Include the essential information schools are looking for in your school-based resume.

Every year graduate SLP students are in the final stages of completing their degree, updating their resume, and starting their job search. As you fine-tune the school externship section of your resume, think about viewing your resume through the lens of the school district employer. For example, many interviews for school SLP positions are with a Special Education Director or other administrator and may or may not include an SLP. The administrator will be looking for special education and school-based terminology and buzz words beyond speech and language theory, therapy techniques, and intervention strategies.

When considering working in a school setting, it is important that you familiarize yourself with not only speech and language therapy services, but it is also critical to understand some of the framework that surrounds, supports, and overlaps with your services. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Response to Intervention (RTI)/Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Medicaid billing are three areas I’d like to highlight because there can be many variations in the implementation and delivery of these services in conjunction with the role of the speech-language pathologist. These variations can be found state to state, district to district and even building to building within a district. I have included several valuable links below which will assist you in navigating and understanding these three areas.

After reviewing the links, consider adding bullet points to your resume to identify your experience. Be prepared to talk about your knowledge and experience relative to these issues during the interview process. Additionally, you may also want to check for any state-specific information so that you are best informed about how the state in which you are interested in working addresses these areas.

ESSA

http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/Every-Student-Succeeds-Act-Key-Issues.pdf

https://www.asha.org/advocacy/every-student-succeeds-act/ha.org

RTI/MTSS

http://www.asha.org/slp/schools/prof-consult/RtoI/

http://www.readinghorizons.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-rti-and-mtss

http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/what/whatisrti

Medicaid

https://www.asha.org/practice/reimbursement/medicaid/schoolbasedservicesslp/

http://www.asha.org/practice/reimbursement/medicaid/schoolFAQ/