The Legacy
What the PSI Project Leaves Behind
The PSI Project advanced the preparation of school interpreters for K–12 educational settings. Through curriculum development, interdisciplinary coursework, and mentored field experiences, the PSI Project supported 21 Scholars in developing the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions required for school-based interpreting.
The PSI Project’s legacy is reflected in the School Interpreting Series competencies – an enduring framework to support interpreter education and practice in school settings.
School Interpreting Series Competencies
Educational Systems & Foundations
SIS C1. Analyze educational laws, state regulations, and school protocols that shape U.S. public education systems and impact deaf and hard of hearing students and the professionals who support them. (Knowledge)
SIS C2. Integrate child and language development into educational interactions with a diverse population of deaf and hard of hearing students across their academic years. (Knowledge, Skill, & Attitude)
Professional Practice & Role
SIS C3. Enact the roles and responsibilities of a school interpreter as a Related Service Provider, guided by the student’s educational plan and school personnel. (Knowledge & Skill)
SIS C5. Provide interpreting and related services within educational systems, informed by learning theories and shaped by educational team practices to support student access and interaction. (Knowledge & Skill)
SIS C6. Apply decision-making grounded in educational, professional, and ethical frameworks. (Skill)
Collaboration & Advocacy
SIS C4. Collaborate with educational professionals, recognizing the collective roles and responsibilities required to support each student. (Knowledge & Skill)
SIS C7. Advocate respectfully for working and learning environments that foster student success and empowerment. (Knowledge & Skill)
Reflective & Professional Growth
SIS C8. Examine one’s positionality and intersectionality as an individual, Related Service Provider, and educational team member within diverse school communities. (Attitude)
SIS C9. Engage with current educational issues to inform and elevate interpreting practice in schools. (Knowledge & Skill)
SIS C10. Participate in academic and professional activities that support credentialing, ongoing development, and accountability in interpreting and education. (Knowledge, Skill, & Attitude)
Use the Competencies
School Districts
Informs hiring expectations, supervision, and evaluation
Interpreter Education Programs
Guides curriculum design and course sequencing
Practicing Interpreters
Supports reflection, professional growth, and continuing development
Context for the SIS Competencies
Educational interpreting has been recognized as a necessary service since the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, with interpreters later defined as Related Service Providers supporting access to education.
Yet preparation pathways have not kept pace with the complexity of the role. School interpreters operate within an educational ecosystem—working with students, educators, specialists, administrators, and families—requiring knowledge beyond interpreting alone.
At the same time, a gap persists between workforce demand and preparation, with less consistent access to specialized training and credentialing compared to other related service professionals.
School interpreting should be recognized as a professional specialization requiring targeted preparation, interdisciplinary knowledge, and ongoing development. The PSI Project was designed to respond to this need.
What the PSI Project Established
- A six-course School Interpreting Series within the ASL-English Interpretation (ASLEI) BA program
- National internship partnerships supporting interdisciplinary, school-based field experiences
- Upper-division coursework and mentorship for OSEP Scholars
- An induction-mentorship experience bridging graduation to employment
- Structured support for Scholars’ transition into the school interpreting profession
The SIS Competencies should continue to inform interpreter preparation, professional development, and interdisciplinary collaboration in educational settings.
Grant Recognition
The contents of the PSI Project website were developed under a U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) personnel preparation project (H325K210024). The contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.