2026-27 Deaf Ed Interpreter

JOB DESCRIPTION

DEAF ED. INTERPRETER

SALARY SCHEDULE: SCHEDULES HHII, HHIIID

DEPARTMENT: SPECIAL SERVICES

FLSA STATUS: NON-EXEMPT

SAFETY-SENSITIVE: YES

POSITION SUMMARY

The deaf education Interpreter is responsible for the implementation of district policies and procedures in compliance with IDEA.

The Educational Interpreter provides interpreting and other support services to students with a hearing impairment who are receiving all or part of their education in classrooms with children who hear. The educational interpreters primary function is to facilitate communication among students with hearing impairments, their hearing peers, the classroom teacher, and other personnel in the school system.

Other duties that may be performed when not required to provide interpreting include tutoring, note taking, test reading, and participating in meetings with the transdisciplinary team. The day-to-day activities and consequently the responsibilities vary across educational levels and environments.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

• The ability to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
• The ability to interpret/transliterate at a normal conversational rate where students with hearing impairments or parents are present utilizing American Sign Language.
• The interpreter must be registered with the Oklahoma State Department of Education educational interpreter registry (QAST 3 or above or EIPA 3.5 or above or National certification).
• Interpreter must meet 10 hours of CEU every year (5 hours of education related and 1 hour of Ethics).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide appropriate communication between the hearing impaired/deaf students and hearing persons in the school (e.g., teachers, administrators, staff members, peers). This may include sign language, finger-spelling, and/or voicing.
• Provide tutoring assistance, extra explanation, and/or rephrasing for lessons as necessary for clarification of concepts.
• Become familiar in advance with lesson content, vocabulary, videos, and/or handouts in order to be prepared for communicating/signing appropriate material to the students.
• Provide additional interpreting for special activities or extracurricular activities with appropriate compensation.
• Aid other school personnel in understanding the educational needs, communication style, and distinct culture of the deaf.
• Maintain student confidentiality in accordance with the regulations of FERPA.
• Participate in educational team meetings including the development and review of progress on the IEP.
• Additional duties that may be assigned by immediate supervisor or above.
• Adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct outlined by the National Association of Interpreters in Education and Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
• Any other duties as assigned by classroom teacher and building Principal.

LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR SKILLS

• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.
• Ability to compose and write grammatically correct correspondence and memos.

REASONING ABILITY

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, schedule, form, or blueprint form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, climb, or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to or more than 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to or more than 50 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to fume or airborne particles. The employee frequently works in high, precarious places and in outside weather conditions. The employee frequently works near moving mechanical parts, extreme cold (including outdoors), extreme heat (including direct sunlight), risk of electrical shock, and vibration.

The noise level in the work environment will vary from somewhat loud to extremely loud.

To ensure continuity of services, a different work location may be necessary in the event of a health crisis or disruptive situation that requires the closing of school and/or office buildings. An employees eligibility for a varied work location will be determined by the superintendent of schools. Expectations and guidelines for this change will be distributed by the employees supervisor based on his/her role and responsibilities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Employee may occasionally be required to supervise a varying number of employees in the overall direction, coordination, and completion of tasks as assigned.

DISCLAIMER

Please note that job descriptions are not intended and should not be construed to be exhaustive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with a job. They are intended to be accurate reflections of those principal job elements essential for making fair hiring and pay decisions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.