6A:9-13.18 Educational interpreter

(a) The educational interpreter endorsement is required for individuals who provide educational interpreting services, sign language interpreting, oral interpreting or cued speech transliteration to students who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind in grades preschool through 12.

(b) To be eligible for the standard educational services certificate with a sign language interpreting endorsement, a candidate shall:

1. Hold an associate or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university and complete the following:

i. The Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) with a minimum score of three; and

ii. 15 semester hour credits of professional education coursework that includes study in child development, language development, curriculum development, methods of instruction, interpreting for visually impaired or blind students and legal and ethical issues for educational interpreters. Such study may be part of the degree program or in addition to the degree program and may be completed at an accredited two year college; or

2. Have a high school diploma or a General Education Diploma (GED), demonstrated interpreting skills as evidenced through the possession of a sign language certificate from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, the National Association of the Deaf or other Department-approved national accrediting agencies for sign language interpreting and complete the following:

i. The EIPA with a minimum score of three; and

ii. Fifteen semester hour credits of professional education coursework that includes study in child development, language development, curriculum development, interpreting for visually-impaired or blind students, legal and ethical issues for educational interpreters and methods of instruction. The study may be completed at an accredited two-year college.

(c) To be eligible for the standard educational services certificate with an oral interpreting endorsement, a candidate shall:

1. Have a high school diploma, a GED or an associate or higher degree;

2. Demonstrate interpreting skills as evidenced through the possession of an oral interpreting certificate from a Department-approved accrediting agency; and

3. Complete fifteen semester hour credits of professional education coursework that includes study in child development, language development, curriculum development, interpreting for visually-impaired or blind students, legal and ethical issues for educational interpreters and methods of instruction. The study may be completed at an accredited two-year college.

(d) To be eligible for the standard educational services certificate with a cued speech transliteration endorsement, a candidate shall:

1. Have a high school diploma, a GED or an associate or higher degree;

2. Demonstrate interpreting skills as evidenced through the possession of a cued speech transliteration certificate from a Department-approved accrediting agency; and

3. Complete fifteen semester hour credits of professional education coursework that includes study in child development, language development, curriculum development, interpreting for visually-impaired or blind students, legal and ethical issues for educational interpreters and methods of instruction. The study may be completed at an accredited two-year college.

(e) An emergency educational interpreter certificate in sign language interpreting may be issued to a candidate who meets the academic degree or diploma requirements at (b)1 or 2 above and has completed the EIPA with a minimum score of three.

(f) An emergency educational interpreter certificate in oral interpreting may be issued to a candidate who meets the academic degree or diploma requirements at (c)1 above and holds an oral interpreting certificate from a Department-approved accrediting agency.

(g) An emergency educational interpreter certificate in cued speech transliteration may be issued to a candidate who meets the academic degree or diploma requirements at (d)1 above and holds a cued speech transliteration certificate from a Department-approved accrediting agency.