Assessment and Certification

The UA Little Rock IEP faculty emphasizes assessment as an ongoing process, recognizing each year as a part of a systematic multiyear study of the program and student learning. Central student learning objectives incorporate competencies that are aligned with the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education Standards (CCIE Standards).

Objectives are sequenced to allow students to progress from:

ASL language acquisition and English proficiency to
Entry level interpreting skills to
Mid-advanced level interpreting skills for the B.A. degree

The goals and objectives of the A.S. and B.A. degree programs have been combined into one unified and sequential document that details the differential competencies under the two degrees. The Curriculum Map and Assessment Matrix delineate the requisite knowledge, values, competencies and practical applications so that degree candidate proficiencies are aligned with national, professional and state standards.

Program faculty members continually monitor, seek and share feedback from stakeholders, and modify and enhance courses toward program improvement. The reward has been state agencies and public schools in Arkansas and employers in other states actively seek and recruit program graduates. In addition, the active involvement of program faculty in the Boyer Model of Scholarship (i.e. integration, application, teaching, and discovery) has led to high national visibility for the UA Little Rock program. This in turn has led the Program to be considered one of the best in the country for curriculum development, leadership in preservice and inservice programming, and leadership in service to educators and the profession.