ATTENTION
EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS K-12:
BUREAU OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
SUBJECT: Act 57 of
2004 - Educational Interpreters
TO:
Approved Private School Administrators
FROM: Linda O. Rhen, Ed.D. Director
This message provides important
information regarding the qualifications required of Educational Interpreters
beginning in this 2005-06 school year. Please provide copies of this
notice to all currently employed Educational Interpreters and also provide a
copy to any applicant for an interpreter position.
Act 57 of 2004, the Sign Language
Interpreter and
Registration Act became effective on
interpreting and transliterating that occurs after that date. The Act
requires that interpreters and transliterators register with the Office for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) and meet certain requirements. However,
the Act also includes certain specified exemptions to registration, one of
which is for "educational interpreters." Educational
Interpreters are defined, as individuals employed in public or private
elementary or secondary schools, who engage in interpreting or transliterating
for school-related activities. An Educational Interpreter will be exempt
from registration if the interpreter has an Educational Interpreter Performance
Assessment (EIPA) score of 3.5 or above. A registered interpreter may
serve in the schools without taking or having taken the EIPA.
Any currently employed Educational
Interpreter who takes the EIPA and
scores below 3.5 or who currently has an EIPA score below 3.5 may remain
employed and continue to provide interpreting services to student. The
interpreter will be given until the beginning of the 2006-07 school year to engage in professional development activities,
retake the test and score at 3.5 or above. In the 2005-06 school year, no discipline or fines will be imposed upon the
Educational Interpreter by ODHH. However, the Educational Interpreter
will be required to implement and participate in a skill development program
that was developed in consultation with the interpreter's supervisor to address
the interpreter's needs, as identified in the EIPA.
Professional development programs
will be offered through the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance
Network (PaTTAN) to help all Educational Interpreters
improve their skill level, but with particular attention given to addressing
the skills needed for the EIPA. The fee for taking the EIPA test is
$225. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Special
Education (BSE) has been paying $125 of that fee and will continue to do
so. For additional information regarding the EIPA and available training
opportunities, please contact PaTTAN at
1-800-360-7282 or refer to their website at http://www.pattan.net.
If the Educational Interpreter cannot attain a score of 3.5 on the EIPA by the
beginning of the 2006-07 school year, then he/she will
become subject to all of the provisions of Act 57 of 2004 and may be
disciplined under that Act.
If the educational level of the
child/children receiving services from an individual Educational Interpreter
changes, the school district must consider whether the interpreter will be
required to take the EIPA at the appropriate level and attain a score of 3.5
and when the test should be retaken.
New Educational Interpreter
applicants should be required to take the pre-employment EIPA. Assistance
in arranging for this testing is available through PaTTAN.
Results of this evaluation are reported as "Green Light" (go ahead
and hire); "Yellow Light" (hire with caution); and "Red
Light" (don't hire). Educational Interpreters who are hired because their
test results were under the "Green Light" and the "Yellow
Light," as with existing employees will be given until the beginning of
the next school year to attain a 3.5 on the full EIPA. The Bureau
recommends that school districts and intermediate units not hire individuals
who received a "Red Light" score report on the pre-employment test.
Substitute Educational Interpreters
will be expected to meet the same requirements (registration or a 3.5 or better
score on the EIPA) as are full-time staff. However, the Bureau recognizes
that substitute interpreters are sometimes needed on short notice and when a
properly qualified interpreter is unavailable. In such cases, an
individual may provide interpreting service under the emergency exception in
Act 57. If a school district employs a substitute interpreter under the
emergency exception for more than 10 school days, then the school district will
be required to document its efforts to procure a registered interpreter or one
with an EIPA score of 3.5 or more.
A reporting system is being
developed for school districts, intermediate units, charter schools and
approved private schools to report information regarding educational
interpreters in their employ during October of each year. Information
regarding the reporting process and requirements will be available in late
August 2005.
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