Melissa Passe, CFCC Chair
April 16, 2015
2:30 – 3:30 PM
Disclosure
 Melissa Passe, Director, Speech and Hearing
Clinic, Truman State University
 Financial – I am serving as a speaker for this
session with support from CFCC to attend this
conference
 Non-financial – Member and Chair of Council for
Clinical Certification; however, I do not receive any
compensation for this role. I am a proud ASHA
certified member.
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National Office Support
 Neil DiSarno, Chief Staff Officer, Audiology
 Todd Philbrick, Director, Certification, CFCC Ex-Officio
 Ginger Harrison, Associate Director, Certification Operations
3
National Office Support
 Staff of 13 full-time employees to support over 160,000
certificate holder and 10,000 applicants.
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Today’s Updates
 Certification Past and Present
 CFCC Members
 2014 SLP Standards
 2012 AUD Standards
 Changes on the Horizon
 Specialty Certification
 Volunteer Opportunities
 Praxis
 Exam Overview
 Study Companions and Interactive Practice Test
 Data
 2015-2016 Test Schedule
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What is Certification?
 Merriam-Webster says - to recognize as having met special




qualifications (as of a governmental agency or professional board)
within a field of study or profession.
Wikipedia says - Certification refers to the confirmation of certain
characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation
is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review,
education, assessment, or audit.
Certifying and Certification goes all the way back to the 15th Century!
ASHA certification provides assurance to all stakeholders (patients,
state boards, employers, insurers) that you possess the knowledge,
skills and abilities for entry-level practice.
Certification is often confused with membership, licensure and
accreditation. Certification is the only function that measures an
individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities.
History of ASHA Certification
 1952 – Certification program started with two levels of certification
 Basic Speech or Basic Hearing – required 30 sh of course work, 275 hours
of practicum, and 1 year of SPE (sponsored professional experience)
 Advanced Speech or Advanced Hearing – required 60 sh of course work,
400 hours of practicum, and 4 years of SPE (plus a written and oral exam
for Advanced Hearing
 1965 – Single level certification began. New applicants were required to have a
master’s degree, 60 sh of course work, 275 ch of practicum, a supervised clinical
fellowship, and pass the NESPA
 1965 -1970 – “Grandfathering” period for Advanced and Basic certificate holders.
 Holders of Advanced Certification were automatically granted CCC
 Holders of Basic Certification had to report 4 years of SPE prior to January 1,
1970 or had to achieve a passing score on the Special 1969 Exam
 1973 – Certification requirements revised to specify number of semester hours
required in different categories, increase the amount of clinical practicum required,
and provide more information about Clinical Fellowship expectations
 1980 – Practicum supervisory requirements were specified, requirement for ASHA
membership was dropped and the final appeals body was the Council on Professional
Standards (COPS)
History (cont.)
 1991 – Applicants were afforded the opportunity to apply under either the 1978
requirements or under the 1993 standards
 1993 – new standards took effect that required:
 Graduate degree (equivalent to the degree no longer accepted)
 Addition of course work in the basic sciences
 Requirement for specific number of semester credit hours in the other area
 Increase in number and distribution of practicum hours and specification
for the amount of supervision
 CF experience further defined with expectations for assessment of clinical
activities
 2001 – The Standards Council was sunset and the Clinical Certification Board
were replaced by the CFCC with the responsibility of defining standards for
clinical certification and applying those standards in the certification of
individuals
 2003– Audiologists required to confirm their participation in 30 hours of
professional development every three years in order to maintain certification.
History (cont.)
 2006 – 2005 Standards for Certification in Speech-Language Pathology went into effect.
