Section:
Adopted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education: June 23, 2026 Effective date of these regulations: September 1, 2027
(1) Education Interpreters shall successfully complete either (a) a training course approved by the Department regarding the provision of interpretation services in an educational setting, or (b) other measure approved by the Department. The course or other measure must include information relating to knowledge of specialized terms and concepts used in schools, the role of an interpreter in school settings, ethics and the need to maintain confidentiality. To be eligible for the course or other measure approved by the Department, an applicant must demonstrate proficiency in English and another language, as determined by the Department.
(2) Advanced Education Interpreters shall successfully complete either (a) a training course approved by the Department for Advanced Education Interpreters regarding the provision of interpretation services in a specialized educational setting, or (b) other measure approved by the Department. The course or other measure must include information relating to knowledge of specialized terms and concepts used in schools and specialized terms and concepts related to special education, safety plans, English Learner Education plans, discipline, bullying, and physical restraint or seclusion. The course or other measure must also include information on the role of an interpreter in school settings, ethics and the need to maintain confidentiality. To be eligible for the course or other measure, an applicant must demonstrate proficiency in English and another language, as determined by the Department.
(3) An individual whose primary job responsibilities have included serving as an interpreter in a school district for at least two years prior to September 1, 2027, may meet the requirements for an Education Interpreter by providing a letter of endorsement from the school’s superintendent or executive director certifying the applicant’s demonstrated proficiency in English and another language.
(4) An individual who has been employed as an interpreter in a school district prior to September 1, 2027 and whose primary job responsibility has been to provide interpretation in special settings, including interpretation services for Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team meetings or other meetings relating to special education; meetings for safety plans; meetings for English Learner Education program placement; due process or student discipline hearings; meetings addressing bullying complaints; or meetings addressing the use of physical restraint or seclusion, may meet the requirements for an Advanced Education Interpreter by providing a letter of endorsement from the school’s superintendent or executive director certifying the applicant’s demonstrated knowledge of specialized terms and concepts and proficiency in English and another language.
(5) The Department may develop alternative pathways that allow interpreters who have been trained and qualified in non-school settings to satisfy the training requirements for becoming an Education Interpreter or Advanced Education Interpreter.
M.G.L. c. 69, § 1B
Disclaimer:For an official copy of these regulations, please contact the State House Bookstore, at 617-727-2834 or visit Massachusetts State Bookstore .
Last Updated: July 17, 2026