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1.1: Interpreting in Educational Settings

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    288761
    • Deborah Cates

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    This chapter is about interpreting in preschool through twelfth grade. This setting is sometimes referred to as educational interpreting, K-12, or PK-12. Interpreting in this setting is different from interpreting in other settings for several reasons: interpreting for children is different from interpreting for adults, there are specific legal considerations for educational interpreting, and the role and responsibilities of educational interpreters as school staff members are often different from those of interpreters in general community settings.

    Interpreting for Children

    Children, especially in earlier grades, are still developing their language (Schmitt et al., 2017). In many cases, children in PK-12 settings are learning American Sign Language (ASL), at least in part, from their interpreter (Caselli, Hall, & Henner, 2020). This means that interpreters are tasked with modeling the language at the same time they are interpreting educational content. Though this is not best practice, it is common practice. Best practice would be to have multiple native language models for young children to support their language acquisition prior to the introduction of an interpreter. In addition to the difficulty of modeling language while also interpreting content, many interpreters are not fluent language models of ASL (Cates, 2021). Young children also cannot tell when their interpreter is unskilled. They do not have the ability to distinguish between their own learning abilities and their interpreter’s interpreting abilities. Furthermore, schools often do not have anyone qualified to evaluate the effectiveness of the interpreter (Johnson et al., 2018). This means that the most highly qualified interpreters should be working with the youngest children. However, the most unskilled interpreters are often placed with or take jobs with young children under the false impression that elementary grades are “easier”.

    Children also undergo substantial development as they move through school. As they mature, their understanding of their interpreter, and their world, changes in complexity and substance. Educational interpreters must understand the process of child development and its effects on pedagogy– that is, the approach to educating children. They need to understand how learning and knowledge are scaffolded. In other words, each new concept is built on previous concepts, the same way a scaffold for a building is built up of layers of supports and platforms. This process of building knowledge on top of knowledge continues throughout each school year and from grade to grade. Educational interpreters need to be skilled at analyzing, identifying, and representing this scaffolded information in simultaneous interpreting.

    For these reasons, interpreting for children in school is substantially different from interpreting for adults. Unlike adults, young children do not know what an interpreter is, nor how to use one. For them, interpreters are indistinguishable from other adults. Children have to learn that the interpreter is not the one “speaking” and that one interpreter may represent many different people within a single interaction. They have to learn how to effectively use their interpreter when many other visuals are competing for their attention. They have to learn the difference between what it looks like for an interpreter to “interpret” or “transliterate” to know how to advocate for their language and communication needs. They have to learn the difference between not understanding content and not understanding their interpreter. This is all on top of their task of learning language. And, the interpreter is often the one responsible for helping a child navigate all of these factors.

    Legal Considerations for Educational Environments

    While the ethical mandate of confidentiality governs all interpreting, educational settings are governed by specific statutes that make it illegal to share information in some situations and required to share it in others. In all educational settings, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) specifies ownership of personal academic information, including where, how, by whom, and to whom that information can be shared (US Department of Education, 2021).

    In special education, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) designates educational interpreters as related service providers, similar to speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists (US Department of Education, n.d.). Related service providers under IDEA provide students in special education with services designated by the child’s individualized education plan (IEP). Services include things like specially designed instruction (SDI), speech-language services, and interpreting. The IEP is a legal document that details the specific supports children need in order to receive a Free And Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in their Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

    Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (as amended 1973) includes provisions for reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. For deaf students who are mainstreamed in general education environments without an IEP, Section 504 guarantees their right to accommodations such as interpreters. These students will have a 504 plan that specifies the accommodations they receive. Regardless of whether a student is on an IEP or a 504, the educational interpreter is a member of the child’s team. This means that the interpreter should share information with the IEP team about how the student is using the interpreter and any related observations.