Requires 75 semester credit hours of course work, 36 sh of which must be at the graduate level
Applicant must have pre-requisite course work in biological science, physical science,
mathematics, and social/behavioral science400 clock hours of clinical practicum must be
completed with at least 375 hours in direct client/patient contact. The total hours must include
325 hours at the graduate level
 The CF is defined as 36 weeks of full-time supervised experience (35 hours per week is
considered full-time)
 Continuing professional development is mandated for maintenance of certification


 2007 Audiology Standards go into effect.
 Applicant must have 75 post-baccalaureate semester credit hours of course work
 Applicant must have completed the equivalent of 12 months of full-time clinical
practicum (1,820 hours)
 Clinical Fellowship experience is no longer required
 Continuing professional development hours are required to maintain
certification
 2012 – A doctoral degree is required for certification in audiology
 2014—Speech-Language Pathology Standards go into effect (September 1)
 Applicant must take a prerequisite course in statistics
 Applicant should take prerequisite courses in physics and/or chemistry
 Applicant is only required to demonstrate 36 graduate semester credit hours
New Certification Applications
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
AUD App
436
463
470
614
550
SLP App
11,508
8,209
7,353
7,305
6,979
Total Apps
12,655
8,672
7,823
7,919
7,529
Total
Certified
8,376
8,072
7,837
7,775
7,748
Total CCC-A and CCC-SLP
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
CCC-A
12,008
11,975
12,030
11,897
11,969
CCC-SLP
148,105
141,847
135,948
130,997
126,219
Dual Cert
931
957
1,124
1,172
1,195
Total
Certified
161,044
153,822
147,978
142,894
138,118
2014 Certification Applications
 Last summer ASHA received over 8,000 applications.
 What does that look like?
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Certification Governance
ASHA Bylaws - Article VIII: Professional Standards and Ethics
8.1. Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
 The Association, by action of the Board of Directors, shall establish and maintain a program of
clinical certification and advanced clinical specialty certification. The Association shall establish the
Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC), which shall:
define the standards for clinical certification and apply those standards in the certification of
individuals; and define the standards for clinical specialty certification.
The CFCC is composed of 15 voting members including:
 A Chair
 5 individuals holding certification in audiology
 5 individuals holding certification in speech-language pathology
 2 Board Certified Specialists
 2 Public Members
Liaisons include:
 2 NSSLHA Representatives
 Two ASHA BOD Representatives
 CAA and CAPCSD Representatives
Your 2015 CFCC Colleagues
Chair
SLPs
Melissa Passe, CCC-SLP
Nancy Alarcon, CCC-SLP
Jose Centeno, CCC-SLP
Vivian Sisskin, CCC-SLP
Linda Mackey, CCC-SLP
Alison Scheer-Cohen, CCC-SLP
Kathleen Gregory, CCC-SLP
Vice Chair for Audiology
James Baer, CCC-A
Vice Chair for SLP
Lynn Flahive, CCC-SLP
Chair-Elect
Dan Halling, CCC-A
Audiologists
Sue Ann Erdman, CCC-A
Lisa Rickard, CCC-A
Diane Sabo, CCC-A
Public Member
Diane Yeager
Glenn Buck
NSSLHA Representatives
Nia Potier, AUD Student
Kelly Gorman, SLP Student
2015 CFCC Members
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2014 SLP Standards
Launched September 1st
 All is quiet (knock on wood)
 Most questions have revolved around acceptable sciences
courses and how to meet the statistics requirements.
 List of basic science courses have been updated and are
reviewed annually or whenever a course is submitted for
consideration
 Statistics course can be completed after graduation, can be
Pass/Fail, be taken online, at community college, etc.
 In 2015 applicants can start the CF without stats course
 Beginning 1/1/2016 applications without statistics will be
returned and applicants will have to re-apply once they meet
this standard
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Basic Sciences Online
 Full/Evolving List at http://www.asha.org/Certification/Course-
Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards/
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Basic Sciences Online
 Full/Evolving List at http://www.asha.org/Certification/Course-
Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards/
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SLP Practicum and CF Questions
What is meant by direct supervision in ‘real time’?
 Supervision should be considered to have happened in ‘real time’ if
it occurred at the actual time during which a process or event
occurs. The two events are synchronous/ simultaneous.
 ‘real time’ and ‘onsite’ are separate constructs
What is meant by ‘direct client contact’?
