IEPs & Ed Teams
The education system is legally obligated to provide students with disabilities a tailored and actionable approach to support their success in school. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans ensure access to a process, a guiding document, a team of professionals with defined roles, and a shared commitment to addressing each student's unique needs. For students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH), these plans and educational teams are essential for removing barriers to learning, supporting communication access, and providing other individualized services in the public school settings. On this IEPs & Ed Teams page, I:
-
Compare IEPs and 504 Plans, the legal manifestations of the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
-
Describe the roles and responsibilities of a typical Educational Team serving DHH students, including school interpreters, and how the team collaborates in service to both the student and the system.
-
Demonstrate the following essential competencies for professional practice in the educational system.
School Interpreting Series (SIS) Standards
SIS Competency 1
Analyze educational laws, state regulations, and school protocols that influence U.S. public educational systems and structures, ultimately impacting deaf and hard of hearing students and the support provided by educational professionals. (Knowledge)
SIS Competency 3
Enact the roles and responsibilities of a school interpreter as a Related Service Provider guided by the educational plan that supports the deaf and hard of hearing student’s needs and under the guidance of assigned school personnel. (Knowledge & Skill)
SIS Competency 4
Collaborate with educational professionals, respecting the collective contribution of the different roles and responsibilities in schools, serving the unique educational needs of each deaf and hard of hearing student. (Knowledge & Skill)
This page features: IEPs and 504 Plans: A Comparison, Educational Teams for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students with IEPs, Overarching Reflection, and References.
The Educational Team highlights the School Interpreter and Other Members of the Educational Team (including the DHH student, their family, the Teacher of the Deaf, the General Education Teacher, the Speech-Language Pathologist, and the School Psychologist).
IEPs and 504 Plans: A Comparison
START editing for IEPs & Ed Teams assignment (continue until "STOP editing for IEPs & Ed Teams")
[Add an introductory paragraph broadly introducing IEPs and 504 Plans, why they are important to the education system and DHH students specifically, and how they intersect with the work of the Educational Teams (refine from focusing on the interpreter specifically). Connect the appropriate SIS Competency (see above) and the sub-headers below (Brief Comparison & Intersection with School Interpreting.]
Brief Comparison by Foundational Components
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
An Education Act
The Law & Its Legal Mandate
-
[Add Law]
-
[Add Purpose]
Responsible Section of Education
-
[Add]
Student Eligibility Requirements
-
[Add]
Services Provided to Ensure FAPE
-
[Add]
Oversight & Frequency
-
[Add]
Team Composition:
-
[Add]
Considerations for DHH Student:
-
[Add]
504 Plans
A Civil Rights Law
The Law & Its Legal Mandate
-
[Add Law]
-
[Add Purpose]
Responsible Section of Education
-
[Add]
Student Eligibility Requirements
-
[Add]
Services Provided to Ensure FAPE
-
[Add]
Oversight & Frequency
-
[Add]
Team Composition:
-
[Add]
Considerations for DHH Student:
-
[Add]
[Explain how IEPs and 504 Plans connect to the work of school interpreters as a Related Service Provided. Describe why it is important for interpreters to understand what's written in a student's IEP or 504 Plan and how that information helps shape their decision and their work. Consider the range of responsibilities, both interpreting and non-interpreting, that a school interpreter undertakes. Discuss why interpreters collaborate with other members of the educational team. End with a takeaway that connects the interpreter's professional responsibilities with the legal mandate for student support and access. Remember to add in-text citations and references (see below) as needed.]
Intersection with School Interpreting
Educational Teams for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students with IEPs
CONTINUE editing for IEPs & Ed Teams assignment (continue until "STOP editing for IEPs & Ed Teams")
[Add an introductory paragraph broadly introducing the educational team, the IEP process/document they follow, and how they act in service to the system and DHH students. Connect the appropriate SIS Competency (see above) and the sub-headers below.]
The School Interpreter
CONTINUE editing for IEPs & Ed Teams assignment (continue until "STOP editing for IEPs & Ed Teams")
[Add an introductory paragraph broadly introducing the school interpreter as a Related Service Provider on an IEP team. Connect the appropriate SIS Competency (see above) and the sub-headers below.]
