COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 122
June 17, 2005
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Educational
Interpreter Qualifications and Training Opportunities |
Educational
interpreters play a valuable role in the education of many children who are
deaf or hard of hearing. These children
depend on the interpreter for their mastery of the material and their ability
to communicate with teachers and peers.
In many cases, the educational interpreter is also the childs primary
language model. The Regulations
Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia
include qualification requirements for personnel providing interpreting
services in Virginia public schools (see Attachment A). The requirements apply to all personnel who
interpret, regardless of their job title.
Attachment B provides further information about interpreters.
The
Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) offers
funds to create professional development opportunities to enable persons
who provide interpreting services to receive the training and mentoring to
achieve the necessary skills to meet the qualification requirements. These
funds are dispersed to school divisions on a regional basis. A grant
coordinator in each region works with each interpreter to develop an
interpreter training plan and ensures that training is aligned with the plan.
Attachment D provides a list of the regional grant coordinators who may be
contacted regarding training opportunities.
As a condition of participating in the grant, each
division/state-operated program human resource director must certify that all
interpreters who do not meet the qualification standards will participate in
grant funded activities (assessment, training, or mentoring) as a condition of
employment (Attachment E). A system
should be in place to monitor their progress at the division level. This certification should be submitted to
the Department of Education upon employment.
Waivers for interpreters who do not meet state standards should be
submitted at the beginning of each school year and as new interpreters are
hired.
For further information about interpreter
qualification requirements or to submit a waiver, contact Dr. Debbie Pfeiffer
at the Virginia Commonwealth University, Partnership for People with
Disabilities, at (804) 828-1342 or dlpfeiffer@vcu.edu
or Dr. Patricia Abrams, director, office of special education instructional
services, at (804) 225-2707 or Pat.Abrams@doe.virginia.gov.
JLD/PA/oml
Attachments
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf122a.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf122b.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf122c.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf122d.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf122e.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf122f.pdf