Resources

General Resources for Interpreters

• "A Few Minutes In the Life of A Sign Interpreter Interpreter, the Classroom"
  • This is a funny video to show or watch about how staff members may not understand how sign language interpreters do their jobs.
• Boys Town National Research Hospital
  • Established in 1999, the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) Diagnostic Center is the only program of its kind in the world. The program focuses on supporting the unique skills required for sign interpretation in the educational setting.
• Boys Town National Research Hospital Interpreter Guide
  • A series of publications were developed for school administrators, educators, educational interpreters, students, and parents to support language access for children who are deaf and hard of hearing in general education settings
• Classroom Interpreting for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
  • This video shows how classroom teachers, D/HH teachers, and educational interpreters can successfully collaborate to enhance DHH students' education and learning in the classroom.  This video is a great resource to show district staff members how to collaboratively work together to ensure the DHH students can learn and access information from all staff members in the classroom.
• Communication Assessments for Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs)
  
  • It is important for educational interpreters to provide feedback and observations of their Deaf/hard of hearing students prior to IEP meetings. Educational interpreters should be able to use a variety of assessments to get consistent results. Educational interpreters are often the ones who know their students the best. Provide as much information as possible!

    • Checklist of Student Use of Interpreter Services

    • Informal Inventory of Independence and Self-Advocacy Skills for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students

    • Instructional Communication Access Checklist for Interpreter

    • Minnesota Social Skills Checklist for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

    • PARC: Placement and Readiness Checklists for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

    • Pre (and Post) Learning Assessment of ASL Proficiency

    • Social Communication Skills, the Pragmatic Checklist

    • Communication Plans for Interpreters for Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs)

    • Instructional Communication Access Checklist For Interpreters

• F.A.S.T.
  • The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (F.A.S.T.)  is the statewide, standardized progress-monitoring system for public school students from VPK through 10th grade in English Language Arts (ELA) Reading, and grades 3–8 in Mathematics.
• Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) Portal
  • The Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) program is designed for students whose participation in the general statewide assessment is not appropriate, even with accommodations, and it implements the requirements of Section 1008.22, Florida Statutes, requiring assessments that accurately measure the core curricular content for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. This portal provides resources for students, parents, educators, test administrators, school assessment coordinators, district assessment coordinators, and technology coordinators.
• Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Accommodations Reference Guide
  • This quick reference guide provides examples of the effects of a disability and related accommodations. It is not a comprehensive list of all possible effects of a disability and accommodations.
• Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Alternative Instruments
  • The FDOE has approved the use of the alternative instruments that are available for local use in evaluating students with visual and hearing impairments who are not able to access the Star Early Literacy or FAST. Please see the attachments for a list of these alternative instruments.
    • Florida’s Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST)
      Alternatives for Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
    • Florida's Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST)
      Alternatives for Students with a Visual Impairment

• Florida Registry Of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc
  • FRID strives to improve the professional lives of interpreters and the quality and accessibility of interpreting services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals living in Florida. 
• Language Equality & Acquisition Deaf Kids (LEAD-K)
  • At LEAD-K, we believe that Deaf children benefit from American Sign Language (ASL), a natural visual language, however our goal is language acquisition regardless of the language used, whether ASL or English or both.
• Laurent Clerc Center
  • The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University is a federally funded center with exemplary elementary and secondary education programs for deaf and hard of hearing students and is tasked with developing and disseminating innovative curricula, instructional techniques, and products nationwide while providing information, training, and technical assistance for parents and professionals to meet the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students from birth to age 21.
• National Association of the Deaf
  • The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. 
• National Association of Interpreters in Education
  • The NAIE believes students who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind have the right to access the educational environment using professional interpreting services. NAIE, therefore, plays a critical role in supporting and advocating for interpreters in education by acknowledging and addressing the complex challenges of the work they do.
  • NAIE Code of Ethics - While it is best practice to utilize “educational interpreter” as the official title of employment, the National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE) asserts that this Code of Ethics applies to each individual who provides any type of interpreting in an educational setting, regardless of official job title.
  • NAIE Professional Guidelines - Professional Guidelines for Interpreting in Educational Settings creates a framework that broadly reflects the quality of services required to support students in accordance with their Individualized Education Programs. 
• National Black Deaf Advocates
  • National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) is the official advocacy organization for thousands of Black Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans. For more than three decades, NBDA has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts for civil rights and equal access to education, employment, and social services on behalf of the Black Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the United States.
• Parent Advocacy (for IEPs)
  • Families of deaf and hard of hearing children attend meetings—Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, 504 meetings, and other types of meetings. What are these meetings about? How can you be the best advocate for your child? The Parent Advocacy helps you to understand your child’s rights and to prepare you to work with the school in the best interest of your child.
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc
  • The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID), a national membership organization, plays a leading role in advocating for excellence in the delivery of interpretation and transliteration services between people who use sign language and people who use spoken language.
• Resource Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  • Established in 1978 by the Florida Legislature, the Resource Materials and Technology Center: Deaf/Hard of Hearing (RMTC-D/HH) is a statewide discretionary project. In addition, RMTC-D/HH staff provide on-site training and technical assistance to all school districts, families, and other state and federal discretionary projects working with students who are deaf/hard of hearing.
• St Catherine University Graduation to Certification Interactive Interpreting Practice Library
  • The Graduation to Certification Interactive Interpreting Practice Library is a collection of videos created from the GTC project that were created as an opportunity to give GTC participants authentic practice with actual conversations.
• Stories by Hand 
  • Professional development resources that are free or low-cost (Most offer CEUs)
• The Science Bank
  • The largest free loan program of humane science alternatives in the United States. The Science Bank is home to hundreds of high-quality, animal-friendly humane science education products. 
• True Biz Resources
  • Ready-to-use ASL lessons & activities for real-world fluency, voice-off & FUN!
• Wordless books
  • This is a list of books that have only pictures.  This is a great way to have D/HH students create stories and build on comprehension and fluency.