Certification for School Terps

The Disabilities Education Improvement Act defines the role of an educational interpreter, but allows individual states to decide the specific standards for interpreters working in schools. Since 2004, more than half of US states (26) have adopted the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment or EIPA, which requires interpreter certification to work with deaf children in schools. While most states have given interpreters extra time to gain certification, shortages have emerged as those grace periods have ended. Rural communities are finding it especially hard to hard to find someone who is certified. The EIPA works from proficiency scale:

• 3.0 is intermediate 
• 4.0 is advanced intermediate 
• 5.0 is advanced 

 If you have an opinion or experience to relate on the value of certified interpreters, please feel free to offer what you know as feedback. Does the certification process work?