Rolland J. Van Hattum Award for Contribution in the Schools 1998-2011
This award recognizes an individual demonstrating exemplary commitment and contribution to service delivery in the schools.
2011
Awarded $1,000; School system awarded $500
Stephen Sacks
Speech-Language Pathologist
Central Unified School District
Fresno, California
Stephen Sacks is honored for developing an innovative, multimodality approach to address specific articulation disorders of school-age children. Using the early work of Eugene McDonald and Richard Shine, he developed the Systematic Articulation Training Program Accessing Computers (SATPAC). This intervention is a computer-based approach with a precise, easily implemented methodology that enables students to practice target speech sounds in phonetically favorable contexts. His work, noted for its efficiency and effectiveness in remediating articulation errors, has been adopted by the Fresno district speech-language professionals, and is well-respected across the United States. Sacks' dedication and leadership are helping school-age children make significant gains in their speech-production skills and self-esteem.
2010
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Patricia (Trici) B. Schraeder
Faculty Associate
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Patricia Schrader is honored for providing school speech-language pathologists with innovative, cutting-edge clinical training and pedagogy. As a former school-based speech-language pathologist, she has dedicated her academic career to initiatives supporting systemic change for school-based service delivery. Her leadership efforts encompass development of the professional performance review process for the school-based speech-language pathologist, advocacy for evidenced based practices, collaborative work to create a workload analysis approach to schools caseload standards, and initiation of inclusive service delivery models. Her research, publications, and seminal textbook are embraced by professionals, higher education institutions, and organizations across the country. The ASHFoundation recognizes Ms. Schrader for her unique commitment in serving the spectrum of school-based professionals, school-age students in need of speech-language pathology services, college-age students in training, and clinical instructors.
2008
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Susan J. Brannen
Audiologist and Audiology Department Chair
Monroe 2-Orleans Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)
Spencerport, New York
Susan Brannen is honored for her accomplishments as a school-based audiologist, and for her exemplary influence on the lives of students, parents, teachers, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists throughout her state and nationwide. Over the past two decades, she founded and developed a full-service clinical, rehabilitative, and educationally-relevant school-based audiology program for a cooperative covering nine component school districts. Under her leadership, the facility incorporated state-of-the-art instrumentation and an environment for comprehensive hearing assessment and management. She infused innovative programs and models of service delivery that extend far beyond those mandated, including hearing conservation and wellness, self-advocacy, and audiology habilitation education programs. Her tireless work and volunteer efforts have influenced regulatory and policy decisions of legislators, funders, and policymakers to benefit students in both general and special education. The ASHFoundation recognizes Brannen for her outstanding skill and dedication in enhancing the communication and learning environments for all students.
2007
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Claudia Dunaway
Lead Clinician, Speech-Language Pathologist
San Diego Unified School District
Claudia Dunaway is honored for creating and sustaining ten unique school service delivery programs, with special recognition for two evidence-based models: The San Diego Analysis Research Project and SALT Lab; and the Articulation Resource Center and Speech Improvement Class. The first project resulted in the development of reliable norms to measure expressive language of students in grades K-3, providing an authentic local baseline measure for assessments of young children. The second project established an intensive, systematic articulation program program for students with single speech sound disorders, within general education-one of the first tiered "response to intervention" programs for speech-language pathologists in the country.
Converting research into practice, Dunaway's replicable models have revolutionized speech-language assessment and intervention in the eighth largest school system in the nation. The ASHFoundation recognizes Ms. Dunaway for her outstanding competency and dedication to best practice solutions for complex school setting issues.
2006
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Joan A. Mele-McCarthy
Joan A. Mele-McCarthy is honored for clinical and professional accomplishments that have benefited children in school settings through innovative programming, continuing education, government service, and advocacy. Specifically, she developed an oral language infusion model at The Summit School in the early 1990's, a forerunner of today's integration service delivery models. The three-tiered model for children with language-learning disabilities incorporates training, collaboration, and integration with the goal of linking oral language development to success with reading, written language, and academic content. Students, such as those having dyslexia, processing deficits, and executive dysfunction, showed improvement in these areas within two years, and more than 80% of this school population successfully matriculated in mainstream high schools in surrounding counties. Her replicable work has inspired educators, administrators, and policy makers at the local, state, and national levels. The ASHFoundation commends Mele-McCarthy for encouraging speech-language professionals to broaden and transform their collaborative practice among professionals in special education.
2005
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Barbara J. Conrad
Barbara J. Conrad is honored for her innovative role in retaining and recruiting speech-language pathologists to work in Ohio's schools. Her leadership was pivotal in the development of the Ohio Master's Network Initiative in Education program, which provides distance learning opportunities for bachelor's level speech-language pathologists and audiologists to complete necessary graduate coursework for employment in school settings. To date, 58 school-based professionals have received Master's degrees and Ohio Board licenses now required for practice in the schools, and 240 students from across the country are presently enrolled in the program. She also secured tuition reimbursement for licensed professionals studying to obtain the educational credential and launched a statewide recruiting campaign for future professionals. The campaign, entitled Don't Miss the Bus: Communication Happens in Schools , features DVD and promotional materials targeting high school and non major college students. The Foundation recognizes Ms. Conrad for providing Ohio with long-term solutions to school personnel shortages in the professions and with a replicable model for other states to follow.
