Educational American Sign Language Interpreters

Minnesota Requirements for ASL Interpreters Working in Education

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  Must have successfully completed an accredited Interpreter Training Program, but it does not have to be a four-year degree. For information about Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs) working in educational settings, read Minnesota Department of Education Policy memo: September 11, 2023.

• Must meet weekly during the school year (at least once every 7 days) either in person or virtually to work on skill development.

• Must test yearly until either attaining Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) certification or passing the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA): passing the written test and attaining a score of 4.0 or higher on either the elementary or secondary level performance tests. The Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) certification is not recognized nor accepted under the Minnesota statute for educational ASL interpreters.

• If an educational ASL interpreter has not yet become certified after two years, they must apply for an extension and continue weekly mentoring. (MDE Deaf and Hard of Hearing: General Information about Extensions).

• Extension due dates are time-sensitive: May 13 and June 3 of each school year.

• If an educational ASL interpreter has not become fully certified by the end of the provisional and extension process, but achieves an EIPA score of 3.5 - 3.9, they still can work in Minnesota schools. The district must continue to provide mentoring and a written educational plan until the interpreter has passed the skills test. The interpreter must take the written exam and test for their skills yearly until they reach certification.

Important Procedures After Becoming Certified Through the EIPA

• Email the Minnesota Department of Education’s Deaf/Hard of Hearing Specialist (mary.cashman-bakken@state.mn.us) that you’ve passed the EIPA and include copies of your EIPA test results indicating that the written test was passed and the selected performance test attained a score of 4.0 or higher.

• Inform your school district’s team leader and supervisor of your passing score and send copies of your certification documents to your school district’s human resources department.

• If you received financial support from your Regional Low Incidence Project to take the EIPA, please also inform your Regional Low Incidence Facilitator (RLIF) of your score.

• Become an Associate member of the Registry for Interpreters of the Deaf to keep track of your CEUs and satisfy the ethical and professional goals of 8.0 CEUs in 4 years. See former Commissioner Alice Seagren's March 6, 2008 memo for more information about EIPA CEUs. Bookmark this link: Earning RID CEUs - Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.

Resources for Educational American Sign Language Interpreters

For additional resources about this topic, visit our Resources for Educational Sign Language Interpreters page.

For school district resources, visit our School Districts Resources for Hiring and Mentoring Interpreters page.

For mentoring resources, visit the For Educational ASL Interpreter Mentors page.

Contact Information

Mary Cashman-Bakken, Minnesota State Specialist: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Minnesota Department of Education, mary.cashman-bakken@state.mn.us

Ann Mayes, Region 11 (Metro) Professional Development Specialist - Educational ASL Interpreter Mentor Community of Practice, 612-638-1527, ann.mayes@brightworksmn.org