ECSEC DHH Educational Interpreter

The following vacancy exists in Goshen Community Schools for the 2025-26 school year:

ECSEC

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Educational Interpreter

The Elkhart County Special Education Cooperative (ECSEC) is made up of the Baugo, Concord, Fairfield, Goshen, Middlebury, and Wa-Nee Community Schools in North Central Indiana located 30 minutes from the University of Notre Dame. Administrative offices are located at 1216 S. Indiana Avenue, Goshen, IN 46526.

POSITION

PURPOSE:

An Educational Interpreter (EI) is an individual who effectively and impartially facilitates communication between people who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) and hearing persons in an educational environment; including but not limited to communications between administrators, staff, teachers, service providers, parents, and peers. The EI interprets or transliterates in a mode that reflects the student's language use as outlined in the student's IEP.

An EI shall maintain high professional standards in compliance with the National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE) Code of Ethics.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

This individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.

* Interpret. To ensure an inclusive educational environment an EI will interpret and communicate all information that hearing students have access by virtue of their ears. DHH students have the right to this information as well. Therefore, while not an exhaustive list, will interpret:

* Academic lessons, lectures, and presentations in regular or specialized classrooms.

* Field trips, special classes (art, music, and gym), speech therapy, assemblies, phone calls, and announcements.

* Incidental information such as side conversations held by students or adults, environmental noises, alarms, and drills.

* Educate. Since in many school settings the Interpreter (and DHH student) is a novelty, some explanation of role and function is necessary. The EI will work with the entire educational team to ensure this information is available. This education can take the form of:

* In-services for teachers and staff on their roles and responsibilities within the school.

* Strategy development with the educational team regarding seating arrangements, lighting, use of media, turn-taking, and other factors that may impact the interpreting process and access to the classroom content. The student should be involved in this process as well, with the end goal being student self-advocacy/knowledge of interpreting logistics.

* Assisting the DHH and hearing students to understand the role of the Interpreter versus that of a tutor, teacher, or friend. Increased independence of the student will develop as the student matures and is developmentally capable of such distinction.

* Modeling social strategies to encourage interaction between DHH and hearing peers regarding the use of an interpreter. As the student matures, the Interpreter should encourage increased independence.

* Prepare. In order to ensure a student has satisfactory access to information, the EI must have time to adequately prepare prior to an assignment. This includes but is not limited to the following:
Maintains daily notebook/log for the purpose of reporting student progress on objectives, behavior, social interaction, abilities, and daily work with regard to language, interpreter use, and cultural mediation.

* Access to and time to peruse textbooks, handouts and lesson plans, copies of schedules or notes of speakers,

* Awareness of and location of the interpreting environment and corresponding logistics.

* Communication with the teaching team to understand the objectives of a lesson/presentation.

* Copies of assigned homework.

* Access to the student's IEP recommendations

* Maintains a log for the purpose of reporting student progress on objectives, behavior, social interaction, abilities, and daily work with regard to language, interpreter use, and cultural mediation.

* Provide plans for a substitute interpreter as needed.

* Maintain professionalism. Interpreters shall strive to further knowledge and skills and comply with the professional practices outlined by professional organizations and their school districts. They…