04-21-04 - Statement on Highly Qualified Teachers in Raising Academic Achievement
Statement for the Record
Committee on Education and the Workforce Hearing on the Importance of Highly Qualified Teachers in Raising Academic Achievement
April 21, 2004
Contact: Leslie Jackson
301-652-6611 x2023
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) submits this statement for the record of the April 21, 2004, hearing. We appreciate the opportunity to provide this information regarding the relationship of qualified occupational therapy/related services personnel to improved academic achievement for all students, including students with disabilities. It is important for Congress to monitor how well federal education law meets its objective of holding states and schools accountable for improving educational outcomes. The topic of this hearing is critical to a clearer understanding of the factors that lead to better academic achievement.
The recent enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the pending reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) highlight Congressional concerns about children's education. NCLB and IDEA are expected to work in concert to help schools meet the learning and behavioral needs of children with disabilities. A major concern under both NCLB and IDEA is how to best educate students with and without disabilities to high standards and how to appropriately measure their progress. A key issue is the need for well=trained and qualified school personnel who are able to appropriately use effective instructional practices and other supports to help children learn.
AOTA agrees with the goal that students should be taught by well-trained teachers. It is well-recognized that high-quality personnel are directly related to improved student outcomes. AOTA also believes that other school personnel, such as occupational therapists, have an important role in helping schools improve student achievement.
Occupational Therapy Services Under IDEA and NCLB
Occupational therapists provide critical supports and services to teachers and for students and their families. Referred to as related services personnel under IDEA and pupil services personnel under NCLB, occupational therapists help schools address barriers to learning and improve student behavior. Services and supports are provided for children, parents, and school staff in a variety of ways, and include identification, evaluation, and assessment; design and provision of classroom and testing accommodations; consultation with educators on modifying instructional strategies, classroom routines and environments; and collaboration with general and special education teachers, the community, and parents.
School-Related Occupational Therapy Personnel Issues
Discussions about school-based occupational therapy personnel issues usually center around three general areas: preparation and ongoing professional development, credentialing, and recruitment and retention. AOTA frequently hears from its members and state and local education agency officials, school administrators, and parents on such issues as difficulty recruiting (and retaining) therapists, preparation for practice in schools and early intervention programs, inadequate salaries, high caseloads and other working conditions (including inadequate time for planning and collaboration), and the need to use effective interventions and practices. AOTA believes it is important to note that these issues mirror those raised about teachers.
Data specific to occupational therapy services in schools are limited, especially with regard to personnel issues. In a May 2003 paper, the federally funded Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPPSE) found that occupational therapy personnel issues are complex and often convoluted.2 Occupational therapists follow a rigorous, well-established process for entry into the profession. They must complete specialized entry-level training1 in occupational therapy, pass a national certification examination, and meet applicable licensure, certification, or other comparable requirements in each State before they can practice. Occupational therapy practice is regulated by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Each of these jurisdictions determines the requirements for not only what constitutes occupational therapy, but also who can provide therapy services in that jurisdiction. These state requirements apply to all settings in which occupational therapy services are provided in a given state, thereby establishing a consistent set of standards across settings. These entry-level requirements are intended to ensure that occupational therapy providers are fully qualified, thus ensuring the highest quality of services for students.
AOTA is now hearing that some local education agencies (LEAs) are beginning to apply NCLB's "highly qualified" requirements to related services personnel. This would require school-based occupational therapists and other related services personnel to meet additional requirements. Given the nature of occupational therapy preparation, AOTA does not believe these additional requirements are necessary in order to deem occupational therapists "highly qualified."
Other data indicate continued shortages of occupational therapists. An October 2002 report by Project FORUM at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) analyzed related services data collected by states.2 The analysis found that of the 30 states that collected data on occupational therapy, 23 states collected information on the number of occupational therapy vacancies. The analysis did not identify how these data are used by state education agencies (SEAs). Another study funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE), found that, nationally, nearly 800 occupational therapy positions went unfilled in the 1999-2000 school year.3 SPeNSE reports state that it is difficult to separate discussions about personnel quality from discussions of quantity/adequate supply because, "as shortages worsen, administrators are forced to hire less qualified individuals."3 State-reported data to the U.S. Department of Education, which is used in the Department's Annual Reports to Congress on the Implementation of IDEA, illustrate this point: For the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 school years, 188 and 143 individuals, respectively, who were employed as occupational therapists in schools were not fully certified. 4 It should be noted that prior to its 23rd Annual Report to Congress (2001), the Department included data on vacant/unfilled occupational therapist positions-they no longer do so. Absent better data, it is difficult to ascertain to what extent shortages continue to exist and in which states and geographic locations.
