Translation and Interpretation Services Manual

Transcription

1 PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Translation and Interpretation Services Manual PWCS ESOL OFFICE Translation Services Janine Sadki, Director of ESOL CONTACT: T AMARA MARTINEZ, TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES SPECIALIST MARTINTA@ PWCS. EDU

2 Table of Contents Translation and Interpretation Services Overview... 3 Legal and Professional Responsibilities ESOL Program Translation and Interpretation Services... 4 Cultural Competence... 4 Interpretation (oral)... 5 Bilingual Staff... 5 Freelance Interpreter List Phone Interpretation Services Top 10 Tips for Working with Interpreters Translation (written) Freelance Translator List Bilingual Staff Translation Vendors Forms Interpreter Services Agreement Performance Evaluation of Interpreting Services Interpreter Acquisition Efforts Translator Services Agreement Contact Information

3 TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES OVERVIEW LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES The Prince William County School Division must follow all federal and state laws regarding the education of limited English proficient (LEP) students. These laws contain specific requirements for communication with parents and other stakeholders whose first language is not English. The following laws specify the Division s responsibilities concerning parental notification and communication: NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Act of 2002 Title III, Section 3302(c) and (e) of the No Child Left Behind law states: The information required to be provided to a parent shall be in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, in a language that the parent can understand Each eligible entity using funds provided under this title to provide a language instruction educational program shall implement an effective means of outreach to parents of limited English proficient children to inform such parents of how they can a) be involved in the education of their children; and b) be active participants in assisting their children The No Child Left Behind Law does not supplant previous federal laws dictating the responsibilities of local school divisions to limited English proficient students and parents. THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 School divisions are legally required to provide key information in other languages in order to be in compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, subsequent court cases such as Lau 1974, Castañeda 1981, Y.S. 1988, and the memorandum from the Office for Civil Rights 1991, which states: School districts have the responsibility to adequately notify national origin minority group parents of activities which are called to the attention of other parents. Such notice in order to be meaningful may have to be provided in a language other than English when practicable. SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT According to this agreement the District shall provide qualified interpreter and translator services upon request and free of charge to the parent. Interpretation services must be provided by a bilingual, qualified, knowledgeable, and trained interpreter. As a result of these laws, it is necessary for schools to ensure that interpreters be available to assist with matters such as: 3

4 Any formal or informal occasion when a parent or student has requested an interpreter Special Education eligibility processes and for all other special programs, such as Gifted, Title I, and ESOL All essential information as defined in paragraph 12 of our DOJ Settlement Agreement. ESOL PROGRAM TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES Translation and Interpretation Services are provided through the ESOL Office. Our office has a bilingual translator available for each of our top languages: Arabic, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. PWCS has developed a plan to provide LEP parents and schools with the translation and interpretation services required to facilitate communication among all stakeholders. Beginning in school year, notices and documents containing essential information and distributed at the Division and school level were translated into two of the major languages: Spanish and Urdu. For the school year, the district has incorporated two new languages: Arabic and Vietnamese. CULTURAL COMPETENCE When interacting with limited English proficient families, we must strive to perform in a culturally competent manner. Cultural competence refers to the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. To learn more about other cultures, the ESOL Office subscribes and makes available to all PWCS personnel the online data base Culturegrams, which is an excellent reference source for countries and cultures throughout the world. It is updated weekly. To log in from work use the user name princewm and the password county. If you are at another location, remote access is possible by using the login princewmr and the password county. 4

5 INTERPRETATION (ORAL) Interpreters will be provided by schools and offices upon parent request and free of charge. There are 3 options for obtaining an interpreter: o o o Bilingual Staff All bilingual personnel identified by their principal to interpret must take the Interpreter Protocols and Ethics Training (ESL 752.2). Freelance Interpreter List PWCS trained interpreters can be found on the Freelance Interpreter List. This list is available both on Staff Communities and myportal and is frequently updated throughout the year. Phone Interpretation Service (CTS LanguageLink) Every school MUST have an account set-up with CTS LanguageLink. It is easy to use and free to set up an account. You only pay per use. Offices are encouraged to set up an account BILINGUAL STAFF Can bilingual instructional personnel be used to interpret during their contract hours? YES, provided that it does not interfere with instructional time. According to the Office for Civil Rights legal guidelines, bilingual teachers and assistants should not be used as interpreters during hours of instruction, except in cases of true emergency. However, an administrator may assign bilingual instructional personnel to interpret during the day as part of their designated duty period. Note: ALL bilingual staff members who are identified by their principals/administrators to interpret MUST be trained in the proper procedures and protocols. Please contact Tamara Martinez at or at [email protected] for more information. Bilingual instructional personnel may offer their services during non-instructional times and before or after school. However, this service should not be mandated as an added responsibility. Staff should to be compensated for interpreting during noninstructional hours. Can we routinely use non-instructional staff for interpreting needs? NO. Generally speaking, utilizing other staff for these services should not conflict with an employee s regular job responsibilities. Schools and school divisions are strongly encouraged to hire staff specifically for interpreting such as a parent liaison if that is a regular need. Students, family members, friends, or volunteers can NOT be used for interpretation/translation except in the event of an emergency! 5

