Arkansas Standards for Educational Interpreters
And Transliterators (Fourth Edition, 2016)
The Arkansas Department of Education, Special Education Unit (ADE-SEU) maintains the register of Educational Interpreters as employed in Arkansas public schools. According to the Arkansas Standards for Educational Interpreters and Transliterators (Fourth Edition, 2016), public agencies employing educational interpreters for the deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or oral deaf, must comply with the legal standards established by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). See ADE, Special Education Unit, Procedural Requirements and Program Standards 26.02.2.3.
The Standards further state: All educational interpreters and transliterators employed by a school district prior to the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, must obtain the minimum standards within the applicable required timeframe starting from the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year. The following are the Minimum, Provisional and Preferred standards in Arkansas.
Minimum standards:
(I) Must hold a valid interpreter’s license issued by the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH);
(II) Must have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
(III) a. 3.0 on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA), or
b. Quality Assurance Screening Test (QAST) 3/3 (transliterating /interpreting).
Provisional standards:
Provisional standard timelines are cumulative for all employment within educational settings and may not be repeated from school district to school district.
(I) Must obtain minimum standards within 2 academic years of employment if, at the time of employment, he or she:
a. (1) is a qualified interpreter licensed by ADH, or
(2) is eligible to apply to be a qualified interpreter licensed by ADH and
applies within one month of employment to obtain licensure; and
b. holds at least a:
(1) 2.5 EIPA, or
(2) QAST 2/2 (transliterating /interpreting).
(II) Must obtain minimum standards within 3 academic years of employment if, at the time of employment, he or she:
a. (1) is a qualified interpreter licensed by ADH, or
(2) is eligible to apply to be a qualified interpreter licensed by ADH and
applies within one month of employment to obtain licensure; and
b. holds at least a:
(1) 2.0 on EIPA, or
(2) QAST 1/1 (transliterating /interpreting).
Preferred standards:
The preferred standard of educational interpreters for all employment within educational settings exceeds the minimum standard.
(I) Meet minimum standards, and
(II) Possess a baccalaureate or associate’s degree, and
(III) Obtains a passing score on the EIPA written assessment, and
(IV) Holds credentials with the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).
The Standards further state: All educational interpreters and transliterators employed by a school district prior to the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, must obtain the minimum standards within the applicable required timeframe starting from the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year. The following are the Minimum, Provisional and Preferred standards in Arkansas.
Minimum standards:
(I) Must hold a valid interpreter’s license issued by the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH);
(II) Must have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
(III) a. 3.0 on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA), or
b. Quality Assurance Screening Test (QAST) 3/3 (transliterating /interpreting).
Provisional standards:
Provisional standard timelines are cumulative for all employment within educational settings and may not be repeated from school district to school district.
(I) Must obtain minimum standards within 2 academic years of employment if, at the time of employment, he or she:
a. (1) is a qualified interpreter licensed by ADH, or
(2) is eligible to apply to be a qualified interpreter licensed by ADH and
applies within one month of employment to obtain licensure; and
b. holds at least a:
(1) 2.5 EIPA, or
(2) QAST 2/2 (transliterating /interpreting).
(II) Must obtain minimum standards within 3 academic years of employment if, at the time of employment, he or she:
a. (1) is a qualified interpreter licensed by ADH, or
(2) is eligible to apply to be a qualified interpreter licensed by ADH and
applies within one month of employment to obtain licensure; and
b. holds at least a:
(1) 2.0 on EIPA, or
(2) QAST 1/1 (transliterating /interpreting).
Preferred standards:
The preferred standard of educational interpreters for all employment within educational settings exceeds the minimum standard.
(I) Meet minimum standards, and
(II) Possess a baccalaureate or associate’s degree, and
(III) Obtains a passing score on the EIPA written assessment, and
(IV) Holds credentials with the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).