AOTA believes there is a significant need for more targeted and focused research on occupational therapy issues in educational settings. While SEAs are required to ensure that related services are available, little is known about the number of children with disabilities that receive related services and the type and amount of services received.2 COPSSE identified a number of critical unanswered questions in its report.2 These include, "what are the 'real' vacancies for occupational therapy practitioners in the schools? Are all students who need occupational therapy services receiving them? What factors support or hinder recruitment and retention of occupational therapists in schools? What are effective recruitment and retention strategies for occupational therapists entering the profession and schools as a work environment? What can local education agencies do to support the recruitment and retention of occupational therapists in education settings?" Additional studies on these and other questions can help ensure an adequate supply of well-trained personnel that will benefit schools and all students.
What Is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is a vital health and rehabilitation service, designed to help individuals participate in important everyday activities, or occupations. Occupational therapy services address underlying performance skills, including motor, process, communication, and interaction skills to assist in the correction and prevention of conditions that limit an individual from fully participating in life. For children with disabling conditions and other educational needs, occupational therapy can help them to develop needed skills within the context of important learning experiences and to perform necessary daily activities such as getting dressed for physical education (PE) or eating lunch with other students, and help them get along with their peers at school. Occupational therapy services can help identify strategies for teachers and families to use to facilitate appropriate reading and writing development.
Occupational therapy practitioners have the unique training to assist individuals to engage in daily life activities throughout the lifespan and across home, school, work, play, and leisure environments. Services may be provided during only one period of the child's life or at several different points when the child is having difficulties engaging in his or her daily school occupations, such as when they are faced with more complex demands in the classroom resulting from increased emphasis and reliance on written output. Occupational therapy services may be provided in the family's home, at school, and in the community, such as day care and preschool programs, private clinics, and vocational programs.
Occupational therapy evaluation determines whether an individual would benefit from intervention. The evaluation looks at the individual's strengths and needs with respect to daily life function in school, home, and community life, focusing on the relationship between the client and their performance abilities, the demands of the activity, and the physical and social contexts in which the activity is performed. The findings of the occupational therapy evaluation inform the team of the need for intervention. Occupational therapy practitioners use purposeful activities to help individuals bridge the gap between capacity to learn and full and successful engagement in education, work, play, and leisure activities.
For example, occupational therapy for infants and young children may include remediation of problem areas, development of compensatory strategies, enhancement of strengths, and creation of environments that provide opportunities for developmentally appropriate play and learning experiences. Services for the school-aged child are intended to help them be successful in school. Intervention strategies may focus on improving the child's information-processing ability, academic skill development such as handwriting, and ability to function in the school environment. For adolescents, the occupational therapy intervention focus is on preparation for occupational choice, improving social and work skills, and learning how to create or alter the environment to maximize their productivity.
Occupational therapy is a health and rehabilitation service covered by private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, workers' compensation, vocational programs, behavioral health programs, early intervention programs, and education programs. AOTA represents nearly 30,000 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students. We thank you, once again, for the opportunity to submit our comments for the record.
References
- Beginning January 2007 professional entry will be at the postbaccalaurate level.
- Swinth, Y.; Chandler, B.; Hanft, B.; Jackson, L.; Shepherd (2003). Personnel issues in school-based occupational therapy: Supply and demand, preparation, certification and licensure. University of Florida: Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education. (COPSSE Document No. IB-1). Available at www.copsse.org
- Mueller, E. & Tschantz, J. (2002). Related services data collected by states. Project FORUM Quick Turn Around.
- Carlson, E.; Brauen, M.; Klein, S.; Schroll, K.; Willig, S. (2002). SPeNSE key findings. Available at http://ferdig.coe.ufl.edu/spense/
- Office of Special Education Programs. Part B annual report tables. Retrieved May 4, 2004, from http://www.ideadata.org/arc_toc3.asp#partbPEN on 5/4/04.
9/2/04