    Educational interpreters are also mandatory reporters (Liu & Vaughn, 2019). This means that if an interpreter in school becomes aware of or suspects abuse or child neglect, they are legally required to report it. School districts will have policies and procedures in place for making reports, and interpreters must follow them. Reports will be confidential, and there is no burden of proof on the person making the report. If you suspect something, say something. In addition to guidelines for mandatory reporting, school district handbooks may also include policies on reporting concerns about student-to-student sexual misconduct or suicidal ideation or attempts. Educational interpreters are required to follow these policies.

    Role and Responsibilities of School Staff Interpreters

    The role and responsibilities of educational interpreters who are school employees are delineated in their job description. Educational interpreters working as independent contractors through an agency may not have additional responsibilities. However, they are still adults working in schools and are therefore bound by the same laws as school employees.

    While the role of educational interpreters is the same as the role of community interpreters insofar as interpreting is their primary function, their responsibilities differ. The National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE) has published Professional Guidelines for Interpreting in Educational Settings (National Association of Interpreters in Education, 2019) that address common responsibilities of educational interpreters. These include facilitating student independence, teaching them how to use an interpreter, supporting the school environment, tutoring, supporting language development, and supporting hearing assistive technology. Many states have their own handbooks for educational interpreters as well.

    Educational interpreters must work closely with teachers and other educational professionals. These professionals often have little or no experience working with interpreters or deaf students. Oftentimes, they assume the educational interpreter is a paraprofessional, more like an aide, who can be expected to perform other duties in the classroom or work with other students. Therefore, another common responsibility of educational interpreters is to explain their role and function to school personnel.

    Recommended Qualifications for Interpreting in Educational Settings

    The NAIE guidelines (2019) articulate minimum recommended requirements for educational interpreters: a bachelor’s degree with specialized training in the field of educational interpreting, an Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) score of 4.0 or higher, passing the EIPA Written Test (EIPA:WT), and continuing education. The NAIE recommends a bachelor’s degree because educational settings require interpreters to have a broad knowledge base in core subjects. They also need training specifically in educational theory, child development, language acquisition, roles and responsibilities in the educational environment, ethical professional practices in educational settings, and state and federal laws governing education, including special education and deaf education. The NAIE also recommends an EIPA score of 4.0 or higher because that is the level at which interpreters can work independently without supervision (Johnson et al., 2018). They also recommend passing the EIPA:WT because that exam covers required knowledge specific to educational settings. The NAIE recommend continuing education because it is essential for skill maintenance, growth, and keeping up to date on best practices.

    Although these are the recommended standards from our national organization, states set their own requirements for educational interpreters. The NAIE publishes the state-by-state requirements for educational interpreters on their website. As of March 2023, five states require an EIPA 3.0, 22 states require an EIPA 3.5, 14 states require an EIPA 4.0, four states do not recognize the EIPA, and five states and Washington, D.C. are unregulated (National Association of Interpreters in Education, 2023). Of all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., only three states meet all of the NAIE recommended standards- Nevada, New Mexico, and Delaware.

    Ethical Considerations in Educational Settings

    In addition to the guidelines, the NAIE has created the Educational Interpreter Code of Ethics (EICOE) (National Association of Interpreters in Education, 2021). This code reflects some of the differences between interpreting in educational versus general community settings. For example, the first tenet in the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Code of Professional Conduct (2005) is “interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication”. (p.2). The first tenet in the EICOE is “interpreters respect student autonomy” (National Association of Interpreters in Education, 2021, p.1).

    Ethical dilemmas often arise from philosophical differences over deaf education and the linguistic status of ASL, though that is not the only source. Some examples of ethical dilemmas that may occur include:

    An IEP may require a student to wear hearing assistive technology, but the student may not want to wear it.

    Another related services provider, such as the teacher of the deaf, wants the interpreter to use more English-ordered signing, but the interpreter perceives that the student does not understand it.

    A deaf student receives mental health counseling services from an outside provider during the school day. The school district expects the student’s regular educational interpreter to interpret those sessions.

    The interpreter recognizes that a student who is language deprived needs the services of a Deaf interpreter, but the IEP team or school district refuses to hire one, or cannot find one in the area.

