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EIU Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences

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Three EIU Speech-Language Pathology Students Earn PERFECT Scores on National Exam

(Charleston, IL) – Three Eastern Illinois University graduate students enrolled in the university’s Communication Disorders and Sciences program have earned perfect scores on a prominent national exam.

Sydney Scamihorn (Marshall/Bloomington, IL), Melissa DeVlieger (Winnebago/Byron, IL) and Makenzie Bogner (Henry/East Peoria, IL) have each scored a perfect 200 on the Speech-Language Pathology National Praxis Exam, an industry-specific test required for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification and Illinois licensure.

Of the 10,670 graduate students taking the exam nationally in 2017-18, only 48 received a perfect score. The trio from EIU were among this elite group.

“The CDS Department at EIU has a long history of our graduates performing significantly above state and national averages on the national speech pathology praxis exam,” said Dr. Rebecca Throneburg, professor and graduate coordinator of EIU’s CDS program. “Our first priority is teaching great students like Sydney, Melissa, and Makenzie to become outstanding speech-language pathologists.  The exceptional educational experience begins at the undergraduate level with direct client experience and courses focused on treating individuals with communication disorders.  At the graduate level, an intensive program of applied classes and clinical experiences culminates in a Grand Rounds capstone course and two full-time 14-week internships in education and medical settings.  All of these factors contribute to our graduates’ strong clinical skills and significantly above average test scores.   To have three of our students earn perfect scores in the same year, when only 48 people in the whole country had perfect scores, is an extraordinary accomplishment.”  

Eastern Illinois University President Dr. David Glassman agreed, and cited EIU’s strong and enduring commitment to quality education in helping EIU students achieve ongoing success.

“Eastern’s CDS program is a shining example of the exceptional programs and faculty EIU offers its students on a daily basis,” Glassman said. “We are invested in the success of our students at every level, and to see our students achieve such high recognition on this national exam is a great accomplishment for them and a wonderful testament to the university’s comprehensive excellence.”

Picture below of the 2018 EIU Speech-Language Pathology Graduates. Their mean score on the National Speech-Language Pathology Praxis exam was 10 full points above the state average and 11 points above the national average. Perfect scores of 200 were obtained by Sydney Scamihorn (back row second from left), Melissa DeVlieger (middle row fourth from left) and Makenzie Bogner (middle row third from right).

2018 Grads High Scores National SLP Praxis Exam

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Contact Information

Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences

600 Lincoln Ave.
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 581-2712
(217) 581-7105t
fymagee@eiu.edu


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