Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA)

and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf

 

How Discussions Got Started:

 

In early 2005, the executive director of RID requested permission from the Board of Directors to

explore a collaborative effort with the EIPA. The Board is always happy to review proposals

which address the future of RID and avenues to increase interpreter participation in RID. This is

just a part of ordinary business – the national office, on behalf of the Board and the membership,

is looking for ways and ideas to strategically improve the organization. Not all ideas pass, not all

get past the initial stage. Since this area has been broached by the executive director, then

leaders in the association need to gather information and input from members.

 

MOTION 2005.13

To authorize the executive director to discuss with the Educational Interpreters Performance Assessment (EIPA) administrators regarding bringing EIPA interpreters into the RID Certification Maintenance Program and to be subject to the RID Ethical Practices System. Humphrey/King Passed

 

Rationale – One of the current goals for RID includes having a more concentrated effort on designing benefits specifically for interpreters in the K-12 setting and actively recruiting those interpreters. RID needs to be more than an organization that is mainly adult consumer-based. It needs to be one that allows for equal support of interpreters and consumers who benefit from using a developmental approach to interpreting. RID needs to represent all areas of the profession and field of interpreting. This is a specific area where RID needs to be better represented.

 

Timeline and Series of Events:

 

  • In 2004 President Jones noticed increasing amounts of EIPA activity and buzz; there were presentations at RID state and regional conferences and more states were starting to recognize EIPA as the gatekeeper for sign language interpreter K-12 hiring

 

  • In early 2005, the executive director of RID requested permission from the Board of Directors to explore a collaborative effort with the EIPA.

 

  • Stakeholders were contacted at the beginning of discussions with the administrators of EIPA. In March 2005, President Jones sent information out to the affiliate chapter presidents, RID special interest group representatives, the National Council on Interpreting and RID committee chairs.

 

  • Following that, President Jones asked then-RID Secretary/Treasurer Cheryl Moose to contact EdITOR specifically and discuss the process of bringing EIPA interpreters into RID. (EdITOR is RID’s special interest group for interpreters and translators who work in the educational field). Cheryl and EdITOR leadership shared several discussions and emails about the EIPA negotiations.

 

  • RID brought this matter to the membership on pages 8-10 of the May, 2005 issue of VIEWS.

 

  • Additionally, the matter was the subject of a plenary session, at which time no other sessions were scheduled, at the 2005 RID Conference in San Antonio.

 

  • Several RID affiliate chapters and regional events have had workshop sessions related to EIPA. Members have been asking for details and educating themselves.

 

  • An additional article soliciting further input is in the December, 2005 issue of VIEWS. The national office anticipates regular updates being in future issues.

 

When asked about voting on the issue:

The RID Board truly stands by the concept of RID being a member-driven organization. Every action the Board takes has this concept at its core. Being a member-driven organization means that member thoughts and visions of the future of the association are considered on many levels. Instead of a simple yes or no votes, the Board truly wants the membership to have an influence on the EIPA/RID negotiations by soliciting feedback. This truly helps the Board and executive director shape the negotiations to match the majority of members' vision for having EIPA interpreters under our CMP and EPS systems.

 

In 2003, RID considered recognizing NAD levels III, IV and V certified individuals as

certified members of RID. This was publicized in VIEWS and RID asked members for their comments on this proposal. RID consulted with legal counsel at length with regard to this matter. As was noted in the February 2003 issue, the RID Board of Directors is authorized to engage in such actions by Article III., Section II, Part A. and Article XII of the RID Bylaws. Previously, prior to entering into an agreement with NAD, a thorough, detailed assessment by content experts was made of the NAD and RID instruments to determine if an adequate level of comparability existed for RID to recognize NAD certified individuals.

 

In the case of the EIPA, before such an arrangement is concluded, RID would engage in the same thorough and detailed assessment of the EIPA instrument vis-à-vis the RID instrument to determine if comparability is sufficient to recognize EIPA interpreters as certified members of RID.

 

Points to Ponder:

 

Recognition

 

For several years RID has been viewed by many as an organization that mainly focuses on the wants and needs of interpreters who work out in the community with adult consumers. During the past decade RID has made strides to change this perception and to actively support interpreters in the educational setting and the developmental approach to educational interpreting. The board recognizes that the organization still has a long ways to go in this area. This effort would go a long way toward recognizing the important contribution that K-12 interpreters make in the field.

 

Benefits for Educational Interpreters

 

RID needs to better represent all facets of the profession of interpreting. Educational interpreting is an area in which we are sorely underrepresented. EIPA interpreters would bring much more of the K-12 segment of the field into RID.

 

A partnership between RID and the EIPA could well be the first step in elevating educational interpreters to a more professional level. Enabling educational interpreters who have achieved an EIPA 4 or 5 to hold a national RID certification could have the effect of increasing salary levels. Teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing also have a vested interest in having highly qualified educational interpreters working with deaf and hard of hearing students.

 

If comparability is established between the EIPA test and determined to be psychometrically sound, valid, and reliable, then it makes sense that those who pass at a level to be determined should gain recognition as certified members of RID. This is what was done with NAD and is being considered for the ACCI interpreters as well.

 

Benefits for RID

 

Rather than having just a few educational interpreters in the fold, RID would see an influx of this large portion of the field becoming a part of us. Should we be able to affect a collaborative effort which brings many EIPA members into the association, RID will strengthen our position in the marketplace, in the deafness and non-deafness communities.

 

Increased levels of members also increase the chance that membership dues will be kept at current levels a bit longer, revenues will increase, and that will lead to increased services. There exists large potential for new and exciting publications in the field from many in the K-12 portion of the field. This would bring in additional revenue to RID and expand our publications retinue.

 

RID would be would be building another strong partnership, with Boys Town, a large organization with a long, rich and positive history.

 

At some point, RID hopes to employ a top-level staff lobbyist who can work with the various chapters on

the issues of licensure as well as pay, etc. This person could work with the legislatures and departments of education in the various states as well.

 

Think of what RID could do when we grow our membership in more than small increments. We could get new staff, highly-qualified persons to lobby Congress and state legislators, full-time development staff, and more support staff. We could get new equipment, come up with new services for our membership, all in an effort to serve our members and our profession better.

 

Benefits of Change

 

We all know organizations that have not adapted to the changes in the business market. By not adapting to the changing market, we could become like those companies, slowly losing membership and going into a long, slow and quite painful nosedive. RID must represent more of the profession. Those at the Board level, the chapter level, and the national office level, work collectively, often to exhaustion, to end up with a net gain each year of 500, 700, to maybe even 1,000 in a year. Yet, we are not representing even 20% of our market. We must change.

 

To make this move, RID would be illustrating our understanding of the need, in the business world, to embrace change, and grow stronger for it.