    The interpreter believes that a mainstream setting is not the LRE for a student, but the school district prohibits the interpreter from mentioning alternative placement, such as education at a state school for the deaf.

    An interpreter is interpreting for students during downtime and the students swear, violating the school’s student code of conduct.

    An interpreter working in a rural school district is the only interpreter in the town, interpreting for the only deaf student in the town. They are called through an agency to interpret for the deaf student at a doctor’s appointment.

    Educational interpreters must navigate these types of scenarios.

    Preparation for Interpreting in Educational Settings

    Just as teachers are required to have knowledge of the content they are teaching, so too interpreters must have knowledge of the content they are interpreting. To prepare for educational interpreting, interpreters should study core subjects such as English, math, science, and social studies. They should also be familiar with health education, common sports, art, music, and social-emotional development. Interpreters working in secondary settings will likely also interpret some advanced or specialized topics such as anatomy, chemistry, government, pottery, construction, and theater.

    One benefit of educational settings is that there is some predictability to the materials that will be covered in any given course. Teachers may have online learning platforms like Google Classroom or Canvas, and interpreters can be added to them. Each state also has core standards that outline the expectations for each grade level in core academic areas. Interpreters should become familiar with their state’s core standards. Additionally, interpreters may request copies of course textbooks, research course topics online, and discuss the teacher’s goals and plans for classes in advance. Even with the opportunity to prepare, teachers may change their plans, so it is still essential to remain flexible.

    Concluding Thoughts

    Educational interpreting is often thought of as a safe starting point for interpreters to gain skills and experience before going out into community settings. However, as this chapter shows, educational interpreting is a specialized and complex field. Only the most highly qualified interpreters with appropriate additional training should be educational interpreters.

    Activities

    Activity 1: Go to www.khanacademy.org and create an account. It is free to use this site, though donations are encouraged. Browse the topics available and select a course to take. This is a great way to increase your knowledge on a topic or to review something you have learned in the past. Khan Academy tutorial videos on specific subjects make excellent prep materials for interpreters.

    Activity 2: Look up the core standards for your state. Become familiar with how core standards are written. Look at the standards for a core area from kindergarten through twelfth grades. Notice how the standards are scaffolded.

    Related Resources

    References

    Caselli, N. K., Hall, W. C., & Henner, J. (2020). American Sign Language interpreters in public schools: An illusion of inclusion that perpetuates language deprivation. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 24, 1323-1329.

    Cates, D. M. (2021). Patterns in EIPA test scores and implications for interpreter Education.

    Journal of Interpretation, 29(1), 6. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/joi/vol29/iss1/6/.

    Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99 (2011) Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/...rpa/index.html.

    Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004). Retrieved from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/.

    Johnson, L. J., Taylor, M. M., Schick, B. S., Brown, S., & Bolster, L. (2018). Complexities in educational interpreting: An investigation into patterns of practice. Interpreting Consolidated.

    Liu, B. C. C., & Vaughn, M. S. (2019). Legal and policy issues from the United States and internationally about mandatory reporting of child abuse. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 64, 219-229.

    National Association of Interpreters in Education. (2021). Educational interpreter code of ethics. Retrieved from https://naiedu.org/wp-content/upload...-of-Ethics.pdf.

    National Association of Interpreters in Education. (2019). Professional guidelines for interpreting in educational settings (1st ed.). Retrieved from www.naiedu.org/guidelines

    National Association of Interpreters in Education (2023, March 31). State requirements for educational interpreters. Retrieved from https://naiedu.org/state-standards/.

    Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. (2005). NAD-RID Code of professional conduct. Retrieved from https://rid.org/programs/ethics/code...ional-conduct/.

    Schmitt, M. B., Logan, J. A., Tambyraja, S. R., Farquharson, K., & Justice, L. M. (2017).Establishing language benchmarks for children with typically developing language and children with language impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60(2), 364-378.

    Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C § 794 (Section 504). Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/li...cr/504faq.html.

    This page titled 1.1: Interpreting in Educational Settings is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Deborah Cates.