinical integrity?"

Slides 20-23: Culminating Case of Marcus (Pacing: 20 mins)

Action: Present Marcus's complex case (articulation and hoarse vocal quality). Give participants 10 minutes to draft the entire compliance package. Reveal the Exemplar package (Slide 21). Conclude with Slide 22's self-assessment and the final summary (Slide 23).
Key Scripting: "For Marcus, look at how the articulation of /l/ blends and hoarse vocal quality are combined in the criteria statement. This keeps the IEP highly customized to his specific profile."

EXEMPLAR EXPECTATIONS FOR FACILITATORS:

Verify that all participating SLPs can write standard-aligned goals. During desk walks, look for:

• Did they use the standard condition phrase: "Given Speech and Language Services,"?
• Did they target only speech-focused metrics (not reading or academic spelling)?
• Did they include a clear criteria percentage (80% accuracy over 4 out of 5 trials)?
• Did they articulate the 3-step pre-referral MTSS pathway for speech-only suspects?

Close the session by collecting the Self-Assessment sheets. Follow up within 48 hours with any SLPs who rated themselves a 1 or 2 on Boundary Precision, Goal Alignment, or Pre-Referral Procedures.

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