School Interpreting Series Competencies
School interpreters work within complex educational environments that require far more than language proficiency alone. Effective practice depends on a broad set of competencies integrating linguistic, educational, developmental, and professional knowledge.
Research Foundations of SIS Competencies
The Preparing School Interpreters (PSI) Project designed the School Interpreting Series (SIS) curriculum around a research-informed competency framework for educational interpreters. This framework was built on the Entry-to-Practice Competencies identified by Witter-Merithew and Johnson (2004), which outlined 34 competencies for professional interpreting practice across domains of world knowledge, human relations, language fluency, interpreting skills, and professionalism.
While these competencies established foundational expectations for interpreters, school interpreting required additional competencies reflecting the linguistic, developmental, and systemic complexities of K-12 school environments.
Supporting Reference
Witter-Merithew, A., & Johnson, L. (2004). Towards competent practice: Entry-to-practice competencies for interpreters. RID Press.
Expanding Competencies for School Interpreting
Subsequent scholarship, including Complexities in Educational Interpreting: An Investigation into Patterns of Practice (Johnson et al., 2023, 2nd ed.), further documented the interdisciplinary knowledge required of school interpreters. Effective practice in K-12 settings requires not only cross-model fluency and discourse management but also an understanding of child language development, educational pedagogy, special education processes, team-based service delivery, and navigation of educational systems.
These expanded competencies align with research in the field and with the National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE) Guidelines for Professional Practice.
Supporting Reference
Johnson, L. J., Taylor, M. M., Schick, B., Brown, S., Bolster, L., & Girardin, E. G. (2023). Complexities in educational interpreting: An investigation into patterns of practice (2nd ed.). Interpreting Consolidated.
Alignment with National Standards and Assessment
The SIS Competencies are also aligned with domains assessed in the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA), including both the written and performance assessments. The domains of the EIPA include language development, educational terminology, instructional practice, ethics, and professional responsibilities - areas embedded within the SIS Competence structure.
The School Interpreting Series was therefore designed to bridge foundational interpreter competencies with the specialized knowledge required for competent, ethical interpreting in K-12 educational settings.
The SIS Competencies were later published in Johnsone and colleagues' (2023) work and informed the NAIE Job Task Analysis, demonstrating their relevance within national professional standards and workforce development efforts. Through the PSI Project, these competencies were translated into a structured curriculum model supporting the preparation and ongoing development of school interpreters working in K-12 educational environments.
SIS Competencies
The SIS Competencies define the professional standards for competent school interpreting, encompassing knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
SYSTEMS & STRUCTURES:
SIS C1. 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)
Competency-Aligned Activities & Assignments:
More dissemination in development.
CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT:
SIS C2. Integrate child and language development knowledge into the educational experiences and interactions of a diverse body of deaf and hard of hearing students across their academic years. (Knowledge, Skill, & Attitude)
Competency-Aligned Activities & Assignments:
More dissemination in development.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
SIS C3. 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)
Competency-Aligned Activities & Assignments:
More dissemination in development.
COLLABORATION WITH ED. PROFESSIONALS:
SIS C4. 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)
Competency-Aligned Activities & Assignments:
More dissemination in development.
SERVICE PROVISION:
SIS C5. Enact interpreting and other related services guided by the educational system, framed by learning theories, and influenced by the practices of the educational team in support of each student’s access and interactions. (Knowledge & Skill)
Competency-Aligned Activities & Assignments:
More dissemination in development.
DECISION-MAKING & JUDGMENT:
SIS C6. Implement decision-making as a Related Service Provider that is based on educational, professional, and ethical frameworks. (Skill)
Competency-Aligned Activities & Assignments:
More dissemination in development.
ADVOCACY:
SIS C7. Advocate respectfully for working and learning environments that result in conditions that foster individual student success and empowerment. (Knowledge & Skill)
Competency-Aligned Activities & Assignments:
More dissemination in development.
POSITIONALITY & INTERSECTIONALITY:
SIS C8. Explore one’s own positionality and intersectionality as an individual, Related Service Provider, and educational team member within the educational system and with diverse colleagues, the student body, and the families of deaf and hard of hearing students. (Attitude)
Competency-Aligned Activities & Assignments:
More dissemination in development.
CURRENT EDUCATIONAL ISSUES:
SIS C9. Cultivate an understanding of current educational issues that continually elevate the current practices, interactions, and contributions of a school interpreter as a Related Service Provider on the educational team and within the educational system. (Knowledge & Skill)
Competency-Aligned Activities & Assignments:
PROFESSIONAL PURSUITS:
SIS C10. Participate in academic activities that lead to the post-graduation pursuit of professional credentials, professional development in education and interpreting, and supervision and accountability. (Knowledge, Skill, & Attitude)