The Training and Use of Interpreters in Bilingual Psycho-Educational Assessment: an Alternative in Need of Study

A multistate survey of 859 school psychologists who indicated prior experience conducting bilingual psycho-educational assessment found that over half had used interpreters. Seventy-seven percent of the school psychologists who reported using interpreters had received no or very little training to do so. Only 37% of the school psychologists reported that their interpreter had received formal training. In only 7% of the cases reported were both school psychologists and interpreters trained in the interpretation process. The data illustrate the need to increase training and recruitment of minority and/or non-minority graduate students proficient in two or more languages for the purpose of more accurately assessing limited-English proficient students. Additional areas for further research involving interpreters are suggested.