6 FREELANCE INTERPRETER LIST The Freelance Interpreter List is a list of PWCS trained interpreters that you can contact directly when needed. This list is updated regularly throughout the year and can be accessed through Staff Communities or the Intranet. Staff Communities Go to translations.pwcs.edu Select "Interpreter and Translator Lists" on the left Enter your SchoolFusion username and password Intranet Go to myportal.pwcs.edu Enter your Novell username and password Select "Translation Services" on the left Select "Freelance Interpreter List" How can we ensure that our interpreter is a proper match for our needs? Make sure that you have correctly identified the dominant language of both the child and the family, understanding that there may be more than one language used in the home. Verify the language of the person who needs the interpreter. This information is available on the Home Language Survey in the educational file of the student or on SMS. Whenever possible, match not only the language but also the country/region of origin of the interpreter with that of the family. (This information is indicated on the interpreter list.) By doing so, you will best match the cultural group from which the family comes. NOTE: The ESOL Office has 30 headsets available to facilitate interpretations for up to 5 languages in large group gatherings. Contact Tamara Martinez at or [email protected] for loan information. 6

7 Who is responsible for paying interpreters? Each school/office is responsible for contracting and paying for any interpreting (oral) services. Freelance interpreters are categorized as temporary employees. To pay an interpreter who is not also a classified employee, the bookkeeper should input the activity code INTRP. Any question regarding the current status of a freelance interpreter should be addressed to Susan Cox in the Human Resources Department at How do we estimate the payment for services? 1. Carefully calculate the length of time for which the interpreter will be paid. Keep in mind that it usually takes more words and time to explain concepts or expressions. Plan for almost twice the usual length of time if you use an interpreter. 2. Interpreters should be paid a minimum of one hour even if the meeting only lasts 30 minutes. After the 1 st hour, interpreters can be paid in 15 minute increments. 3. The interpreter should be given at least 2 hours notice of any cancellation on the part of the school or office that has contracted the interpreter. If this is not done and the interpreter arrives to the location, the contracting school or office should compensate the interpreter a minimum of one hour of pay to cover their expenses of time and travel. 4. Please contact Tamara Martinez with any questions regarding interpreters at What is the current rate of pay for interpreters in PWCS? The FY pay rates for interpreters are as follows: Non-degreed $18 per hour Degreed $25 per hour Classified staff 1.5 hourly rate (after 40 hours) PHONE INTERPRETATION SERVICE ( CTS LanguageLink) If there is no face-to-face interpreter available for the language you need, you can contact CTS LanguageLink for telephone interpreting. CTS LanguageLink is an approved vendor with PWCS that provides telephone interpreting for 189 languages at a cost of about $1.00 per minute. Each school bookkeeper must set up an account with CTS LanguageLink prior to the beginning of the school year. Please contact the Quality Assurance Department by at [email protected] requesting that a sub-account be created under Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia. Please include the following information in your 7

8 School name School address Name, and phone number of principal Name, and phone number of billing contact person (bookkeeper) Within 24 hours you should receive a school account number with instructions on how to access the service when needed. If you have any questions or concerns, the company contact is: CTS Language Link: Contact: Bingo Ildefonzo Telephone: Toll Free: , ext. 423 Fax: [email protected] (See the following two pages to find the list of 188 languages that CTS LanguageLink can accommodate.) NOTE: It is strongly recommended that you keep a record documenting your efforts to secure an interpreter. See appendix for form Documentation of Interpreter Acquisition 8

9 Languages offered by CTS LanguageLink 9

10 Languages offered by CTS LanguageLink 10

11 TOP TEN TIPS FOR WORKING WITH INTERPRETERS These tips should be shared with any personnel that ever participate in a meeting with interpreters, in order to facilitate interaction with limited English proficient parents: 1. Use only trained, adult interpreters who have signed the Universal Protocols and Confidentiality Agreement (copy of this document can be found in Appendix). 2. Schedule twice the length of time for the session. 3. Seat the interpreter next to, and slightly behind, the non-english speaker. 4. Speak directly to the non-english speaker, not to the interpreter. Use the first person / direct address. 5. Be aware that EVERYTHING that you say will be interpreted. 6. Use a normal tone of voice; keep your vocabulary simple and your sentences short. 7. Avoid expressions or idioms that do not translate directly (e.g., get on the ball, don t beat around the bush, we ll cross that bridge when we come to it ). 8. Pause after every statement or two so that the interpreter can convey your message fully and accurately. 9. If the use of acronyms is necessary, first explain their meaning. (e.g., SOL, VGLA, AYP, IEP, SACC). 11