 Only direct contact with the client or the client's family in
assessment, intervention, and/or counseling can be counted
toward practicum
 Paperwork, programming, meetings, preparation, reporting are
excluded
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2012 Audiology Standards
 Went into effect on 1/1/2012
 Required an AuD for new applicants and
reinstatement applicants
 Transitional degrees are acceptable provided the
graduate degree is from a CAA accredited program
 Can’t find a CCC-A to provide supervision?
 Please contact the certification department for
assistance
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Certification Maintenance
 You can check any certificate holders status online at
www.asha.org/certification
 Certificate holders must complete 30 CEU/CMHs
every three years to renew.
 Certification is good for one calendar year
 ASHA randomly audits certificate holders each year
and they must show certificate of participation, etc.
Certification Changes:
What is on the Horizon?
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Certification Maintenance & Disclosure
 Beginning in 2016 those individuals who are not in
compliance with certification maintenance standards
by April 1st will be marked as “Not Current”
 Those who become compliant by the August 31st
deadline will have to meet all the requirements and
answer the three disclosure questions
 In a few years everyone will have to answer the
disclosure questions annually. This is new to ASHA
but old hat for those of us with state licensure
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Application Processing Improvements
 Taking the mystery out of applying for certification. The
Certification Guidebooks are coming back
 Online Certification Application Management
System: The search is on…
 Replacing paper with online forms, drop downs, check boxes,
etc.


New Program Director Verification Form
New CF Report Form
 Will reduce common admin errors
 More secure and will facilitate the process between ASHA,
applicants, universities, program directors, CF mentors, and
ETS.
 Most importantly it will reduce the application review and
processing times.
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What about International Applicants
The CFCC has established an International
Working Group:
Goal - Ensure international educated applicants
are substantially equivalent to the CAA graduates
and are processed as quickly as possible by staff.
How – Application checklist and Application
Evaluation Manual (similar to PT, Nursing and
Pharmacy) used by applicants, staff, transcript
evaluators, and accepted by state licensure boards.
When – 2016
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Future Standards Revisions
 SLP
 Potential CF Mentor
training tools (guide,
webinar, etc.)
 Potential inclusion of
IPE/IPP
 AUD
 Potential requirement
of AuD from a CAA
accredited program
 Potential inclusion of
IPE/IPP
Remember everything is “potential”, make sure your voice is
heard.
Input sought from all stakeholders: Academic programs &
faculty, Practitioners, Clinical supervisors, Students, CAPCSD,
ASHA boards & committees, Related Professional
Organizations, State regulatory agencies, State associations, etc.
25
Standards Development Process
 CFCC conducts a comprehensive review of standards every 5-8
years
 Data collection may include practice and curricula analyses,





comment periods with existing standards, etc.
May not result in changes to standards
Widespread peer review about draft changes
Comment periods and draft standards may occur multiple times
within a review cycle before final copy approved
Publication of final standards must occur at least 6 months before
implementation
Audiology is undergoing this process in 2015-2016
 Intermittent reviews may be conducted and modifications made
to the standards or implementation language, as warranted
26
Specialty Certification
January 1, 2014 - Specialty recognition
transitioned to clinical specialty certification
program under auspices of CFCC
 CFCC increased by 3 members to accommodate
 Added 2 Certified Specialists and 1 additional public
member
 Committee on Clinical Specialty Certification (CCSC)
 Reviews petitions from groups wishing to become
new specialty areas
 Monitors specialty board compliance with
requirements
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Specialty Certification*
 Open to ASHA certificate holders, CCC-A and
CCC-SLP
 Clinical specialty certification will continue to be
awarded by specialty boards
 Child Language and Language Disorders
 Fluency and Fluency Disorders
 Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders
 Intraoperative Monitoring
*Brochures available at Certification Exhibit Table
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Specialty Certification Growth
 To assist the current SCBs in Child Language and Language
Disorders, Fluency and Fluency Disorders, Swallowing and
Swallowing Disorders, and Intraoperative Monitoring
transition from recognition to certification programs,
ASHA has contracted with Knapp & Associates
International, Inc. to conduct practice analysis studies.
 These studies will help the SCBs to refine the assessment
measures they use to award specialty certification to
qualified practitioners.
