NIC Educational Settings 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: At the postsecondary level, which law primarily obligates colleges and universities to provide interpreting services for Deaf students?
- IDEA
- FERPA
- ADA Title II and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Correct answer)
- HIPAA
Correct answer: ADA Title II and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
ADA Title II (public institutions) and Section 504 require postsecondary schools to provide equal access, which includes interpreting services for Deaf students.
Question 2: A Deaf student's IEP states they prefer transliteration over ASL interpreting. The interpreter disagrees with this preference. What should the interpreter do?
- Override the preference and use ASL because it is more linguistically appropriate
- Honor the IEP's stated communication preference (Correct answer)
- Discuss the disagreement openly with the student during class
- Request the IEP be rewritten before providing any services
Correct answer: Honor the IEP's stated communication preference
The IEP is a legal document; the interpreter must follow its stated communication mode unless and until the team formally modifies it.
Question 3: Which term describes the educational philosophy of placing Deaf students in general education classrooms with hearing peers, supported by interpreting services?
- Residential schooling
- Mainstreaming / inclusion (Correct answer)
- Self-contained placement
- Bi-Bi immersion
Correct answer: Mainstreaming / inclusion
Mainstreaming or inclusion refers to educating students with disabilities alongside hearing peers in general education classrooms with appropriate supports.
Question 4: During a parent-teacher conference, the Deaf student's parents use a different sign system than the interpreter knows. What is the best course of action?
- Proceed and guess at unfamiliar signs
- Inform the school coordinator in advance so an interpreter familiar with the family's communication style can be arranged (Correct answer)
- Ask the student to interpret for their own parents
- Cancel the meeting until a new interpreter is found
Correct answer: Inform the school coordinator in advance so an interpreter familiar with the family's communication style can be arranged
Proactively informing the school allows alternative arrangements, ensuring effective communication for all parties at the conference.
Question 5: FERPA protects student education records. How does this most directly affect an educational interpreter?
- Interpreters may freely share IEP details with other school staff
- Interpreters must keep confidential all student information learned in their role (Correct answer)
- FERPA only applies to teachers, not interpreters
- Interpreters can discuss student records with parents at any time
Correct answer: Interpreters must keep confidential all student information learned in their role
As school employees with legitimate educational interest, interpreters access confidential student information and are bound by FERPA to protect it.
Question 6: When a Deaf student is disciplined and has a hearing with the principal, the interpreter should:
- Advocate for leniency on the student's behalf
- Interpret everything said by all parties accurately and impartially (Correct answer)
- Summarize the principal's statements to save time
- Refuse to interpret in disciplinary settings to avoid conflict of interest
Correct answer: Interpret everything said by all parties accurately and impartially
The interpreter must render all communication faithfully and impartially, including in disciplinary proceedings, without advocacy or editing.
Question 7: A high school Deaf student frequently arrives late to class, causing the interpreter to miss the beginning of lectures. Whose responsibility is this primarily?
- The interpreter, who should wait outside until the student arrives
- The student's, though the interpreter may alert the teacher and student's case manager to the pattern (Correct answer)
- The teacher, who should delay starting class
- The interpreter's supervisor, who must adjust the schedule
Correct answer: The student's, though the interpreter may alert the teacher and student's case manager to the pattern
Student attendance is the student's responsibility; however, the interpreter can professionally notify the appropriate school staff if the pattern disrupts interpreting effectiveness.
NIC Educational Settings 3
At the postsecondary level, which law primarily obligates colleges and universities to provide interpreting services for Deaf students?