State Leaders Summit : Making a Commitment to Systems Change in Deaf Education

May 7, 8 & 9, 2007, Columbia , MD

Name of Facilitator/Presenter - Mariann Carter; Joseph Bath
E-mail Address mccarter@ed.sc.gov ; jbath@ed.sc.gov

Name of Recorder Nancy Grosz Sager
E-mail Address nsager@cde.ca.gov

At least half of states still have no standards for educational interpreters (e.g. Washington).
South Carolina has no standards, but has released "guidelines."
Interpreting is a related service in IDEA, and states are required to have standards.
Texas has standards -no more waivers
How do states monitor educational interpreter standards?
What does "certified" mean?
How have states determined what is "passing" on the EIPA?
Research indicates that RID certified interpreters score at 4.0 or above on the EIPA
What are states doing to support educational interpreters?
District may change job title to avoid having to meet the standard
How many states are requiring degrees? Written test? Continuing education requirements?
Big problem = pay
Do any states require reassessment?
What are states doing to recruit? (LA is going to high schools)
Discoverinterpreting.com - national effort to recruit interpreters
Why don't interpreters work in schools? Pay, working conditions, perception (less than)
How to support interpreters who have ITP but not ready to work (mentoring programs)

Virginia provides grants to educational interpreters; PA too
Virginia checks for qualifications in monitoring process
Ohio licensure requires degree from ITP, + 180 hrs for renewal - no measurement of competency - so working with DOE re: praxis, measures of competence - urging legislature to set 4.0
RID accepts EIPA Level 4 and above as certified members of RID
Set statewide expectations for salaries for educational interpreters ( Utah )
Resource = classroominterpreting.com
MO - all interpreters must be licensed, trying to get monitoring into DOE
LA - funding for interpreters for 4 yr. degree
Hawaii - EIPA 3.5 preferred/state quality 3.0/RID, payscale for BA/AA/after 2009, no wiggle room for requirements
Wichita set standard, lost interpreters, but gained new
National Distance Learning Program BA UNC