1997
HOUSE BILL 971146
BY REPRESENTATIVES Keller, Allen, Bacon, Chavez, Clarke, Dean, Gordon, Gotlieb, Mace, Morrison, Nichol, Paschall, Reeser, Sullivant, Tate, Udall, and S. Williams;
also SENATORS Hopper, Rupert, and Tanner.
CONCERNING STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS
FOR THE DEAF.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State
of Colorado:
SECTION 1.
Article 20 of title 22, Colorado Revised Statutes, 1995 Repl.
Vol., as amended, is amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION
to read:
2220116. Minimum standards for educational
interpreters for the deaf in the public schools committee
to recommend standards rules repeal.
(1) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEREBY FINDS THAT INTERPRETING
SERVICES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD
OF HEARING NEED TO BE IMPROVED AND THAT THE ABSENCE OF STATE STANDARDS
FOR EVALUATING EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS ALLOWS FOR INCONSISTENCIES
IN THE DELIVERY OF EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION TO STUDENTS WHO ARE
DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RECOGNIZES THAT
EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SETTING MUST NOT
ONLY INTERPRET THE SPOKEN WORD BUT MUST ALSO CONVEY CONCEPTS AND
FACILITATE THE STUDENT'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ALSO FINDS THAT STANDARDS SHOULD BE BASED
ON PERFORMANCE AND SHOULD BE DEVELOPED WITH INPUT FROM THE DEAF
COMMUNITY AND FROM PERSONS INVOLVED IN INSTRUCTING DEAF STUDENTS.
THEREFORE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ENACTS THIS SECTION FOR THE PURPOSE
OF DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE STANDARDS FOR PERSONS EMPLOYED IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS.
(2) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "EDUCATIONAL
INTERPRETER" MEANS A PERSON WHO USES SIGN LANGUAGE IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOL SETTING FOR PURPOSES OF FACILITATING COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN USERS AND NONUSERS OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND WHO IS FLUENT
IN THE LANGUAGES USED BY BOTH DEAF AND NONDEAF PERSONS.
(3) (a) THERE IS HEREBY CREATED,
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AN INTERPRETER STANDARDS COMMITTEE,
WHICH SHALL CONSIST OF SEVENTEEN MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER
OF EDUCATION, FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE
STATE BOARD ON THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS
FOR THE DEAF IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
(b) THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL
MAKE APPOINTMENTS TO THE COMMITTEE ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 1997.
MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS: ONE MEMBER SHALL BE AN
INSTRUCTOR IN AN INTERPRETER PREPARATION PROGRAM OFFERED BY AN
INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THIS STATE; TWO MEMBERS SHALL
BE TEACHERS OF THE DEAF, ONE OF WHOM IS DEAF; TWO MEMBERS SHALL
BE DEAF ADULTS WHO ARE CONSUMERS OF INTERPRETER SERVICES, ONE
OF WHOM IS A MEMBER OF THE COLORADO ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF; ONE
MEMBER SHALL BE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO IS DEAF AND IS CURRENTLY
RECEIVING INTERPRETER SERVICES IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL; THREE MEMBERS
SHALL BE PARENTS OF DEAF STUDENTS WHOSE CHILDREN ARE RECEIVING
INTERPRETER SERVICES IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL; FOUR MEMBERS SHALL BE
PERSONS WHO ARE WORKING AS EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS IN THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, ONE OF WHOM SHALL BE A MEMBER OF THE COLORADO REGISTRY
OF INTERPRETERS FOR THE DEAF AND ONE OF WHOM IS EMPLOYED BY A
BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES; ONE MEMBER SHALL BE
A CERTIFIED INTERPRETER NOT EMPLOYED IN AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING;
ONE MEMBER SHALL BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COLORADO SCHOOL FOR
THE DEAF AND THE BLIND; ONE MEMBER SHALL BE A PUBLIC SCHOOL SPECIAL
EDUCATION DIRECTOR OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE; AND ONE MEMBER SHALL
BE A MEMBER OF A SCHOOL BOARD IN THIS STATE.
(c) MEMBERS OF THE INTERPRETER STANDARDS
COMMITTEE SHALL SERVE VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT COMPENSATION.
(d) THIS SUBSECTION (3) AND THE INTERPRETER
STANDARDS COMMITTEE CREATED IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE REPEALED,
EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 1998.