2004
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Sharon Elise Soliday
Sharon Soliday is honored for her role in the development and implementation of the 3:1 Service Delivery Model in Portland, Oregon, by which school-based clinicians provide direct service to students for 3 consecutive weeks, with the fourth week used for consultative services with teachers, parents, and for meeting documentation requirements. This creative model addresses issues associated with student achievement, compliance with federal regulations (IDEA and NCLB), and increased workload demands. District clinicians now have more flexibility in serving students, allowing them to integrate speech and language goals with classroom curriculum. The design has addressed equitable distribution of staffing resources, thereby enhancing morale and improving recruitment and retention of personnel. While the model did not require a financial obligation from the school district, it has yielded a revenue increase from Medicaid reimbursement funds as a result of clinician claim submissions filed to meet administrative responsibilities. Ms. Soliday's skill and dedication has resulted in a replicable model for school districts that seek to implement and expand best practices in a current environment of reduced resources.
2003
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Rebecca Kooper
Rebecca Kooper is honored for her leadership in shaping a premier school-based audiology program on Long Island, New York. She has gained widespread recognition for incorporating the most up-to-date technology and techniques into the management of infants and children with hearing loss, particularly in the use of FM systems and cochlear implants. She is equally known for her expertise in auditory processing disorders and for raising the level of awareness and understanding about the needs of children with hearing loss and the ways to maximize their learning and performance in an educational setting. She has an extensive record of contributions to the continuing education of her peers in audiology and education, as well as for students. Her vision, skill, and dedication have resulted in an outstanding model for school districts that seek to implement or expand educational audiology services in the current environment of reduced resources yet high demand for efficiency and quality.
2002
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Georgene Falcone-Johnson
Georgene Falcone-Johnson of the Biloxi Public Schools is recognized for increasing recruitment and retention of best-qualified clinicians in the Mississippi public school setting. She worked directly with state education personnel to address the shortage of qualified speech-language pathologists and equate certification requirements as commensurate with master teaching certification. Through her advocacy, state legislation was passed to provide a pay supplement to ASHA-certified personnel. In addition, her research and database efforts have helped school districts to analyze personnel needs and match solutions. She has been recognized by her colleagues, school district, local government, and professional state association for developing innovative programs, obtaining teacher assistants, decreasing caseload size, reducing paperwork, and for serving as a liaison between speech-language pathologists and the Mississippi Department of Education.
2001
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Susan W. Floyd
Susan W. Floyd, of the Florence County School District #3 in Lake City, South Carolina, studied the impact of phonological awareness skills on reading acquisition, then developed and implemented training and intervention outcomes-based projects. Her diagnostic and therapy initiatives are aligned with academic curriculum and standards. They have helped speech-language pathologists to improve literacy skills in kindergarten, first, and second grade students as indicated on norm-based, criterion-referenced and classroom-based measures. The local school program has evolved into a district-wide collaboration leading to attainment of state-mandated educational standards.
2000
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Catherine J. Crowley
Catherine Crowley, of the United Cerebral Palsy of NYC Manhattan Children's Program and New York City Board of Education, trains bilingual speech-language pathologists to serve culturally and linguistically diverse children. She has developed a model of collaborative services and drafted statewide guidelines, now in final review, for assessments of bilingual children that will make a major change in the system evaluation process.
1999
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Herease Frazier
Herease Frazier is an individual demonstrating exemplary commitment and contribution to the delivery of services in the schools. She has continuously demonstrated outstanding contributions to public school advocacy. She has been an influential force in the development of school service delivery models, school data collection strategies, school-community public relations campaigns, and parent support networks. Her peers call her the "ultimate school advocate" who demonstrates the strength and power of what one individual can accomplish. The Foundation honors Herease Frazier for three decades of dedication to school-based advocacy.
1998
Awarded $1,000; School awarded $500
Linda Liss-Bronstein
Linda Liss-Bronstein has established an exemplary model of collaborative intervention in her school. Influenced by research-based curricula, writings and practices, she designed a series of specific programs and strategies to link oral language and literacy to improve student achievement. The target population serviced by these programs is comprised of mandated and non-mandated language minority students in a neighborhood school where the population is approximately 92% Hispanic and 72% from non-English speaking homes.
The innovative programs integrated into classroom settings include: 1.) Literature Circles; 2.) Phonemic Awareness Development; 3.) Student Editorial Board and Magical Mailbox; 4.) Beanie Baby Writing Project; 5.) A Language Experience Approach with Family Knowledge Bases; and 6.) Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking. The Foundation credits Ms. Liss-Bronstein for providing authentic contexts for language and literacy and for empowering teachers and students to acquire skills they need to move the literacy agenda of the school forward.