Unit: Communication Sciences & Disorders
Program: Communication Sciences & Disorders (MS)
Degree: Master's
Date: Fri Oct 12, 2012 - 5:05:13 pm

1) Below are your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.

All Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) students at the University of Hawai'i, Manoa must demonstrate the abilities to:

1. Develop a multicultural focus towards issues of intervention and diagnostics.

2. Focus attention on the needs of individuals with communication disorders, particularly in Hawai'i and the Pacific Basin.

3. Integrate academic, clinical, and research experiences.

4. Become knowledgeable about disorders and differences across a variety of severity level, age groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

5. Adopt ethical behavior in academic, clinical, and research activities.

6. Use critical thinking in classroom activities and in assignments outside of class.

7. Acquire knowledge about the necessity for continuing education and opportunities for such education.

8. Acquire information about opportunities for participation in professional and community volunteer activities including participation in NSSLHA and HSHA.

9. Be able to communicate effectively with clients, client's families and caregivers, and other professionals.

10. Maintain personal health and well being in order to serve their clients well.

The CSD program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)–the national certifying authority.  Because our program provides professional preparation for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) by ASHA, Standards and Implementation Procedures for the CCC-SLP (ASHA, 2005) represent the Learning Outcomes for our students.  These standards are:

Standard I: Degree

Standard II: Institution of Higher Education 

Standard III: Program of Study - Knowledge Outcomes

 - Standard III-A: The applicant must have prerequisite knowledge of the biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and the social/behavioral sciences.

 - Standard III-B: The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of basic human communication and swallowing processes, including their biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural bases.

 - Standard III-   C: The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of the nature of speech, language, hearing, and communication disorders and differences and swallowing disorders, including the etiologies, characteristics, anatomical/physiological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural correlates. Specific knowledge must be demonstrated in the following areas  :

  • articulation
  • fluency
  • voice and resonance, including respiration and phonation
  • receptive and expressive language (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics) in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and manual modalities
  • hearing, including the impact on speech and language
  • swallowing (oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, and related functions, including oral function for feeding; orofacial myofunction)
  • cognitive aspects of communication (attention, memory, sequencing, problem-solving, executive functioning)
  • social aspects of communication (including challenging behavior, ineffective social skills, lack of communication opportunities)
  • communication modalities (including oral, manual, augmentative, and alternative communication techniques and assistive technologies)

                        -Standard III-D: The applicant must possess knowledge of the principles and methods of prevention, assessment, and intervention for people with communication and swallowing disorders, including consideration of anatomical/physiological, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural correlates of the disorders.

 - Standard III-E: The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of standards of ethical conduct.

 - Standard III-F: The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of processes used in research and the integration of research principles into evidence-based clinical practice.

 - Standard III-G: The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of contemporary professional issues.

 - Standard III-H: The applicant must demonstrate knowledge about certification, specialty recognition, licensure, and other relevant professional credentials.

Standard IV: Program of Study Skills Outcomes

 - Standard IV-A: The applicant must complete a curriculum of academic and clinical education that follows an appropriate sequence of learning sufficient to achieve the skills outcomes in Standard IV-G.

 - Standard IV-B: The applicant must possess skill in oral and written or other forms of communication sufficient for entry into professional practice.

 - Standard IV-C: The applicant for certification in speech-language pathology must complete a minimum for 400 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in the practice of speech-language pathology. Twenty-five hours must be spent in clinical observation, and 375 hours must be spent in direct client/patient contact.

 - Standard IV-D: At least 325 of the 400 clock hours must be completed while the applicant is engaged in graduate study in a program accredited in speech-language pathology by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.

 - Standard IV-E: Supervision must be provided by individuals who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence in the appropriate area of practice. The amount of supervision must be appropriate to the student's level of knowledge, experience, and competence. Supervision must be sufficient to ensure the welfare of the client/patient.

 - Standard IV-F: Supervised practicum must include experience with client/patient populations across the life span and from culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds. Practicum must include experience with client/patient populations with various types and severities of communication and/or related disorders, differences, and disabilities.

 - Standard IV-G: The applicant for certification must complete a program of study that includes supervised clinical experiences sufficient in breadth and depth to achieve the following skills outcomes:

   1. Evaluation

  1. Conduct screening and prevention procedures (including prevention activities).
  2. Collect case history information and integrate information from clients/patients, family, caregivers, teachers, relevant others, and other professionals.
  3. Select and administer appropriate evaluation procedures, such as behavioral observations, non-standardized and standardized tests, and instrumental procedures.
  4. Adapt evaluation procedures to meet client/patient needs.
  5. Interpret, integrate, and synthesize all information to develop diagnoses and make appropriate recommendations for intervention.
  6. Complete administrative and reporting functions necessary to support evaluation.
  7. Refer clients/patients for appropriate services.

