Hello, my name is Star Grieser and I’m the Director of the Testing here at the Center for the Assessment of Sign Language interpretation, or CASLI. I’m excited to announce that we are calling for additional members of our Test Development Committee (TDC). The TDC has a critical role within CASLI, especially as we rely on the TDC’s knowledge, experience and expertise as we develop the tests for the certification for both hearing and deaf interpreters.

The TDC will be involved with each phase of the test development process from the Job Task Analysis, to test design, item writing, reviewing, setting scoring criteria and determining the cut score, etc..  The TDC will both be directly involved with these processes or help us recruit additional volunteers the various committees in the test development process.

We will also be working in conjunction with the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) so when RID pursues accreditation of their certification, our tests will be in compliance with those needs. The TDC will also consult with and give input on regular staff operations as needed.

As the interpreting field is diverse, we want the TDC to reflect that: we are looking for members from over the country, various specialties of interpreting, different education levels, years of experience, backgrounds, cultural groups, and so on.

To qualify for the TDC, one must have knowledge and experience with test development or a willingness to learn about the process. We will work with a psychometrician who will be provide training for all of us. Also, one must be willing to learn about the National Certification Credentialing Standards for accreditation. One must also have knowledge and expertise in the content that we will be testing – knowledge interpreters need to know – for both hearing interpreters and deaf interpreters and the various specialties within the field. Also, one should have knowledge of the various tests and assessments for interpreter certification and/or interpreter qualification. A member must be fluent in both ASL and English. A member must be able to demonstrate cultural sensitivity e.g., through Oppression, Privilege and Power training or through some organization, or something similar.

If you’re interested in joining the team, we will need three things: your statement of interest which can be either done via video or written out. It should include an introduction of yourself, and your background, why you are interested in joining the TCD and what you may have to offer the team. We will need your resume or CV, and we will need then two letters of recommendation: one from a hearing professional colleague and one from a Deaf professional colleague.

Please send all of these materials to me at my email address at Director@CASLI.org. If you have any questions or need any clarification, please feel free to call me at 703-988-4543. Thank you so much for watching! I’m looking forward to seeing your applications for the TDC.

Download our TDC Call for Members Description here!