Notices from the Charter School must be provided in a parent or guardian’s native language or other mode of communication that they use, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. To ensure that parents whose primary language is not English have the information that LMACS is required by law to provide to them, LMACS has obtained interpreters for Team Meetings. In addition, the special education forms are translated by Esped when necessary.
Special Education Teachers are responsible for attaining translation needs prior to Team meetings by checking the native language listed on the IEP data administration page or by checking the parent/guardian information in Esped.
If a parent’s or guardian’s native language or other mode of communication is not a written language, the school district must ensure that the school’s notices are translated for the parent or guardian orally or by other means (e.g., by sign language), and that they understand the content of the notice. Should such a requirement be needed, a notice or IEP to be translated, the special education coordinator is responsible for obtaining persons who are available to translate.
If a parent reports that they are not in need of translation for oral or written information, they must sign the English Proficiency Notice (PRL 5), and a copy must be placed in their file.
Please note:
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has the IEP Forms and Notices translated into sixteen languages. In addition there is a glossary corresponding to each language translating common special education terms.
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) related forms/notices and the Parents’ Rights Brochure have been translated into sixteen (16) languages. To further assist districts in providing translated information to parent’s, a translation glossary is available in each of the languages. Each translation glossary lists seventy-nine (79) English terms and their foreign language equivalents as used throughout the translated documents. Terms such as accommodation, developmental delay, general curriculum, initial evaluation and positive behavioral supports and agency names such as Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Bureau of Transitional Planning can be found within each glossary. By providing these glossaries to individuals completing district-level translations, school districts will ensure that parents receive documents translated in a consistent manner.