Interpreting
Role
-
[Define]
Responsibilities
-
[List]
Interpreter Considerations When Enacting this Role:
-
[Add]
Tutoring
Role
-
[Define]
Responsibilities
-
[List]
Interpreter Considerations When Enacting this Role:
-
[Add]
[Using a systems thinking lens, reflect on the roles of the school interpreter and the model that interpreters act in service to the system, not just the DHH learner they sit in front of. Describe why it is important for interpreters to understand the system, to do more than just message transfer (i.e., interpret), and to work closely with other educational stakeholders, including the DHH student. Feel free to expand the reflection beyond the two roles listed above. Provide at least one clear example. Conclude with a takeaway that connects the interpreter's professional responsibilities to the system's goal of a DHH student's access and learning. Remember to add in-text citations and references (see below) as needed.]
[Add a transition sentence to the sub-headers below.]
[State's] Employment Standards for School Interpreters:
-
[Name required professional qualifications, like a degree, an EIPA score, state-based authorization, certification, licensure, etc.]
-
[Briefly explain the standards and the granting entity, like the state's Department of Education, Boys Town, RID, BEI, etc.]
-
[Provide link to employment standards. Add link to real words/phrase, refrain from pasting a URL.]
Ethical Expectations for School Interpreters:
-
[Name of the document, like Professional Guidelines, Code of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Professional Guidelines]
-
[Briefly explain the ethical expectations and the overseeing entity, like NAIE, RID, the state's Department of Education, school district, etc.]
-
[Provide link to ethical document. Add link to real words/phrase, refrain from pasting a URL.]
Professional Organization for School Interpreters:
-
[Name with link to organization's websites, like NAIE, etc.]
-
[Briefly describe the organization and how it supports school interpreters.]
Ed. Interpreter Guide Series by EIPA & Boys Town
-
A Guide for Interpreters & A Guide for Interpreters Working with Students Who Use Cochlear Implants
-
[Briefly describe the guides and their use by school interpreters.]
Other Members of the Educational Team
CONTINUE editing for IEPs & Ed Teams assignment (continue until "STOP editing for IEPs & Ed Teams")
[Add an introductory paragraph broadly introducing the other members of an IEP team. Connect the appropriate SIS Competency (see above) and the sub-headers below.]
[NOTE: Below are two elements - "Role" and "Key Contribution." A role is what a person does. Key contributions refer to the impact or value that a person adds to the team or student outcomes. For example, a Physical Therapist's:
-
Role: Support students' safe, physical functioning within the learning environment.
-
Responsibilities: Conduct mobility evaluations, develop IEP goals related to physical functioning, provide physical therapy services and equipment, and train and collaborate with staff on mobility and equipment needs.
-
Key Contribution: Enhances students' access and independence through physical accommodations.
Deaf or Hard of Hearing Student
Role
-
[Define]
Responsibilities
-
[List]
Key Contributions
-
[Add]
Ed. Interpreter Guide Series by EIPA & Boys Town
-
[Briefly describe it and its use by school interpreters.]
Parent, Guardian, or Caretaker
Role
-
[Define]
Responsibilities
-
[List]
Key Contributions:
-
[Add]
Ed. Interpreter Guide Series by EIPA & Boys Town
-
[Briefly describe it and its use by school interpreters.]
[Using a systems thinking lens, reflect on students and parents as members of the educational team. Describe why they are the most central team members, how they influence the IEP process, and how the IEP team, including the school interpreter, works collaboratively with students and parents. Provide at least one clear example. Conclude with a takeaway that connects the interpreter's professional responsibilities to the needs, wants, and realities of the DHH students and their families. Remember to add in-text citations and references (see below) as needed.]
[NOTE: Direct interactions with parents/guardians are not typically the interpreter's role. Best practice is for TODs, case managers, or designated school personnel to communicate with families. Interpreters initiating or managing communication with families often lead to role confusion, overstepping professional boundaries, and undermining the collaborative structure of the education system. This is why it's essential to understand the system, work in the service of the system, and know the defined roles of the educational team.
CONTINUE editing for IEPs & Ed Teams assignment (continue until "STOP editing for IEPs & Ed Teams")
Teacher of the Deaf
Role
-
[Define]
Responsibilities
-
[List]
Key Contributions
-
[Add]
Professional Qualification (Employment Standards)
-
[Name/List]
Professional Organization
-
[Name & Link]
General Education Teacher
Role
-
[Define]
Responsibilities
-
[List]
Key Contributions
-
[Add]
Professional Qualification (Employment Standards)
-
[Name/List]
Professional Organization
-
[Name & Link]
Ed. Interpreter Guide Series by EIPA & Boys Town
-
[Briefly describe it and its use by school interpreters.]
