Office of Communications → Language Assistance Services Unit → Language Line

Guidelines for Submitting Translation Requests

• Requests for written translation must be submitted through TRS at least 10 business days prior to the due date.
• The content should be written in clear, succinct, unambiguous language with correct spelling and grammar.
• Use simple language that can easily be translated into different languages. Do not use colloquialisms, legal or technical language.
• Meaningful segments should never be separated by returns (hard or soft), section breaks, column breaks, page breaks, or table cells.
• Use underlining and a single tab or, preferably, lower borders in tables to create fill-in blanks for forms. Do NOT use underscores.
• Use a table for columns of information, not tabs. This will make it easier to preserve meaningful segments intact, both for translation and for editing in English. If tabs are necessary in a line or series of lines, do not use multiple tabs to place the text where it needs to go, but rather reset the tab to where the text needs to go so only one tab is necessary from one column to the next.
• MS Word documents submitted for translation have to be created originally using MS Word. Word documents converted from Pdf often adversely affect the Translation Management System (TMS).

EXPECTATIONS FOR TRANSLATION OF IEP AND PWN

Per MCPS, staff must not upload, copy, paste, or enter IEPs, PWNs, or student-specific information into AI translation tools (such as MOIEP translation tool) unless the specific tool and its use for this purpose have been expressly approved by MCPS. Staff must use the Language Assistance Services Unit (LASU) approved translation process for IEPs and PWNs translations within LASU’s scope of services. AI-generated translations must not be used as a substitute for an approved translation or treated as an official translation of a legally significant educational record.

Individualized Education Program (IEP), Prior Written Notices (PWNs), and other student records containing personally identifiable information (PII) or protected educational and disability-related information must be handled in accordance with MCPS requirements for confidentiality, privacy, data security, and student records.

Supported File Types