 This is the same model ASHA uses to ensure that the
certification and CAA standards in Audiology and SpeechLanguage Pathology reflect current practice and education
models.
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Specialty Certification Grants
 The CFCC has heard from six interest groups who are
interested in applying to create a new specialty
certification.
 ASHA BOD approved a potential 7 year, 1.1 million
grant to foster the establishment of new specialty
certification programs:
 Completing Applications
 Operations Manuals
 Management Costs
 Develop of Assessment Mechanism (Test, Portfolio, etc.)
CFCC Strategic Plan
 CFCC held a strategic planning workshop in July
 Areas of focus include:
 Move to an online application and certification maintenance
system
 Value of the CCC
 Greater recognition by the public and interpractice
professionals
 Growth and recognition of specialty certification
 Increase interest by Internationally educated professions
 Evaluate how certification or a certificate program for SLP
Assistants could benefit the profession and patients
CFCC Volunteer Opportunities
 Vacancies for 3-year terms beginning January 1, 2016:
 One ASHA certified practitioner in audiology
 One ASHA certified practitioner in speech-language pathology
 Two ASHA certified speech-language pathologists
 One Board Certified Specialist
 One Public Member
 More information about CFCC and the application form can be found
on website:
 http://www.asha.org/certification/CFCCCallForNominations/
 June 1 - Application Deadline
 Application Forms available at Certification Exhibit Table
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PRAXIS Overview
33
Disclosure
 Kathy Pruner
 Client Relations Director, Educational Testing
Service (ETS), Princeton, NJ
 Financial – I am serving as a speaker for this
session with support from ETS to attend this
conference
• Non-financial – I am the ETS liaison to ASHA and
the CFCC related to administration of the Praxis
Series™ examinations in audiology and speechlanguage pathology
34
SLP Praxis Exam
 ETS conducted Standard
Setting (Cut Score) Study
in January 2014:sing score
 CFCC approved new
passing score of 162 on a
100–200 scale, beginning
September 2014
35
SLP Praxis Exam (cont’d)
 New exam - maps to recent
Practice Analysis and 2014
SLP Standards
 The test launched
September 2014
 New Test Code is 5331
 The test is offered only on
computer except for
candidates receiving certain
accommodations.
36
SLP & Audiology Study Companions
 Provides test blueprint




(TAAG)
Sample questions with
answers and rationales
General information and
study tips
Study plan document
Copies of TAAG available
at ETS and Certification
Exhibit tables
New Tool - Curriculum Crosswalks
Copies available for both Audiology and SLP test at Praxis booth
Interactive Practice Tests
 Detailed explanations for correct answers to the practice questions
 Content category scores indicating the number of questions
answered correctly in each content category to help test takers
understand their performance level
 Real test directions and questions similar to those test takers see
on test day
 A timer that to simulate the actual test experience
 $17.95 for 10 uses or 90 days ($19.95 after 6/1/15)
 20% institutional discount with purchase of 2 or more
http://www.ets.org/s/praxis/pdf/praxis_interactive_test_order_form.pdf
 Audiology - http://www.ets.org/praxis/prepare/materials/5342
 SLP - http://www.ets.org/praxis/prepare/materials/5331
SLP National Pass Rates –
Current and Former Tests
Test
Code
N
Highest
Score
Pass Rate
N
First
Attempt
Pass Rate
September 2014 – March 2015
5331
4,948
90.9%
4,948
87.6%
September 2013 – August 2014
5330 &
0330
9,221
93.9%
8,607
93.6%
SLP - Education Level Pass Rates
Sept 2014 –
March 2015
Subgroup
N
Highest
Score
Sept 2013 – Aug
2014
N
Highest
Score
Bachelor’s Degree
846
93.0%
1,429
96.8%
Bachelor’s Plus
Additional Credits
