(ROCKVILLE, MD - June 28, 2004) Speech-language pathologists and officials from the U.S. Department of Education will come together and discuss improving student success in the classroom and the impact of No Child Left Behind legislation on public schools at Schools 2004, an annual conference for speech-language pathologists in school-based settings, July 9-11, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.
The conference, sponsored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), is the largest national professional development meeting for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the schools and provides tools and information to enhance their work and improve student success in the classroom. More than 50 percent of ASHA's members work in school-based settings.
"Speech-language pathologists play a key role in assessing and treating language and learning problems in children. Those problems can have an enormous effect on success in the classroom and in life," said Kathleen Whitmire, director of school services for ASHA. "This conference will offer research-based information so that school-based SLPs can best serve children and their families."
Troy R. Justesen, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education, will be the keynote speaker for the conference, and says that the No Child Left Behind law is already making great progress in ensuring that all students receive a high quality education. "NCLB has significantly raised expectations for students with disabilities," said Justesen. "It is our job to provide the support they need to reach and exceed those expectations."
Other sessions will focus on helping students handle bullies, differentiating between a speech-language disorder and African-American English, ways to increase literacy development in students who speak English as a second language and how parents can work with their schools to ensure student success. Detailed conference information is available on the ASHA Web site.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Friday, July 9
4:15 - 5 P.M. KEYNOTE ADDRESS
No Child Left Behind: Progress and Challenges
Where we stand in the implementation of NCLB legislation and the challenges of closing the achievement gaps between middle class, low income, minority, limited English proficient students and students with disabilities.
Presenter
Troy R. Justesen, Ed.D. (confirmed)
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
U.S. Department of Education
Other highlighted sessions:
Friday, July 9
2 - 4 P.M. Words, Words, Words: Vocabulary Building and Literacy Development
Strategies to increase vocabulary for students with communication disorders.
Saturday, July 10
8:30 - 12 noon Literacy, Biliteracy & Second Language Learners
Developing literacy skills in students who speak English as a second language and how culture and family experiences affect reading, writing, and speaking.
2 - 5:15 P.M. Assessing the Speech and Language Skills of African American Children
Identifying students who speak African American English to ensure that ethnic dialects are not diagnosed as disorders.
Sunday, July 11
9:30 - 11 A.M. Parents as Partners: Making it Work in School Settings
The vital role parents play in the education of children with special needs.
9:30 - 11 A.M. Braving Bullies: What School-Based SLPs Can Do
How students can benefit from good social communication skills and leave a bullying scene without violence.
Members of the media who wish to register for the conference or would like more information regarding specific sessions may contact Doug Plesh at 301-897-7349 or dplesh@asha.org.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific and credentialing organization for more than 115,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech, language and swallowing problems. Their work encompasses speech problems, such as those related to fluency, articulation and voice disorders, as well as issues regarding language, learning and literacy.
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