Last updated on May 11th, 2023 at 03:13 pm

An Individualized Education Program, also known as an IEP, is an education plan that is specifically designed to help students meet their academic needs. It allows teachers, school administrators, and parents to work together to ensure the student’s success. The plan lays out the educational tools that will be used.
The IEP outlines the student’s strengths and challenges, sets academic and functional goals, and outlines the specialized instruction, accommodations, and services the student will receive to meet their needs. The IEP is reviewed and revised annually to ensure it meets the student’s needs.

Due to the specific nature of the IEP, parents must understand each program detail as they are vital to the plan’s success. In the United States, these plans are created in English. With nearly 22% of the American population speaking a language other than English at home, language barriers are something schools nationwide are trying to solve. When a parent does not understand English, the language barrier can hinder the IEP’s effectiveness, impacting the student’s opportunity for academic success.

Language Services for Individualized Education Programs

To help mitigate the risk of misunderstanding due to the language barrier, JR Language Translation Services enables schools with two primary language services:

The first service is IEP translation, which is the written translation of the IEP into the parent’s native language. Our translation company utilizes native-speaking linguists with a background in academic translation services to ensure a complete and accurate translation of the IEP document.

Using linguists with educational experience will leave nothing up to the chance that important detail is not accurately conveyed in the IEP translation. Providing parents with IEP documents translated before they meet with the school offers parents an opportunity to review the IEP in their native language and determine if they fully understand the plan or if they have questions. IEP translation is something that JR language provides for schools nationwide regularly.

The second service is IEP Interpretation, which is the verbal interpretation for meetings where IEPs are reviewed and any questions the parents may have for the school are answered. When interpreting IEP meetings, JR Language utilizes consecutive interpretation, which is typically used in a back-and-forth conversation such as an IEP meeting.

JR Language provides both in-person and video remote interpreting for IEP meetings. As interpretation services for these meetings are common requests, many of JR Language’s professional interpreters have experience interpreting in academic settings and understand how important it is that the school and parents are on the same page. If agreeable, JR Language’s interpreters are also happy to review the IEP before the meeting to familiarize themselves with the student’s plan that has been established.

What educational content is included in IEP Translation Services?

The entire IEP document is translated, including all written materials such as the student’s present performance levels, goals, objectives, accommodations, and services. This includes any supplementary materials that are provided to parents or guardians as part of the IEP process, such as progress reports and meeting minutes.

It’s essential to ensure that all relevant information is accurately translated, as this document is used to guide the student’s education plan and ensure that they receive the appropriate services and supports to meet their individual needs. In some cases, additional translation services may be required for other communication related to the student’s education, such as teacher notes or correspondence from the school.

Essential Factors to Consider in Educational Translation

Experience in Academic translation services:

JR Language has over a decade of experience providing educational translation services to universities and IEP translations for public schools. JR Language delivers IEP translation services for schools across the country, ranging from schools in Massachusetts to California. Schools that we have provided academic and IEP translation include charter school networks, private schools, and public-school districts.

Additionally, JR Language appreciates that different schools have varying budgets and can offer diverse solutions for different budgets, such as machine translation with human post-editing services by professional translators.

Confidentiality in Educational Translations and Interpretation:

As with all document translations and meeting interpretations that JR Language supplies for educational institutions, IEP translations are handled with the utmost confidentiality. Our language company understands that IEP translations are a private and sensitive matter and are treated as such. Before joining the JR Language team, all linguists and team members are required to sign a confidentiality agreement. IEPs would never be seen by anyone besides the team assigned the project and saved on a secure server.

Educational Content for Elementary and Secondary Schools:

IEPs are commonly used in elementary and secondary schools in the United States. The process of developing an IEP is mandated by federal law under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It applies to eligible students with disabilities from three years old through high school graduation or until the age of 22, whichever comes first.

The translation process is carried out by a professional translator selected for his/her subject matter expertise in academic disciplines and educational institutions who has expertise in the scholastic terminology and context used in the IEP document. The translated IEP should accurately convey the same information in the target language as what is contained in the original document, including the student’s strengths, challenges, goals, and the special education services and accommodations that the student will receive.

Things to consider with IEP translation and interpretation Services:

When considering utilizing language services for individualized education programs, there are some essential details to remember.

When requesting IEP translation services, it is crucial to reserve some time for translation before the IEP meeting takes place to ensure that the IEP is translated in time. Turnaround times vary based on the volume of the IEP, so if you are interested in getting a better idea of turnaround times, please reach out to JR Language with the documents to translate for a free quote. We are happy to review your files and provide turnaround time information, whether for specific documents or to speak further to give a general idea of what to expect.

Along those same lines, building in some lead time when booking a professional interpreter will help ensure that the interpretation company will assign the best available interpreter for your IEP meeting.

While JR Language will always do our best to help clients book an interpreter on short notice, we recommend 3-5 business days of lead time for remote interpretations and 5-10 business days for in-person interpretation services. This time frame is applicable to most languages. In our experience, most IEP meetings last about two hours, but some last longer. JR Language suggests booking the interpreter for as long as you feel the meeting could last to avoid scheduling conflicts.

In conclusion: why is IEP Important?

IEP translation is necessary because it ensures that families with limited English proficiency can fully understand their child’s IEP and be actively involved in their child’s educational plan. Translating the IEP and supporting documents ensures effective communication and parents’ understanding and stimulates their participation in their child’s education.

JR Language looks forward to working with your educational institution to help ensure that IEP plans are effective and positively impact students’ academic success. We are confident our experience collaborating with schools for IEP translation and interpretation will also result in a positive experience for your school.