2,124
95.6%
3,625
98.0%
Master’s Degree
720
77.6%
1,564
82.8%
Master’s Plus
Additional Credits
176
73.3%
402
80.6%
Doctoral Degree
15
80.0%
32
84.4%
Audiology Pass Rates - National
Test
Code
N
Highest
Score
Pass Rate
N
September 2014 – March 2015
5342
585
82.7%
494
First
Attempt
Pass Rate
79.4%
September 2013 – August 2014
5342 &
0342
786
83.2%
579
75.1%
Audiology - Education Level Pass Rates
Sept 2014 –
March 2015
Subgroup
N
Highest
Score
Sept 2013 – Aug
2014
N
Highest
Score
Bachelor’s Degree
140
82.1%
186
81.7%
Bachelor’s Plus
Additional Credits
227
87.7%
286
87.8%
Master’s Degree
8
25.0%
15
73.3%
Master’s Plus
Additional Credits
18
83.3%
36
83.3%
Doctoral Degree
57
70.2%
86
59.3%
Remaining 2014-2015 Praxis Testing
Schedule
SLP Testing
Windows:
 5/11/15 – 5/22/15
 6/15/15 – 6/26/15
 7/13/15 – 7/25/15
 8/10/15 – 8/22/15
Audiology Testing
Windows:
 4/6/15 – 4/17/15
 6/15/15 – 6/26/15
2015-2016 Praxis Testing Schedule
SLP Testing Windows:
 9/8/15 – 9/19/15
 10/5/15 – 10/17/15
 11/2/15 – 11/14/15
 11/30/15 – 12/12/15
 1/4/16 – 1/16/16
 2/1/16 – 2/13/16
 3/7/15 – 3/19/1
 4/4/16 – 4/16/16
 5/2/16 – 5/14/16
 5/30/16 – 6/11/16
 7/4/16 – 7/16/16
 8/1/16 – 8/13/16
Audiology Testing Windows:
 9/8/15 – 9/19/15
 11/30/15 – 12/12/15
 2/1/16 – 2/13/16
 4/4/16 – 4/16/16
 5/30/16 – 6/11/16
Test-Taker Score Reports via ETS Data Manager:
 Exportable Data - updated weekly (Monday evenings)
 Your program score reporting contact now receives an




email notification that scores are available
Able to access individual candidate scores
Candidates should list your recipient code in order for
you to receive their score (4 free score reports with
registration)
Many DOEs are automatic score recipients if candidate
tests in that state
Launched
May 13, 2013
ETS Account Sign Up Link:
https://tlcs.ets.org/clientservices/profile/login/login.do
Copyright © 2013 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo and LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING. are
registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). PRAXIS and THE PRAXIS SERIES are trademarks of ETS. 22441
46
ETS Data Manager Provides Ongoing Data:
 Evaluate your programs
 Anticipate/evaluate change
 Anticipate/evaluate passing score changes
 Evaluate new test title performance
 Evaluate category performance
 Disaggregate data using numerous demographic choices
 Prepare for accreditation
 Aggregate across multiple years for small programs
 Access to up to 10 years of testing data
Launched
May 13, 2013
 Sign up for an account:
https://tlcs.ets.org/clientservices/profile/createAcct/createAcct.do
Copyright © 2013 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo and LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING. are
registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). PRAXIS and THE PRAXIS SERIES are trademarks of ETS. 22441
47
ETS Contacts
 Kathy Pruner (ETS): kpruner@ets.org – Client Relations
Director supporting ASHA, state Boards and institutions
 Institutional support: (866) 243-4088 (Denee West)
 Email: TeachingandLearning@ETS.ORG
 Praxis Connections Newsletter - to sign up, visit
http://www.pages03.net/ets/PraxisMailingList/IHEOptIn/
 ETS Data Manager for The Praxis Series™
 PraxisDataManager@ets.org
Questions?
 What’s on your mind? We’d like to hear from you!
49
For More Information
Visit Exhibit Table
 Ginger Harrison – Associate Director of Certification Operations
 CFCC Members - Melissa Passe (Chair)
Website - www.asha.org/certification
 Standards


Audiology - http://www.asha.org/Certification/2012Audiology-Certification-Standards/
SLP - http://www.asha.org/Certification/2014-SpeechLanguage-Pathology-Certification-Standards/
 Previous presentations – webinars, CAPCSD, ASHA convention
 FAQs
Certification Office - Certification@asha.org
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Thank You!
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