coolgirlspyer90

Hi all,
As you all know i'm from ohio, therefore all high school students must take the OGT in order to graduate high school to get into college. I'm on an IEP, and my parents said that since i'm on the IEP i don't really need to pass the OGTs in order to graduate, but it would look good for colleges.

What i wanted to know is if the OGT questions can be interpreted into ASL. Because i can't understand the questions very well because ASL is my main language and the only language i can understand. The problem here is my language comprehension. My school has not been allowing my interpreter to interpret the questions. and this is my 3rd time taking the OGT tests. I haven't had any of the questions interpreted. The school says that they will look more into this. But i wanted to know any deaf people here who lives in ohio since their childhood-high school years or so and had their OGT interpreted. I only passed the reading and writing section of the OGT, i have not passed the science, history and math section of the OGT. My thoughts is people who are spanish are allowed to have a spanish-recorded interpreted tape, as well as french, and other languages except for ASL. I don't understand why. The school says that if we had an interpreter interpret the questions for me, they would think that they would be giving me the answers and not really letting me do it on my own.

My friend and i were also talking about this as well. What we're curious to know is that if st.rita's school for the deaf gives OGTs, and if the school (the one i currently go to now) can't give me an interpreter to interpret the questions for me, what we both want to know is if i can take it at st.ritas school for the deaf since its a deaf school. My friend goes there and i asked him if they interpret it, he replies yes. So my thoughts are, if st.ritas can interpret the questions, why can't my school do it? Or what if i could take it at st.ritas? I'm just confused and i need some answers.

I really hope that 3rd is my lucky number to passing this ogt. my test results wont be in until the end of april or the middle of may. yikes!

Deafness

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StSapphire

I'm taking adult ASL at St. Rita's and my teacher is one of the main teachers in the school. I'll send her an email with your question and let you know what the response it!

MCB

Sorry, I didn't tie the two threads together. If your interpreter has now resigned, can you get your new interpreter to sign the test questions? This is a justified and legitimate adaptation, particularly if you can get a letter from St. Rita's documenting that.

Probably an issue you should have covered at the meeting yesterday. But since you have your parents behind you, and the old interpreter may have been the person against the accommodation, should not be difficult.

Because you have CI's and are participating in band, they may believe that your deafness has been "cured." That is the reason why they are trying to back out on providing you with the services you still need. That makes your analogy with ELL much more appropriate.

coolgirlspyer90

well i was talking about before my interpreter has resigned. They are going to find me a new interpreter during summer break. But for the rest of the school year i will have a sub-interpreter that will work with me until school is over. The meeting was last week wednesday i think. But my parents have asked questions about the OGT about interpreters interpreting the questions, the school didn't really give us an clear answer. But i wanted to know if there any deaf people who have taken the OGT and had the questions interpreted for them or not. The school says that they may make a video interpreting the questions for the OGT for me but they dont think its possible due to state rules.. i don't know. I just wanted to find out how our deaf peers did this when they took it.

Reba

The video by an interpreter seems like a good idea. Those are used by some DMV's for driving tests, by police departments for giving Miranda Rights, by VRS companies for instruction, by medical websites, etc. It's a commonly accepted practice in many venues.

The other alternative, taking the test at another site that fits your needs, also seems reasonable.

Your parents may need to take a closer look at your IEP to see if this is covered.

MCB

Strong agreement here. You could go to St. Rita's and take it there, with their other students.

Reba

Since it's a statewide test there shouldn't be a problem.

Unless there are political/funding ties involved.

StSapphire

Haven't heard anything from St. Rita's yet, but a quick question - are you hoping to have the written questions on various sections interpreted and asked to you in ASL? Because I talked to my little brother, who's the same age as you, and he didn't remember there being any verbal sections (which, I thought, was what is typically "interpreted").

I recall the teacher saying that they teach both ASL and written English at St. Rita's, so I wouldn't be surprised if the written portions of the OGT are still taken by them in written English, rather than being interpreted into ASL, but your friend who attends there would certainly know better than me.

(If I misunderstood, and there's actually a verbal portion, then feel free to ignore all of this.)

Bottesini

Curious, how do you think the questions on subjects are asked? And do you understand ASL and written English are different languages?

She already said she does not comprehend written English well.

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TheOracle

Depends what her IEP says. An IEP does not = whatever makes it easiest for the student.

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TheOracle

It looks like you understand English quite well. The test is not verbal. Anyway, this may answer your q:

ODE - Frequently Asked Questions about Ohio Graduation Tests

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Reba

Any written material can be interpreted when needed.

For example, when I do community interpreting, I often interpret forms that need be be filled out such as for medical, business, and social services. I've interpreted self-paced training courses that are done on computers in job situations.

When I work in educational settings, I sometimes have to interpret math word problems, test instructions, and even the test questions. The English wording for true/false and multiple choice questions can be some of the hairiest to decipher for non-English fluent students.

The only tests I'm not allowed to interpret, except for the instructions, are language tests.

deafdyke

And spoken English as well. If I recall, St. Rita's was very oral in the 70's and still offers decent speech training.