[Using a systems thinking lens, reflect on special education and general education teachers as members of the educational team. Describe why they are influential team members, how they influence the IEP process and implementation, and how the school interpreter works collaboratively with licensed teaching professionals. Provide at least one clear example. Conclude with a takeaway that connects the interpreter's professional responsibilities to the instructional goals of the system and classroom. Remember to add in-text citations and references (see below) as needed.]
CONTINUE editing for IEPs & Ed Teams assignment (continue until "STOP editing for IEPs & Ed Teams")
Speech-Language Pathologist
Role
-
[Define]
Responsibilities
-
[List]
Key Contributions
-
[Add]
Professional Qualification (Employment Standards)
-
[Name/List]
Professional Organization
-
[Name & Link]
School Psychologist
Role
-
[Define]
Responsibilities
-
[List]
Key Contributions
-
[Add]
Professional Qualification (Employment Standards)
-
[Name/List]
Professional Organization
-
[Name & Link]
[Using a systems thinking lens, reflect on Related Service Providers as members of the educational team. Describe why they are possible team members, how they influence the IEP process and implementation, and how the school interpreter works collaboratively with other service providers. Provide at least one clear example. Conclude with a takeaway that highlights the interpreter's professional responsibilities as part of a complex dynamic involving other professionals with their respective responsibilities. Remember to add in-text citations and references (see below) as needed.]
[NOTE: IEPs are designed around the DHH student's unique needs, resulting in an "individualized" nature. The student's deafness and resulting accommodation for interpreting service may or may not be the primary disability on the IEP. Additionally, Related Service Providers are trained within their professional viewpoint and values, which may or may not align with the professional viewpoint and values of school interpreting. Thus, the importance of understanding education and educational stakeholders through a systems lens. While interpreters are valued and important members of the team, they are first and foremost team members. Supporting DHH students requires a village of professionals, all bringing their unique perspectives and expertise.
STOP editing for IEPs & Ed Teams.
Overarching Reflection
You may be tempted to go ahead and edit the overarching reflection right now (before Week 16)...Wait! If you reflect too early, you will just summarize what you've written above, which is what you have learned. Writing reflections later allows you to synthesize more learning across different parts of the course, make deeper connections, and see more of your growth in why it matters and how it impacts your work as an interpreter in schools.
START editing for the School Interpreting Website assignment (continue until "STOP editing for the School Interpreting Website")
[Add an overarching reflection, which is a high-level summary of your learning that goes beyond listing/summarizing what you have added to the page. It should demonstrate your understanding of the topic, why it matters in the context of interpreting in schools, and how it connects to the broader educational system and your current/future professional practice. The overarching reflection should address the "so what" and the "now what" of professional practice as an interpreter in schools. It's your reflection, so write using a personal voice. Use "I" statements, not the generic "the interpreter."
In your reflection, show that you are a systems-thinking interpreter, someone who considers the systems (its values, structures, and processes), its people (their roles and responsibilities, and their relationships), and its goal (access and success for students). Here are some possible and optional guiding questions for this IEPs & Ed Team page:
-
How does this page's content shape your understanding of what it means to work as an interpreter in schools?
-
What does it mean to be a Related Service Provider in service of the IEP/system, not just the student?
-
-
How has this learning influenced the way you see your responsibilities - both interpreting and non-interpreting - in schools?
-
How do IEPs and 504 Plans shape your daily work and responsibilities?
-
-
What assumptions and values about interpreting and interpreting in schools were challenged or reinforced through this content?
-
How has your view evolved about how interpreters contribute to the success of DHH students within the educational team?
-
-
How might you use what you've learned from this page in your current/future professional practice?
-
In what ways does collaboration with educational professionals strengthen or challenge your position as the interpreter?
-
Ensure that your reflection focuses on the theme of this page!
-
For this IEPs & Ed Team page, the focus is on legal foundations (IDEA/504), team collaboration, and interpreters as Related Service Providers.]
STOP editing for the School Interpreting Website.
Reference
[Add reference list for source citations. Follow APA 7th edition.]