WOU launches first American Sign Language assessment service in western U.S.
Natalie PateStudents and professionals wishing to evaluate their proficiency in American Sign Language now have an opportunity to do so here in Oregon.
Prior to this year, comparable evaluation services were only offered in North Carolina, New York and Washington, D.C., making it difficult for sign-language speakers living in the Pacific Time Zone to be tested.
As a result, programs on the east coast reported being overwhelmed with clients, especially people from California, Alaska, Hawaii and Oregon.
Western Oregon University based in Monmouth is seeking to mitigate that gap, becoming the first institution in the western United States to offer a nationally accessible service.
Western's Regional Resource Center on Deafness, a subgroup of its College of Education, will offer the assessment. The center already works closely with students in various ASL programs in the school's language studies and interpreting tracks, and has partnerships with other education institutions like the Oregon School for the Deaf.
University officials held a soft launch in October and conducted approximately 40 assessments before they announced the formal launch this week.
Candidates will pay for the service, which uses a model called "Sign Language Proficiency Interview conducted in American Sign Language" to assess the individuals' ASL skills.
The model is the only validated proficiency assessment that provides rating and comprehensive diagnostic feedback, university officials said. This gives candidates a better understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement.
The test is conducted remotely, involving a conversation in ASL between an interviewer and the candidate. The interviewer evaluates the person's abilities and provides an analysis of their vocabulary, production, fluency, grammar and comprehension.
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State and federal employees, law enforcement members and others will be able use this service to provide credibility to their fluency when looking for pay increases, promotions or new jobs, university officials said.
High school, undergraduate and grad students can use the service when applying for academic programs that require a prerequisite knowledge of ASL, or when looking to begin their career or obtain an internship.
The specific model used is listed on the National Seal of Biliteracy and Oregon State Seal of Biliteracy as an acceptable form of demonstrating proficiency in a language other than English.
Sharla Jones, director of the Oregon School for the Deaf, said sign language proficiency is a requirement to teach at the school and serve their population, adding the School for the Deaf "whole-heatedly endorses" the new offering.
"We are thrilled we have another option," she said. "I can't tell you how excited we are."
Jones expects it will help those wishing to work at the school, as well as their students working to prove their proficiency for future schooling or employment, and those wishing to obtain the Oregon State Seal of Biliteracy.
The service is available to candidates nationwide, including U.S. territories. For more information, go to www.wou.edu/rrcd/rsla.
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Contact education reporter Natalie Pate at npate@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6745 or follow Natalie on Twitter @Nataliempate or Facebook at www.Facebook.com/nataliepatejournalist.