12 TRANSLATION (WRITTEN) Essential communications need to be translated to the county s top languages: Arabic, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Schools only need to provide translations to parents that have requested one of these languages as their written correspondence language. This information can be found on SMS. You can select a student, click on ELL Information and scroll down to Languages. Then look at the Written Correspondence Language: There are 3 options for obtaining a translator: o o o Freelance Translator List PWCS tested translators can be found on the Freelance Translator List. This list is available both on Staff Communities and myportal and is updated throughout the year. Bilingual Staff Any bilingual personnel identified by their principal/administrator to interpret must take the PWCS Translation Test. Translation Vendors We have two companies that we work with: VIA and CTS Language Link (This is the most expensive option). To decide if your document is essential, per the DOJ Agreement, ask yourself the following questions: 1. Does the communication refer to a program or service which may have a significant impact on academic success? 2. Does the communication provide information which significantly impacts school management or procedures? 3. Does the communication provide information which ensures access to school functions and cocurricular activities? 4. Does the communication significantly impact the student s health, safety, or welfare? 12

13 FREELANCE TRANSLATOR LIST The Freelance Translator List includes PWCS tested translators for our top correspondence languages that you can contact directly when needed. This list is available both on Staff Communities and myportal and is frequently updated throughout the year. Translator Competency Levels Level I: Translators at this level can successfully translate virtually all texts accurately respecting style and register (i.e. school handbook, formal letters to parents, etc.) Level II: Translators at this level can translate texts dealing with everyday matters (i.e. newsletters, teacher notes, simple announcements, etc.) Staff Communities Go to translations.pwcs.edu Select "Interpreter and Translator Lists" on the left Enter your SchoolFusion username and password Intranet Go to myportal.pwcs.edu Enter your Novell username and password Select "Translation Services" on the left Select "Freelance Translator List" BILINGUAL STAFF Can we use our bilingual instructional personnel to write translations for us during their contract hours? According to the Office for Civil Rights legal guidelines, bilingual teachers and assistants should not be used as translators during hours of instruction, except in cases of true emergency. Bilingual instructional personnel may offer their services during non-instructional times and before or after school. However, this service should not be mandated as an added responsibility. We recommend that staff be compensated for translating during non-instructional hours. 13

14 Can we routinely use non-instructional staff for written translation needs? Generally speaking, utilizing other staff for these services should not conflict with an employee s regular job responsibilities. We recommend that staff be compensated for translating outside of contract work hours. It is important that bilingual staff members who are asked to translate have sufficient education and proficiency in both English and the target language to produce or edit translations correctly while maintaining proper tone and register. Any bilingual personnel identified by their principal/administrator to interpret MUST take the PWCS Translation Test (only available for Arabic, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese). Who is responsible for paying translators? Each school/office is responsible for contracting and paying for any translation (written) services. Freelance translators are categorized as temporary employees. To pay a translator who is not also a classified employee, the bookkeeper should input the activity code TRNSL. Any question regarding the current status of a freelance should be addressed to Susan Cox in the Human Resources Department at How do we estimate the payment for services? 1. It takes approximately 1 hour to translate a one page document to a language that has the same alphabet system as English (i.e. Spanish). However, it takes longer to translate to languages that use a different writing system (i.e. Urdu, Arabic, Vietnamese, etc. may take between 1-2 hours per page). Please determine with the translator, before contracting services, how many hours it will take him/her and also when the document will be ready by. 2. Translators can be paid in 15 minute increments. For example, if you only have 2 sentences that need to be translated you will not be charged for a full hour. 3. Please contact Tamara Martinez with any questions regarding translators at What is the current pay rate for freelance translators? The current pay rate for PWCS freelance translators are: Non-degreed $20 per hour Degreed $30 per hour Classified staff 1.5 hourly rate (after 40 hours) Automatic translation programs, such as Google Translate, may NOT be used to translate documents that are considered essential communications according to our DOJ Settlement Agreement. 14

15 TRANSLATION VENDORS PWCS has master agreements with two translation companies. Please see contact information below: VIA Contact: Leslie Iburg Address: 700 SW Taylor St. Portland, OR Telephone: CTS LanguageLink Contact: Brian LeVene Address: 911 Main Street, Suite 10 Vancouver, WA Telephone: , ext

16 FORMS Please see most frequently used forms in the following pages. All forms can also be found in PDF format on Staff Communities 16

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21 CONTACT INFORMATION For more information please contact: Tamara Martinez, Translation and Interpretation Services Specialist For specific questions about each language, you can contact our bilingual translators: Arabic Spanish Urdu Vietnamese Bassam Amkeie Maria Anderson Tariq Zia Rachel Tran