   2. Intervention

  1. Develop setting-appropriate intervention plans with measurable and achievable goals that meet clients'/patients' needs. Collaborate with clients/patients and relevant others in the planning process.
  2. Implement intervention plans (involve clients/patients and relevant others in the intervention process).
  3. Select or develop and use appropriate materials and instrumentation for prevention and intervention.
  4. Measure and evaluate clients'/patients' performance and progress.
  5. Modify intervention plans, strategies, materials, or instrumentation as appropriate to meet the needs of clients/patients.
  6. Complete administrative and reporting functions necessary to support intervention.
  7. Identify and refer clients/patients for services as appropriate.

   3. Interaction and Personal Qualities

  1. Communicate effectively, recognizing the needs, values, preferred mode of communication, and cultural/linguistic background of the client/patient, family, caregivers, and relevant others.
  2. Collaborate with other professionals in case management.
  3. Provide counseling regarding communication and swallowing disorders to clients/patients, family, caregivers, and relevant others.
  4. Adhere to the ASHA Code of Ethics and behave professionally.

Standard V: Assessment

 - Standard V-A: Formative Assessment: The applicant must meet the education program's requirements for demonstrating satisfactory performance through on-going formative assessment of knowledge and skills.

 - Standard V-B: Summative Assessment: The applicant must pass the national examination adopted by ASHA for purposes of certification in speech-language pathology.

*Standard III, IV, and V have been detailed because they are related directly to Student Learning Outcomes.  Standard VI and VII are not listed here since they apply after completion of academic course work and practicum.

2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.

Department Website URL: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/csd/students/current-students/important-documents/
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/csd/accreditation-materials/
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:
UHM Catalog. Page Number:
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/csd/accreditation-materials/copies-of-all-course-syllabi/
Other: http://www.asha.org/Certification/slp_standards/
Other:

3) Select one option:

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2012:

4) For your program, the percentage of courses that have course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is as follows. Please update as needed.

0%
1-50%
51-80%
81-99%
100%

5) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012? (e.g., establishing/revising outcomes, aligning the curriculum to outcomes, collecting evidence, interpreting evidence, using results, revising the assessment plan, creating surveys or tests, etc.)

Yes
No (skip to question 14)

6) For the period June 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.

The program wanted to find out the followings for the period June 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012:

1) Achievement of student leaning outcomes (departmental and ASHA)

2) Program completion rates for the past three academic years

3) Praxis exam pass rates for the past three academic years

4) Employment rates for the past three academic years

7) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #6.

Achievement of student leaning outcomes were assessed by student advising, tracking forms, and grades.  Data for the program completion and praxis exam pass rates were gathered from individual student files, UH database (STAR and CMS), and a departmental binder.  We created survey forms to assess satisfaction of students, alumni, and employer for the program and will be implemented from next semester.

8) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

10 faculty and student employees were involved in collecting and submitting the evidence.

9) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? (Check all that apply.)

Course instructor(s)
Faculty committee
Ad hoc faculty group
Department chairperson
Persons or organization outside the university
Faculty advisor
Advisors (in student support services)
Students (graduate or undergraduate)
Dean/Director
Other:

10) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? (Check all that apply.)

Used a rubric or scoring guide
Scored exams/tests/quizzes
Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used)
Compiled survey results
Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data
External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., external organization administered and scored the nursing licensing exam)
Other:

11) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #6:
Summarize the actual results.

1)  Achievement of student learning outcomes (departmental and ASHA)

    --All students who were admitted in the past 3 years achieved student learning outcomes.

2) Program Completion Rates        
    Graduated      
Admitted Academic Year Admitted Completed within 2 years Completed after 2 years Left Program Still Attending Program Program Completion Rate
2010-2011 13 11 0 1 1 85%
2009-2010 9 4 1 4 0 56%
2008-2009 11 5 3 2 1 73%
             
             
3) Praxis Examination Pass Rates        
Admitted Academic Year # Taking Exam Pass Rate Average Score (Passing Score=600)      
2010-2011 11 100% 680      
2009-2010 5 100% 672      
2008-2009 9 100% 685      
4) Employment Rates            
Admitted Academic Year Graduates Graduates Employed in Profession (CFY or Post-CFY)  Graduates Pursuing Further Education in Profession  Graduates Currently Seeking Clinical Fellowship Graduates Employed or Actively Seeking Employment in the Profession
2010-2011 11 8 0 3 100%
2009-2010 5 5 0 0 100%
2008-2009 8 8 0 0 100%

12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.

The CSD department plans to use the results to evaluate whether changes we implemented in our curriculum map as well as departmental organization in recent years improved student outcomes.  The prepared data also will be reviewed by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for program re-accreditation.

13) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries?
This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, program aspects and so on.

N/A

14) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please explain.
Or, if the program did engage in assessment activities, please add any other important information here.

N/A