TheOracle

I guess I am just confused as to why the OP would need interpreting for a written exam when the OP writes like a native English user? I mean, I donno what her IEP says, but she is exempted from this exam yet wants to take it because it looks better on a college app but wants accommodations that she's not sure she can get. Plenty of hearing people do better on verbal exams and aren't given that choice.

I'm not being hard on her for being deaf, I'm just curious as to the logic behind this? She passed the language portion of the exam, no?

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StSapphire

First off: I've received a response from St. Rita's. Here is what was forwarded to me:

Let me know if you'd either like her direct contact information (I can PM you her email address) or if you have any other questions.

Yes, I do fully understand that ASL and written English are entirely separate languages. (I actually had to explain this to my girlfriend last night when she asked about this, and explained to her the differences between ASL and SEE, as well as how ASL wasn't even formatively based on English primarily, but on French sign languages.) However, she specifically asked about St. Rita's process, which from my understanding of having taken classes there is Bilingual with written English and ASL.

That makes sense (after thinking about it for a bit). However, it would appear that it will eventually depend entirely on how her IEP is set up.

I didn't mention this because I'm not certain, but I think you are correct.

As you said, it sounds like it'll eventually come down to what's on her IEP. It sounds like she considers herself a native ASL user, with English as a second language, despite how her writing may appear online.

TheOracle

Yes, I see that, but a "native" language is one that is learned first. Someone can have two native languages if they were learned simultaneously. Hence the confusion. (:

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coolgirlspyer90

I was taught english sign language first, and then asl 2nd. But whats weird is because when i'm reading stuff, i need it to convert into asl. But when i'm talking to people, i talk the english way. Idk why, but thats how it works for me in ways of communication.

inmate23

Do u sign as u read?(like some people speak as they read)

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StSapphire

Well, for the OGT at least, I'd just check your IEP. If it says written materials should be interpreted to ASL (or ESL or whatever your primary language is), then they should do that, or you could probably sign up to take it at St. Rita's.

Either way, good luck!

coolgirlspyer90

i sign as i read. mostly i visualize myself signing as i am reading something. it makes more sense to me anyways.

inmate23

So you dont NEED an interpreter because this just a habit picked up in the early years of school sorry to say.

You were taught to read "aloud" not by sight reading.

what i mean by aloud is you were taught to read by signing to somebody who was checking you were reading the book correctly.

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Please remeber I have audio processing disorder

i use asl rochester method or pop or oral

Reba

It sounds more like she's translating what she's reading in order to increase comprehension. It's like a hearing person reading German text and vocalizing it into English for better understanding.

jillio

Agreed. Another possibility would be the Ohio School for the Deaf in Columbus.

As this poster is planning to go to college, it is important that she take the test, and that it be in a format that allows complete access and comprehension. That involves a little more than simple interpreting.

RoseRodent

That is the bit that bothers me - what are they saying about the professionalism of interpreting services? I've had similar objections raised regards amenuensis (verbal to written transcribing services for blind students) because they think for some reason you will help them with it. Why would I? My professional job role and engagement is to write down what the person says, no matter if they are wrong answers. It is an undermining of sign and interpreter services as being a professional engagement to do a given service, like a Spanish interpreter can be relied upon to read out the script but oh no, the ASL interpreter cannot be trusted and will be giving you all the answers.

Different languages have different structures, look up one word in an English-French dictionary and the same word might be translated in 5 different ways according to context. Similarly with ASL because it is a different language. When someone is not a fully native speaker of a language there are subtleties which aren't quite equivalent, like in French the "we" in a sentence like "At Christmas we eat turkey" would be replaced with "on mange" or "one eats", and it facilitates understanding that it is a "general we" rather than a more specific "we" comprising the speaker and a given group of people she expects to eat with. It's a correct translation but it's not quite understood in the same way, and that's with a very simple sentence of text, how much more complex when these things are built upon. If native speakers of other languages are allowed translated material I don't think ASL should be disallowed, it's services for everyone or services for no-one, but particularly I think the comment that the interpreter can't be allowed in case they help with the exam is outrageous and should be challenged.

Reba

I know. It occasionally happens to me. It's a real quick in the pants.

coolgirlspyer90

I agree, I mean, I feel like it isn't fair to me that other students who knows spanish, french,etc as their primary language and is able to translate it to words that they can understand while i can't.

One of my deaf friend is currently attending to OSD. I thought St. Rita's would be closer to me, But i didn't know that OSD is in columbus, i always thought they were further away.

Reba, That's is the exact answer to what i was trying to say. When I read, i have to imagine myself (like daydreaming for example) signing in my head to be able to understand what i'm reading about. I will sometimes sign it as i read, but mostly signing it in my head.

jillio

Well, I have a particular fondness for St. Rita...my son attended. But yes, OSD is in Columbus and easy to get to.

Buffalo

???? I am an alumna of St. Rita and I went there in 70's. There is only signing. There is no speech therapy in the high school. I don't know about the grade school as I went there only for the high school.

Jillio, is there any speech therapy for the deaf at St. Rita or is that only for those with aphasia?

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GrendelQ

From St. Rita's site, it looks like customized TC, but Jillio would likely know how that works in practice:

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jillio

The only speech therapy is for the aphasic students, and the majority of them are in the LOFT preschool program.

And I agree...St. Rita has never been an oral program.