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Educational Interpreters and Interpreter Licensure
- Who is considered an “Educational Interpreter”?
Interpreters who provide interpreting services to deaf and hard of hearing students in the K-12 setting and in compliance with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Rules. - When interpreting only in the educational K-12 setting, do I need an interpreter license?
No. Under Section 25 of the Interpreters for the Deaf Licensure Act of 2007, educational interpreters in compliance with ISBE are exempt. - Is interpreting in post-secondary settings such as college and university classes considered “educational interpreting”?
No. An Educational interpreter is one that provides interpreting services in educational environments under the regulatory authority of ISBE. - Is it still “educational interpreting” when interpreting for a deaf or hard of hearing student in a school sponsored extra-curricular events such as sports or field trips?
Yes. An educational environment includes activities not only in the classroom but includes laboratories, shops, playgrounds, libraries or other educational settings. - Can an “educational interpreter” interpret for deaf adults such as parents or teachers when part of the school activities such as staff meetings or parent-teacher conferences?
No. An educational interpreter is one that provides interpreting services to a deaf or hard of hearing student. When interpreting for a deaf or hard of hearing adult, the interpreter must be licensed and have the required proficiency level for the interpreting assignment. - I don’t see school activities listed under any of the proficiency levels in the Interpreter Licensure rules?
The proficiency levels list broad categories of interpreting assignments. A school providing services to a deaf parent would fall under government services. However, an interpreter for a deaf staff member would fall under employment. The interpreting assignment must be looked at on a case by case basis to determine the correct license proficiency level. - What level of a licensed interpreter is needed when interpreting for a deaf adult in the following settings:
- Parent Teacher Conferences – General License, Intermediate Proficiency Level
- Staff Socials or Parent’s Night – Provisional License
- Staff Meetings – General License, Intermediate Proficiency Level
- IEP Meetings – Depends on who the interpreting services are for, a Deaf parent would require an Interpreter with a General License, Intermediate Proficiency Level. For a deaf student, it could be an Educational Interpreter; however, it cannot be the educational interpreter which is part of the IEP team. An educational interpreter part of the team cannot individually participate and interpret at the same time.