Evaluations:
Educational Interpreter Evaluations are offered by the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.

NOTE: The EIE is currently suspended while new materials are made.

Those wanting to be evaluated should register by contacting:

Sally King, EIE Chair
FRID
P.O. Box 451988
Sunrise, FL 33345-1988
salkin@juno.com

A preparational/study packet is available to download at http://www.fridcentral.com/documents/05EIEstudymanual.pdf

Kelly Combs is the QA Chairperson. You can reach her through the FRID web site www.fridcentral.com Those wanting to participate in the Quality Assurance Screening can contact:
Ms. Linda Horton

Applications should be sent to:
F.R.I.D. QA Application
P. O. Box 273246
Tampa, FL 33688-3246

Applications www.fridcentral.com/qa.php
The QA study manual is available to download.

I. Florida developed tools
The evaluation tools developed by the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (FRID): Educational Interpreter Evaluation (EIE) and Quality Assurance Screening (QA) do not meet the national criteria for validity, reliability and fairness for testing and credentialing set forth by the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). However, use of the tools during the last 15 years show they provide valuable information about an individual's interpreting/ transliterating abilities.® Educational Interpreter Evaluation (EIE) Functional Descriptors

EIE 1: Denotes a (K-12) educational interpreter with entry-level abilities, who accurately received and expressed at least 60% of the material presented during the Educational Interpreter Evaluation. An interpreter with this level should be able to competently handle interpreting situations in which there is an opportunity to stop the student/professional for clarification or repetition. EIE 2: Denotes an educational interpreter (K-12) with entry-level abilities, who accurately received and expressed at least 75% of the material presented during the Educational Interpreter Evaluation. An interpreter with this level should be able to competently handle more difficult, faster paced communication where there may or may not be an opportunity to stop the student/professional for clarification or repetition.

EIE 3: Denotes an educational interpreter (K-12) with entry-level abilities, who accurately received and expressed at least 90% of the material presented during the Educational Interpreter Evaluation. An interpreter with this level should be able to proficiently handle a full range of communication situations occurring in an educational environment.

Quality Assurance (QA) Screening Functional Descriptors

QA 1 - Basic Apprentice Interpreter
This individual has demonstrated competency in the knowledge of professional ethics for interpreting. This individual has demonstrated basic proficiency in interpreting and transliterating, sign to spoken English and spoken English to sign. This individual is capable of facilitating communication between individuals who are hearing and individuals who are deaf in one-to-one situation which are non-emergency, non-technical, and non-risk. It is strongly suggested that this individual function under close supervision of an individual having professional interpreting skills and knowledge of deafness. QA 2 - Intermediate Apprentice Interpreter
This individual has demonstrated competency in the knowledge of professional ethics for interpreting. This individual has demonstrated intermediate proficiency in interpreting and transliterating, sign to spoken English and spoken English to sign. This individual is capable of facilitating communication between individuals who are hearing and individuals who are deaf in one-to-one and small group situations in which the content ranges from informal to formal and non-technical to technical. However, the situations are neither legal nor high risk in nature. It is strongly suggested that this individual be monitored by an individual having professional interpreting skills and knowledge of deafness.

QA 3 - Advanced Apprentice Interpreter
This individual has demonstrated competency in the knowledge of professional ethics for interpreting. This individual has demonstrated advanced proficiency in interpreting and transliterating, sign to spoken English and spoken English to sign. This individual is capable of facilitating communication between individuals who are hearing and individuals who are deaf in one-to-one and small group situations in which the content ranges from informal to formal and non-technical to technical. However, the situations are neither legal nor high risk in nature. It is strongly suggested that this individual be monitored by an individual having professional interpreting skills and knowledge of deafness.

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II. Nationally developed evaluation tools

National Council on Interpreting (NCI)
www.rid.org
This is a joint NAD-RID effort creating a new national interpreter testing and certification system. This new test will have 3 parts: written, interview, and performance. There are three levels of certification: NIC (Certified), NIC Advanced and NIC Master. All levels are considered professional-level certified interpreters and all are eligible, as long as they meet the application criteria, to apply to take the Specialist Certificate: Legal Examination. Those who pass as NIC (Certified) have shown basic professional-level interpreting/ transliterating skills. Those who pass as NIC Advanced have scored within the standard range on the interview portion and high on the performance portion of the examination. Those awarded the NIC Master designation scored high on both the interview and performance portions of the test.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) Functional Descriptors
The RID National Testing System (NTS) strives to maintain adherence to nationally recognized testing industry standards of validity, reliability and equity. An independent psychometrician is retained by RID and oversees test development and revision processes. RID maintains affiliation with the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) the entity that sets national criteria for validity, reliability and fairness in testing and credentialing.

NIC - Individuals who achieve the NIC level have passed the NIC Knowledge exam. They have also scored within the standard range of a professional interpreter on the interview and performance portions of the test. Offered beginning 2005.

