Project Description:
Project Context:
The evolution of special education and services for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities has been interesting and fulfilling to observe. The passing of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in the mid-1970s has resulted in equal educational opportunities for children and youth with disabilities. We have gone from a period of trying to secure physical access for children and youth with disabilities to the present where there is an emphasis on improved educational results and increased accountability. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing who use interpreters in educational settings, sometimes struggle when interpreters' skills are inadequate.
Project Focus:
The Training and Assessment Systems for K-12 Educational Interpreters (TASK12) views skill standards for K-12 educational interpreters as it primary purpose. These standards are designed to better provide access to education for deaf and hard of hearing students who use interpreters in school. With these diagnostic results from evaluation of skills TASK12 develops the tools to provide research-based skill training/education for improvement.
TASK12 is an assessment program for interpreters working in educational settings and provides valid and reliable evaluation of K-12 educational interpreters who serve deaf and hard of hearing students in educational environments. TASK12 is a partnership of 14 states and the center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE) at the CPD at Utah State University, which provides educational interpreters the opportunity to evaluate their skills. Each state department of education special education director makes up the partnership. The current state members of TASK12 are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. As TASK12 grows to a national service, new states are encouraged to participate.
Products/Services:
The TASK12 Project serves 14 states by providing on-site testing opportunities using the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA). TASK12 has evaluated over 3,000 K-12 educational interpreters. Each interpreter receives a complete diagnostic workup with recognition of skill strengths and recommendations for improvement. Each state receives a research-based report with training and education recommendations based on interpreter performance.
TASK12 hosts a website at http://www.usu.edu/taese/task12/ which provides further resources for those states interested in participating in the TASK12 assessment and training opportunities.
FY 2012 Focus
TASK-12 has contracts in 14 different States from Alaska to Georgia. The program provides assessments for interpreters to measure their signing skills and then, for those interpreters who qualify, provides training to those who need to enhance their skills.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas
