Idaho § 33-1304 - Qualification of educational interpreters

§ 33-1304. Qualification of educational interpreters

(1) Except as provided in this section, no person shall act as an educational interpreter in an Idaho public school unless the person has been qualified to do so. The person shall be qualified if the person:

(a) Has achieved a score of 3.5 or higher on the educational interpreter performance assessment or has achieved a comparable score on an equivalent test as determined by the bureau; or

(b) Is currently certified by:

(i) The registry of interpreters for the deaf;

(ii) The national association of the deaf at a level of III or higher;

(iii) The registry of interpreters for the deaf, oral transliteration for oral transliterators; or

(iv) The testing, evaluation, and certification unit for cued language transliterators.

(2) An educational interpreter currently employed in an Idaho public school may continue in the practice of educational interpreting without meeting the requirements of subsection (1) of this section, provided that such requirements are met on or before June 30, 2009.

(3) Effective July 1, 2009, newly hired educational interpreters who have not worked in an Idaho public school as an educational interpreter in kindergarten through grade 12 prior to the enactment of this chapter may apply in writing to the bureau for emergency authorization to work as an educational interpreter for two (2) years before being required to meet the requirements of subsection (1) of this section. An educational interpreter who has received an emergency authorization under this subsection may apply in writing to the bureau for a onetime one (1) year extension of the emergency authorization. The bureau may grant such a one (1) year extension of the emergency authorization for good cause shown.

(4) A graduate of an interpreter education program may serve as an educational interpreter in Idaho public schools for persons of school age as defined in section 33-201 , Idaho Code, before meeting the requirements of subsection (1) of this section for one (1) year following such graduation.

(5) Educational interpreters employed by an Idaho public school must complete a minimum of eighty (80) hours of training in the areas of interpreting or transliterating every five (5) years. This training must be documented and may include home study coursework, seminars, workshops and mentoring programs.

(6) The board is authorized to promulgate rules, if applicable, to implement this chapter.

[33-1304, added 2006, ch. 173, sec. 1, p. 532; am. 2010, ch. 191, sec. 2, p. 406; am. 2020, ch. 19, sec. 1, p. 55.]