NIC Advanced - Individuals who achieved the NIC Advanced level have passed the NIC Knowledge exam; scored within the standard range of a professional interpreter on the interview portion; and scored within the high range on the performance portion of the test. Offered beginning 2005.

NIC Master - Individuals who achieved the NIC Master level have passed the NIC Knowledge exam. They have scored within the high range of a professional interpreter on both the interview and performance portions of the test. Offered beginning 2005.

Certificate of Interpretation (CI) – holders of this certificate are recognized as fully certified in Interpretation and have demonstrated the ability to interpret between American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English in both sign-to-voice and voice-to-sign. The interpreter’s ability to transliterate is not considered in this certification. Holders of the CI are recommended for a broad range of interpretation assignments.

Certificate of Transliteration (CT) - holders of this certificate are recognized as fully certified in Transliteration and have demonstrated the ability to transliterate between English-based sign language and spoken English in both sign-to-voice and voice-to-sign. The transliterator’s ability to interpret is not considered in this certification. Holders of the CT are recommended for a broad range of transliteration assignments.

Comprehensive Skills Certificate (CSC) – holders of this certificate have demonstrated that ability to interpret between American Sign Language and spoken English and to transliterate between spoken English and a English-based sign language. The CSC examination was offered until 1987. Holders of this certificate are recommended for a broad range of interpreting and transliterating assignments. This test is no longer offered.Master

Comprehensive Skills Certificate (MCSC) – the MCSC examination was designed with the intent of testing for a higher standard of performance than the CSC. Holders of this certificate were required to hold the CSC prior to taking this exam. Holders of this certificate are recommended for a broad range of interpreting and transliterating assignments. This test is no longer offered.

Certification of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliteration (CI and CT) – holders of both certificates have demonstrated competence in both interpretation and transliteration and have the same flexibility of job acceptance as holders of the CSC. Holders of the CI and CT are recommended for a broad range of interpretation and transliteration assignments.

Interpretation Certificate/Transliteration Certificate (IC/TC) – holders of this partial certificate demonstrated ability to interpret between American Sign Language and spoken English and the ability to transliterate between English and a signed code for English. This individual received scores on the CSC examination which prevented the awarding of full CSC certification. The IC/TC is no longer offered.

Interpretation Certificate (IC) – holders of this partial certificate demonstrated ability to interpret between American Sign Language and spoken English. This individual received scores on the CSC examination which prevented the awarding of full CSC certification or partial IC/TC certification. The IC is no longer offered.

Transliteration Certificate (TC) – holders of this partial certificate demonstrated ability to transliterate between English and a signed code for English. This individual received scores on the CSC examination which prevented the awarding of full CSC certification or partial IC/TC certification. The TC is no longer offered.

Oral Transliteration Certificate (OTC) – holders of this generalist certificate have demonstrated ability to transliterate a spoken message from a person who hears to a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing and the ability to understand and repeat the message and intent of the speech and mouth movements of the person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. This test is currently available.

Oral Interpreting Certificate: Comprehensive (OIC:C) - holders of this generalist certificate have demonstrated ability to transliterate a spoken message from a person who hears to a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing and the ability to understand and repeat the message and intent of the speech and mouth movements of the person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. This certification is no longer offered. Individuals wishing oral certification should take the OTC exam noted above.

Oral Interpreting Certificate: Spoken to Visible (OIC:S/V) - holders of this partial certificate demonstrated the ability to transliterate a spoken message from a person who hears to a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. This individual received scores on the OIC:C examination which prevented the awarding of full OIC:C certification. The OIC:S/V certification is no longer offered. Individuals wishing oral certification should take the OTC exam noted above.

Oral Interpreting Certificate: Visible to Spoken (OIC:V/S) - holders of this partial certificate demonstrated the ability to understand the speech and silent mouth movements of a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing and to repeat the message for a hearing person. This individual received scores on the OIC:C examination which prevented the awarding of full OIC:C certification. The OIC:V/S certification is no longer offered. Individuals wishing oral certification should take the OTC exam noted above.

National Association for the Deaf (NAD) Interpreter Certification Program Functional Descriptors
The evaluation tool developed by the National Association for the Deaf (NAD: Interpreter Certification program does not meet the national criteria for validity, reliability and fairness for testing and credentialing set forth by the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). However, use of the tool has shown it provides valuable information about an individual's interpreting/transliterating abilities. This evaluation is no longer offered but individuals holding Levels 3, 4 or 5 are considered certified interpreters.Certified Assessment Levels:

Level 3 (Generalist)
The individual who attains this level possesses above average voice-to-sign skills and good sign-to-voice skills, and demonstrates the interpreting skill necessary for some situations.

Level 4 (Advanced)
The individual who attains this level possesses excellent voice-to-sign skills and above average sign-to-voice skills, and demonstrates the interpreting skill necessary for most situations.

Level 5 (Master)
The individual who attains this level possesses superior voice-to-sign skills and excellent sign-to-voice skills, and demonstrates the interpreting skill necessary for just about all situations.

