This article explores the interpreter's role and approaches to working with deaf students as seen from deaf individuals' and interpreters' perspectives. A group of 41 formerly mainstreamed deaf individuals and interpreters offered insights into how the interpreter's role in mainstream classrooms influences deaf student autonomy and participation.…

This study explores Deaf individuals' and sign language interpreters' perspectives on what it is like to work together in K-12 education. A group of 41 formerly mainstreamed Deaf individuals and interpreters offers insights into interactional dynamics (e.g., the deaf student-interpreter relationship) that influence interpreters' work, deaf…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between K-12 interpreters' training in relation to the Model Standards (1993), their perceptions of preparation, and their evaluation scores on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) of current and recently working K-12 educational interpreters. A questionnaire was…

As a response to the ban on singing and playing woodwind and brass instruments, and with the heightened exposure of Auslan interpreters in the media due to COVID reporting, many music teachers considered Auslan choirs to be a safe singing-replacement activity for end-of-year performances. Auslan holds deep cultural significance to the Deaf…

In this dissertation, I examine both formerly K-12 mainstreamed Deaf students' and sign language interpreters' perspectives on how interpreting services impact deaf students' experiences in mainstream classrooms. I conducted this qualitative study in two cities with large and active Deaf communities and interviewed a group of Deaf individuals and…

Research on the role space of educational interpreters has historically focused on descriptions of tasks educational interpreters are engaged in during their work day. This case study uses role theory to examine the perceptions of administrators and teachers on the role space of educational interpreters. Through a series of qualitative interviews…

In Utah, deaf and hard of hearing elementary school students can access their education--in American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken and written English--from their devices at home. Many secondary students can access online coursework as well. This is thanks to a four-year project undertaken by the Utah School for the Deaf (USD). The goal was to…

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new educational challenges for students, teachers, and caregivers due to the changed and varied learning environments, use of face masks, and social distancing requirements. These challenges are particularly pronounced for students with hearing loss who often require specific accommodations to allow for…

Little literature exists documenting how K-12 American Sign Language-English interpreters are supervised or evaluated, or how supervision and evaluation affect interpreters and deaf and hard of hearing students. To address this gap, the author asked 230 educational interpreters about their experiences of supervision. Using a critical policy…

Members of the Deaf New American community reported they arrived in the United States with no formal education, unable to read or write in their native language, and had zero fluency in English. Efforts to educate them have floundered, and the study aims to find out why and how to fix the problem. Interviews of eight Deaf New Americans yielded…

This article puts forward a solution to the impending shortage of culturally and linguistically competent interpreters: the education of heritage signers as heritage language learners. It examines the current landscape of American Sign Language (ASL) as a course of study and the difficulties heritage signers report when they begin learning ASL. In…

This biennial report contains information about the efforts and initiatives of education-based agencies, departments, and individuals in Minnesota who served students who were deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. The report also summarizes the results for students who took the Minnesota Comprehensive…

Ideally, all students would experience direct, multidimensional communication in the K-12 setting. This experience is generally considered to be more efficient, effective, and empowering. Interpreted communication, because it involves a third party, tends to be more linear. This makes it critical that quality standards for interpreting services be…

Special considerations in interpreting for hearing-impaired children in mainstream programs, including the variety of accompanying roles and responsibilities are addressed. Excerpts are presented from interpreter guidelines developed by one countywide mainstream program. Greater attention to preparation, evaluation, and certification for…

Five issues regarding the introduction of interpreters to the classroom are addressed: access to interpreters; training of interpreters for educational settings; the role of educational interpreters; the interpreting code of ethics; and regular evaluation. (CL)