Office of Educational Services & Support

Since the passage of the speech/language pathology master-level endorsement rule, individuals have asked questions about implementation of ARSD 24:16:10:05. The following is the Department’s interpretation of the rule in response to questions raised.

1. Effective September 1, 2000, do all persons who teach as a SLP in an educational setting have to meet the MA level requirement?

As of September 1, 2000, all individuals who are "new hires" will be required to have MA level preparation for the South Dakota teaching certificate endorsement of a speech and hearing clinician.

• A "new hire" is considered an individual who is a new graduate or an out-of-state graduate applying for their first job as a SLP in the state of South Dakota.
• As long as individuals have a current South Dakota teaching certificate with the speech and hearing endorsement as of September 1, 2000, and do not allow the certificate to lapse, they can continue to be employed as SLPs in an educational setting until September 1, 2020. At that time individuals must come into compliance with the MA level or comparable requirement or cease employment as a speech therapist in an educational setting (Please refer to the IDEA regulation of Personnel Standards 300.136 (g) (1) and (2)). SLPs must continue to follow the teacher certification rules to keep teaching certificates current to this time. If an individual’s teacher certification lapses, then the individual would be considered a new hire and must come into compliance with the MA level requirement to become employed as a SLP in an educational setting.
• If a SLP moves from district to district or is not employed for a short time, he/she is not considered a new hire upon employment as a SLP in an educational setting as long as his/her teaching certificate with the speech and hearing endorsement has not lapsed.