(4) THE STUDY BY THE INTERPRETER STANDARDS
COMMITTEE CREATED IN SUBSECTION (3) OF THIS SECTION SHALL INCLUDE
BUT NEED NOT BE LIMITED TO AN EXAMINATION OF THE FOLLOWING:
(a) THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL
INTERPRETERS FOR THE DEAF WHO ARE EMPLOYED AS EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS
ON A FULLTIME OR PARTTIME BASIS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
IN MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE APPROPRIATE MINIMUM STANDARDS,
THE COMMITTEE SHALL EXAMINE:
(I) WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND FEASIBLE
INSTRUMENT FOR EVALUATING THE PROFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE OF EDUCATIONAL
INTERPRETERS FOR THE DEAF;
(II) THE MINIMUM PERFORMANCE ON THE INSTRUMENT
RECOMMENDED PURSUANT TO SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH (a)
THAT WOULD SATISFY THE REQUIREMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT IN A PUBLIC
SCHOOL TO PROVIDE INTERPRETER SERVICES;
(III) THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL
INTERPRETERS RELATING TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF:
(A) CHILD DEVELOPMENT;
(B) LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT;
(C) CURRICULUM;
(D) TEACHING AND TUTORING METHODS FOR
WORKING INDIVIDUALLY AND AS PART OF A TEAM IN TEACHING OR TUTORING
DEAF CHILDREN IN A CLASSROOM SETTING;
(E) DEAFNESS;
(F) THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS FOR DEAF CHILDREN;
(b) THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR THE PERSONS
WHO EVALUATE THE SKILLS, PROFICIENCY, AND PERFORMANCE OF EDUCATIONAL
INTERPRETERS;
(c) THE AVAILABILITY AND ADEQUACY OF EDUCATIONAL
AND TRAINING PROGRAMS IN INTERPRETING IN THIS STATE, ESPECIALLY
IN RURAL AREAS OF THE STATE;
(d) THE AVAILABILITY OF APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM
FOR TEACHING PERSONS WHO WILL BE SERVING AS EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS;
(e) THE USE OF INTERDISTANCE LEARNING
AND TECHNIQUES TO TEACH INTERPRETING SKILLS;
(f) THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS OR GRANTS
FROM FEDERAL AND PRIVATE SOURCES TO DEVELOP NEW EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
IN INTERPRETING FOR THE DEAF, ESPECIALLY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
DESIGNED TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN MEETING THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR
EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS TO BE ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE BOARD
AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (6) OF THIS SECTION, AND TO PROVIDE
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO PERSONS WANTING TO TAKE SUCH COURSES;
(g) THE DELIVERY OF INTERPRETER SERVICES
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES;
(h) RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF EDUCATIONAL
INTERPRETERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
(5) THE INTERPRETER STANDARDS COMMITTEE
SHALL SUBMIT A PRELIMINARY REPORT DETAILING ITS PROGRESS TO THE
STATE BOARD ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 1997. THE COMMITTEE SHALL
SUBMIT ITS FINAL REPORT TO THE STATE BOARD ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER
31, 1997, CONTAINING ITS FINDINGS AND ITS RECOMMENDATIONS.
(6) AFTER REVIEW AND STUDY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS
OF THE INTERPRETER STANDARDS COMMITTEE, THE STATE BOARD, ON OR
BEFORE JULY 1, 1998, SHALL PROMULGATE RULES SETTING MINIMUM STANDARDS
FOR EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS FOR THE DEAF EMPLOYED BY OR IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THIS STATE. THE STATE BOARD MAY REVISE AND
AMEND SUCH MINIMUM STANDARDS AS IT DEEMS NECESSARY. THE STATE
BOARD SHALL PROMULGATE RULES THAT SET FORTH THE DOCUMENTATION
THAT A PERSON SEEKING EMPLOYMENT AS AN EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETER
FOR THE DEAF IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL MUST SUBMIT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
(7) ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2000, IN ADDITION
TO ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT A SCHOOL DISTRICT ESTABLISHES,
ANY PERSON EMPLOYED AS AN EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETER FOR DEAF STUDENTS
ON A FULLTIME OR PARTTIME BASIS BY OR IN A SCHOOL
DISTRICT SHALL MEET THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETERS
FOR THE DEAF AS ESTABLISHED BY RULES OF THE STATE BOARD.
SECTION 2.
Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds, determines,
and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation
of the public peace, health, and safety.
____________________________ ____________________________
Charles E. Berry Tom Norton
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE
____________________________ ____________________________
Judith M. Rodrigue Joan M. Albi
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE
APPROVED________________________________________
_________________________________________
Roy Romer
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
OF COLORADO