American Sign Language Teachers Association

Evaluation & Certifications

Getting Started

Congratulations on taking this significant step toward achieving ASLTA certification! We are thrilled to have you here! Our certification program is our pride, as it is the only national-level certification for ASL teaching. We welcome you to continue reading and learn more about our certifications. This page is your gateway to a rewarding professional milestone. We encourage you to carefully review each step of the application process outlined below. Your meticulous completion of these stages is essential to advancing through the ASLTA certification program.

 The ASLTA certification application form can be found at the bottom of this page. 

Step 1: ASLTA Membership

You must have an ASLTA Associate-level membership before you can begin the ASLTA Certification process.

If you’re already an Associate-level member, please proceed to the next step.

If you need to join ASLTA or renew your ASLTA membership, click here.

ASLTA Profile
Membership

Step 2: ASL Proficiency Assessment

Have your ASL proficiency assessed by either the ASLPI or SLPI:ASL? Both the proficiency assessments are performed by external raters unaffiliated with ASLTA. For information on fees, assessment procedures, and scheduling, contact each office using the links below.

ASLPI or SLPI: ASL scores that are less than 5 years old are acceptable. A score older than 5 years may result in your application being rejected by our evaluators.

If you already have your score report from either ASLPI or SLPI:ASL, please proceed to the next step.

Website: ASLPI
Website: SLPI:ASL

Note: Every applicant must have a proficiency assessment result regardless of their language background or experience. 

Note: Any ASL interpretation related score, result, certification, or license will not be accepted in lieu of an ASL proficiency assessment listed above.

Step 3: Review Requirements

A critical step that requires your careful review of the eligibility criteria for our four certifications. You can download and review the PDF file of the certification requirements chart. You will need to provide documentation showing you meet each requirement.

You are encouraged to collect all of the required documentation before proceeding with the ASLTA certification application.

PDF: Requirements Chart

Step 4: Application Form

Now that you have reviewed the eligibility requirements for ASLTA certification, please continue with the remaining steps below, and then submit the application form and fee at the bottom of this page.

If your ASLTA membership is not current, your application will not proceed. It is your responsibility to ensure your membership is current. Verify your membership status by checking your ASLTA profile or contacting Treasurer@ASLTA.org.

ASLTA Profile
Membership

Step 5: Your Portfolio

Once your application has been approved by the Treasurer (membership status and payment) and The Evaluation & Certification Director (requirements checklist), a digital portfolio will be set up for you at GoReact. That is where you will upload all required documents, files, and video recordings.

The Evaluation Office will reach out to you within two weeks of paying the application fee with login details for your digital portfolio. Meanwhile, download this PDF file containing all the information you need to include in your digital portfolio.

Please note that once you have accepted your portfolio invitation, your application fee will no longer be refundable. Please get in touch with Evaluation@ASLTA.org as soon as you have decided to withdraw your application.

Step 6: Submit Your Portfolio

Ensure that all necessary materials are uploaded to your digital portfolio prior to the three-week deadline.

Do not send any certification documents by email.

Deadline extension is not guaranteed, but may be granted if communicated in advance. An additional $100 fee may be required to reschedule the evaluators.

Step 7: Evaluation

Your portfolio will not be evaluated until all required materials are uploaded. Once all are in place, two evaluators will assess your materials. If both assessments are complementary, then you will be informed about the results. If two evaluators do not agree on the outcome, then a third evaluator will assess the portfolio to reach the final decision.

Applicants should expect to receive results within 4-6 weeks after all materials are uploaded to the portfolio. Some applications may take longer if a third evaluator is needed.

Step 8: Application Result

There are three possible outcomes of your application:

Approved: Evaluators have reviewed and agreed that your portfolio meets ASLTA’s certification standards and requirements.

Redo: Evaluators may request additional documentation and/or more details in your video(s). With the Director’s approval, a redo of a portion of the application may be offered if evaluators believe the applicant genuinely misunderstood the instruction.

Not Approved: Evaluators have reviewed and agreed that your portfolio does not meet ASLTA’s certification standards and requirements. You have the following three options to move forward:

  • Try again later: accept the result and reapply in the future after you’ve gained more teaching experience.
  • Substitute with a Course Grade: if one or two parts of your portfolio were disapproved, you can substitute each with a passing grade of 85% from the ASLTA online course.
  • Reapply Immediately: reapply with a revised portfolio, incorporating evaluators’ feedbac. A $150 fee will apply.

Certification Application Form

Certification Application

Name (required)(Required)
Email (required)(Required)
Length of Experience in ASL Field
Which major, from where, and when
Which major, from where, and when
Which major, from where, and when
Area of Expertise?
Check all that apply

Certification Application Requirements

Which are you applying for?
ASL Proficiency Result (required)(Required)
Do you have your result ready?
Background Knowledges (required)(Required)
Ensure that you have all the documents that demonstrate that you have taken or taught these courses.
Prior Activities
Check all that apply, and ensure that you have pieces of evidence indicating that you have accomplished these activities.

Acknowledgement & Agreement

Integrity of Materials (required)(Required)
I confirm that all documents, videos, and other materials submitted in my digital portfolio are my original work, providing a true and accurate representation of my knowledge and skills. I will not copy or use any materials that are not my own, with the exception of standardized, publicly available materials as explicitly permitted by the evaluation guidelines. I understand that submitting work that is not my own will result in the immediate rejection of my application.
Confidentiality Statement (required)(Required)
By checking the checkbox below, I promise to maintain the integrity of the ASLTA Evaluation system. I will not reveal or discuss with anyone the contents, nature of questions, or any other information that might compromise and invalidate the assessment materials. Furthermore, I promise not to post my videos online as public, nor will I copy or share my materials with others. I make this promise freely, understanding that it is necessary to maintain the highest standards of professionalism in the instruction of American Sign Language.
Acknowledgement and Agreement (required)(Required)
1) I have read and understand the application and evaluation process and agree to comply with all instructions. 2) I will provide documentation for all courses I have taken or taught. I understand failing to do so may result in the rejection of my application. 3) I understand that I have a three-week time limit to complete my portfolio. It is my responsibility to communicate if I need a time extension, but I also understand that an extension is not guaranteed. 4) I acknowledge that a refund is not possible after submitting my application. 5) I understand that evaluators have the right to decline my request for certification for any justified reason. 6) I understand that the Evaluation and Certification Director has the authority to reject my application at any point throughout the entire application and evaluation process. 7) I understand that my certification's validity relies on my membership status - when my membership expires, my certification also expires. 8) I understand that I am responsible for maintaining my professional development activities to ensure the continuation of my certification. Failure to do so will result in the termination of my certification’s validity.

Payment Details