RID News Pertaining to Educational Intepreters

 

Educational Interpreting in Pennsylvania

 

Text Box: Here is the excerpt of the proposed regulations pertaining to educational interpreters (June 2007): § 14.105. Personnel. (a) An instructional paraprofessional is a school employee who works under the direction of a certificated staff member to support and assist in providing instructional programs and services to children with disabilities or eligible young children. Instructional paraprofessional personnel hired by a school entity on or after July 1, 2008, shall meet the qualifications outlined in paragraph (1) or (2) and paragraph (3) or (4). Instructional paraprofessionals who were hired in that role by a school entity before July 1, 2008, shall meet the qualifications outlined in paragraph (3) or (4) by July 1, 2010. (1) Have completed at least 2 years of postsecondary study. (2) Possess an associate degree or higher. (3) Meet a rigorous standard of quality as demonstrated through a formal State or local academic assessment of knowledge in and ability to assist in instruction in reading, writing and mathematics. (4) Meet a rigorous standard of quality as demonstrated through a formal State or local academic assessment of knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instruction, reading readiness, writing readiness and mathematics readiness, as appropriate. (b) Nothing in subsection (a) should be construed to supersede the terms of a collective bargaining agreement in effect on _____(Editor's Note: The blank refers to the effective date of adoption of this proposed rulemaking.). (c) To serve as an educational interpreter, an individual shall meet the qualifications in paragraph (1) or (2) and paragraph (3): (1) Achieve and provide evidence of a score of 3.5 on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) for the appropriate grade level to which the person has been assigned. (2) Be a qualified educational interpreter or qualified transliterator under the Sign Language Interpreter and Transliterator Registration Act (63 P. S. §§ 1725.1--1725.12) and its implementing regulations. (3) Provide evidence of a minimum of 20 hours of staff development activities relating to interpreting or transliterating services annually. (d) The Board, in consultation with Department, will review the EIPA score requirement every 2 years. (e) The following words and terms, when used in this subsection, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: Case management--Development and management of an individual IEP, and if required in the IEP, monitoring and consultation with regular education or special education teachers, or both. § 14.131. IEP. (iii) Deaf and hard of hearing support. Services for students with the disability of deafness or hearing impairment, who require services to address needs primarily in the area of reading, communication accessing public and private accommodations or use of assistive technologies designed for individuals with deafness or hearing impairment. For these students, the IEP must include a communication plan to address the language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communications with peers and professional personnel in the child's language and communication mode, academic level, and full range of needs, including opportunities for direct instruction in the child's language and communication mode; and assistive technology devices and services.

 

 

Department of Education Proposed Chapter 14 Regulations – June 2007

 

PARID Recommendations to PA State Board of Education for Educational Interpreter Credentials in PA

 

Department of Education Regulations for Educational Interpreters – Draft Regulations March 30, 2007

 

PaTTAN offers free training for interpreters – see Professional Development page

 

Letter from the PA Department of Education – August 2, 2005

 

Letter from the PA Department of Education – August 22, 2005 (pdf)

 

Educational Interpreter Reporting System (EIRS) with the PA Department of Education

           

Pennsylvania Act 57 of 2004, as amended by Act 92 of 2006 - Exemption 7:

 

Section 4.  State registration required.
        (a)  General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), no
     individual may provide or offer to provide sign language
     interpreting or transliterating services, or hold himself as a
     qualified sign language interpreter or qualified transliterator
     or, use a similar title or designation, without being State-
     registered by the office in accordance with this act.
        (b)  Exceptions.--The following individuals are exempt from
     the State registration requirements of subsection (a):
 . . .

(7) An individual employed in a public or private elementary or secondary school or institution chartered by the Commonwealth who engages in interpreting or transliterating for the instruction of students or other school-related activity. Individuals exempt pursuant to this subsection shall comply with regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education establishing criteria for persons providing sign language interpreting and transliterating services to students.

 


Pennsylvania Educational Interpreter’s Handbook

 

Pennsylvania EIPA Assessment Manual

 

Educational Interpreting in Pennsylvania Monograph

 

 

Educational Interpreter Job Opportunities

 

            Louisiana School for the Deaf – Educational Intepreter – posted May 2007

               Contact: Melissa Mills 225-757-3318   www.lalsd.org