EIPA – Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment Functional Descriptors
The Revised/Standardized Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment is a nationally normed test to determine interpreting/ ransliterating skills for individual working in educational settings. The test developers have completed extensive reliability and validity studies on this instrument.

EIPA 3: Intermediate
Demonstrates knowledge of basic vocabulary, but may lack vocabulary for more technical, complex, or academic topics. Individual is able to sign in a fairly fluent manner using some consistent prosody, but pacing is still slow with infrequent pauses for vocabulary or complex structures. Sign production may show some errors but will not interfere with communication. Grammatical production may still be incorrect, especially for complex structures, but is in general, intact for routine and simple language. Comprehends signed messages but may need repetition and assistance, and voiced translation often lacks depth and subtleties of the original message. An individual at this level would be able to communicate very basic classroom content, but may incorrectly interpret complex information resulting in a message that is not always clear. An interpreter at this level needs continued supervision, and should be required to participate in continuing education in interpreting.EIPA 4: Advanced Intermediate
Demonstrates broad use of vocabulary with sign production generally correct. Demonstrates good strategies for conveying information when a specific sign is not in their vocabulary. Grammatical constructions are generally clear and consistent, but complex information may still pose occasional problems. Prosody is good, with appropriate facial expression most of the time. May still have difficulty with the use of facial expression in complex sentences and adverbial non-manual markers. Fluency may deteriorate when rate or complexity of communication increases. Uses space consistently most of the time, but complex constructions or extended use of discourse comprehension may still pose problems. Comprehension of most signed messages at a normal rate is good but translation may lack some complexity of the original message. An individual at this level would be able to convey much of the classroom content, but may have difficulty with complex topics or rapid turn-taking.

EIPA 5: Advanced
Demonstrates broad and fluent use of vocabulary, with strategies for creating and communicating new words. Sign production errors are minimal and never interfere with comprehension. Prosody is correct for grammatical, non-verbal markers, and affective purposes. Complex grammatical constructions are typically not a problem. Comprehension of signed messages is very good, communicating all details of the original message. An individual at this level is capable of clearly and accurately conveying the majority of interactions within the classroom.

Cued Language Transliterator National Certification Examination (CLTNCE) Functional Descriptors4
The Basic Cued Speech Proficiency Rating (BSCPR)

BSCPR 4: expressive skills of the cuer have been rated proficient. This is not a test of cueing speed nor of transliteration skills, it is a prerequisite for the CLTNCE.TSC:3 (Transliteration Skills Certificate): Competent: Performs with intermediate skills and knowledge of function. This certificate is no longer offered. TSC:4 (Transliteration Skills Certificate): Expert: Performs with comprehensive skills and knowledge of function. This certificate is no longer offered.

TSC (Transliteration Skills Certificate): Expert: Performs with comprehensive skills and knowledge of function.

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Contact Information
Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (FRID)
Provides manual QA Screening and EIE evaluation.

Sally King, EIE Chair
FRID
P.O. Box 451988
Sunrise, FL 33345-1988
salkin@juno.com

Kelly Combs, QA Administrative Team Leader
P.O. P.O. Box 451988
Sunrise, FL 33345-1988
QAChair@tampabay.rr.com

For applying, sending fees, and requesting materials write:

FRID
P.O. Box 451988
Sunrise, FL 33345-1988
www.fridcentral.com

National Council of Interpreting (NCI) is a joint effort by NAD and RID to establish a new single evaluation/certification system for interpreters and transliterators. Initial written test will be offered in June 2004. www.rid.org

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID)
Provides Manual and Oral Transliteration and Interpretation Certification

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID)
333 Commerce Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
704-838-0030
TTY: 703-838-0459
Fax: 703-838-0454
Email: ntspa@rid.org
www.rid.org

Local Test Administrators (LTA):

National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
Provided manual Interpreter Certification levels for a number of years. Currently, it does not offer its own certification system, but has entered into a joint testing program with RID.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
814 Thayer Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4500
301-587-1788
Email: nadinterp@nad.org
www.nad.org

TECHUnit
Offers cued language proficiency examination and national certification for transliterators.

CLTNCE
P.O. Box 3116
Silver Spring, MD 20918
Phone: 301-434-1137

Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA)
Offers assessment of manual interpreters
www.classroominterpreting.org/EIPA/standards/index.asp

Co-developers:

Kevin Wiliams
Boys Town National Research Hospital
555 North 30th Street
Omaha, NB 68131-9909
Phone: 402-498-6511
Email: williamk@boystown.org

Dr. Brenda Schick
University of Colorado
CB 409
Boulder CO 80309-0409
Phone: 303-492-7339
Email: brenda.schick@colorado.edu

Questions?Shannon C. Simon, M.S., CI, CT, CSC, OIC:C
Professional Development Coordinator
Interpreter Preparation Initiative
University of North Florida
1 UNF Drive
Jacksonville FL 32224
Toll free 866-697-7150
Local 904-620-1386
FAX 904-620-2982
Home office 904-829-1899

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