SFUSD Provides Consistent Translation and Interpretation in Six Languages

San Francisco (March 8, 2022) - With the passage of Board Policy 5023, Translation and Interpretation, SFUSD has codified San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) language access practices to facilitate equitable participation by monolingual and limited English proficient (LEP) families in their children's education.

Currently, SFUSD has a Translation and Interpretation Unit (TIU) to translate essential information and assist with interpretation for live events. Documents that are distributed to or used by parents/guardians at more than one school will be translated into SFUSD’s six major languages: Arabic, Chinese, Filipino, Samoan, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Documents that are distributed to or used by parents/guardians at an individual school will be translated into the primary languages spoken by 15% or more of the school population. At the beginning of each school year, an electronic communication is sent to inform parents/guardians of their translation and interpretation rights.

Interpretation is provided for parent teacher conferences; Student Success Team meetings; IEP meetings; meetings related to student suspension and expulsion; and school-wide events when 15% or more of students share a common language.

“In SFUSD we serve families who speak dozens of different languages,” SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews said. “Multilingualism and multiculturalism are assets we aim to develop and nurture. They are an essential part of our graduate profile as we prepare our students with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century. As an educational institution, we are deeply invested in maintaining a comprehensive system of support for all students and working in partnership with their families. We strive to remove the barrier to language access as much as possible.”

The policy also outlines California law on translation of school documents; describes translation requirements for documents that are sent, used or distributed to parents/guardians; provides examples of the types of documents to be translated; and describes interpretation requirements for schools, Board meetings and events.

Read Board Policy 5023 here and learn more about Translation and Interpretation Services for Families in SFUSD.

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