At every level of education, there is a need for translation. Regardless of the age of your students, or the role your office plays in the education process, regulations demand that education materials are translated to give meaningful access to Limited English Proficient (LEP) students and parents. Education translation projects allow for higher levels of engagement in public education, while also presenting your organization as an inclusive space where all people are welcome.
Regulations surrounding education translation projects, like Title VI and Executive Order 13166, refrain from defining what documents your organization needs to translate. Rather, the relevant regulations mandate that your organization must offer meaningful access to education for all populations in your area. If you aren’t sure where to start with translating your education documents, here are some of the most common education translation projects we complete.
Education translation projects for K-12 schools
While there is no defined list of documents that each individual school must translate, there are documents that should be accessible to any student or parent that may come in contact with your school. Those documents include:
- Individual Education Plans
- Vaccination notices
- Health alerts
- School closure notices
- School calendars
- Teacher introductions and education plans
If you aren’t sure where to start with your education translation projects, ask yourself what documents are most frequently viewed by students, parents, and community members in your area. If those documents aren’t already translated and accessible to LEP populations, you should look into hiring a professional Language Service Provider to remedy the situation.
Education translation projects for school districts
Your school district is the face of public education for your immediate area. Offering translated documents can improve support of your school district while also offering access to events, initiatives, and communications that a portion of students and parents in your area may not otherwise have been aware of. These are a few of the documents that you may find beneficial to translate:
- Notices of language assistance
- Newsletters
- Calendars
- Notices of district-level events
- School attendance policies
- Notices of district-wide initiatives
- Community involvement/events
Again, the most important aspect of starting education translation projects is to ask what documents the native-English-speaking parents and students in your area have access to and translate those documents first. It may also be beneficial to determine what non-English languages are spoken by your population to determine what languages you’ll need to translate these documents into.
Education translation projects and higher education
While universities and other higher education organizations may see less need for translation services, there are many benefits that can come from education translation projects. Your higher education organization can project inclusivity, recruit more international students, improve your public image, and solicit funds from international donors through the employment of translation services. Here are some documents you may consider translating:
- Enrollment forms
- Admission information
- Study abroad opportunities
- Signage and event information
- Department information
- Applications for change of major/minor
- Financial aid information
- Donation proposals
Education Translation Projects and Departments of Education
Your Department of Education is the face of education in your state, setting the tone for all districts and schools in the area. By stepping in and translating your documentation, you encourage the universities, districts, and K-12 schools in your area to do the same. Not only does this promote an image of inclusivity, it provides meaningful access to education that LEP students may not otherwise have. There are many different documents your Department of Education should consider translating:
- Attendance regulations
- Curriculum information
- Common Core information
- Standardized testing information
- Nutrition information
- State-wide education initiatives or events
While federal regulations don’t directly state which documents your education organization needs to translate, translating the documents in these lists can positively benefit your education organization, students, parents, and community members. If you’re still unsure where to start with your education translation projects, give us a call at 530-750-2040, or request a free quote today.
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Ash is the Marketing Coordinator at Avantpage, Inc. Ash works to create high-value, targeted content that allows consumers to connect with us at Avantpage. They are a strong proponent of everyone having equal access to communication and information. They have written and created content for a variety of online platforms, and have been published in over 30 online platforms with varying topics. But Ash is other things too! An avid athlete, Ash enjoys spending their free time rock climbing, partaking in aerial circus sports, and practicing acroyoga.