Summary of Interpretation and Translation Services 2024-25

AID 1831450 · View on Simbli

Agenda Item

c. Division of Student Services ~ Translations and Interpretation Services (Not to exceed $1,300,000)

Summary: Presented by: Dr. Norman C. Sauce III, Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education approve the purchase of professional translation and interpretation services from the following vendors in excess of $100,000.00 with a combined total not to exceed $1,300,000 for the following vendors:

ALTA Language Services
Language Line Services
LATN Language Solutions
Piedmont Global Language Service
Real Time Translation
SeSo, Inc.
Translation Station, Inc.
Zab Translation Solutions
Why: Due to combined spending from all schools and centers serving parents and students whose primary home language is other than English (PHLOTEs), the total cost of translation and interpretation services may exceed $100,000.00 from one or more of the service providers.
Details: The DeKalb County School District, as a local educational agency (LEA) receiving federal grants, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants, has a legal obligation to maintain meaningful communication with parents and students who may not have English as their primary language. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and IDEA mandate that parental notices and communication must be in a language that the parents or guardians can understand. Services from approved agencies are included in the district’s agreement with the OCR to provide language support services to families and students who speak other languages. Additionally, interpretation services are required during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings.

The continuous increase in families and students who speak other languages has resulted in a higher demand for translation and interpretation services. Communication with the parents and guardians of these students is crucial for their academic performance. The DeKalb County School District currently serves over 28,306 students whose primary home language is other than English (PHLOTEs). The significant number of languages and dialects, 178, spoken by our community requires the use of several resources to ensure effective communication with all students and parents. Interpretation and translation services to communicate with students and parents are necessary to ensure access to all our services and programs.

According to DJE III(C)(4), multiple vendors are used based on professional ability to provide translation/interpretation services in the requested languages district-wide for all schools.
Financial impact: The Financial Impact to the general funds for the school year 2025-2026 will not exceed the amount of $1,300,000.
Department of English Learners Charge Code:
100.2100 530000.07711.7130.9990.6015.094.0000 ($805.000)
Department of Exceptional Education Charge Code: 100.1000.530000.00011.7340.2021.8010.094.0000($400,000)
100.1000.530000.22711.7320.9990.8010.094.0000($50,000)
Contact: Presented by: Dr. Norman C. Sauce III, Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services
Dr. Evelyn Hall, Executive Director of English Learners Department, Division of Student Services, 678-676-6603
Mrs. Kiana King, Executive Director, Exceptional Education, Division of Student Services, 678-676-61885
Effective: July 14, 2025- July 13, 2026
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
                      DeKalb Approved Vendors Providing Interpretation and Translation Services
                                Summary of Interpretation and Translation Services
                                        From July 1, 2024, to May 30, 2025
To address the language access needs (per the Office of Civil Rights guidelines) of Primary Home Language Other than English (PHLOTE) families,
DCSD provides both unscheduled and scheduled interpretation and translation services. Unscheduled interpretations respond to immediate needs,
requests, and/or urgent situations using the International Student Screening Center (ISSC) Help Line, or the ELSA app. Scheduled interpretations
require a live interpreter for face-to-face and planned phone meetings with parents. The translation of documents is processed from requests
received through Plunet from school or district-based stakeholders to be translated into a language other than English. Plunet is a web-based
platform that enables the English Learners Department to manage and monitor interpretation and translation requests.

DCSD’s PHLOTE families speak about 170 languages and dialects. Below are the top fifteen languages spoken by the in-house interpreters.

                                                                                          Top 15 PHLOTE Languages
                    Language         In-House Interpreters                    Language            Students            Percent of Total
              Spanish                          26                      Spanish                     17,187                  60.7%
              Amharic                          3                       Amharic                      1,164                  4.1%
              French                           3                       Swahili                       992                   3.5%
                                                                       Dari                          792                   2.8%
              Karen                            3
                                                                       Burmese, Hakka Chin           785                   2.8%
              Nepali                           2
                                                                       Arabic                        626                   2.2%
              Swahili                          2
                                                                       Pashto/Pashtu                 485                   1.7%
              Arabic                           1
                                                                       Karen                         423                   1.5%
              Burmese                          1
                                                                       Bengali                       376                   1.3%
              Dari                             1                       Nepali                        357                   1.3%
              Kinyarwanda                      1                       French                        287                   1.0%
              Kirundi                          1                       Rohingya                      281                   1.0%
              Lingala                          1                       Somali                        251                   0.9%
              Mam                              1                       Hindi                         241                   0.9%
              Tigrinya                         1                       Tigrinya                      236                   0.8%
              Zuluba                           1                                               Total PHLOTEs              28,303


Highly qualified and certified interpreters provided interpretation and translation services for but not limited to Parent/Teacher conferences,
Curriculum Nights, International Student Screening Center (ISSC) Help Line, conference calls, MTSSs, 504 meetings, Reclassification meetings, ESOL
Waiver conferences, hearings, Open House, parent engagement opportunities, and more.




          The graph above shows the number of each type of interpretation and translation service requested for the
                                                2024 - 2025 school year
     The tables below represent the three types of interpretation and translation services provided for each language spoken by DCSD parents during the
     2024-2025 school year.


    2024-2025 Scheduled Interpretation Services              2024-2025 Unscheduled Interpretations Services                            2024-2025 Translations
                                                         (DCSD Help Line, ELSA Landline, ELSA App, Language Line)
   Languages Assigned for   Number of Interpretations                                                                                         Number of     Potential PHLOTE
                                                        Language                         Total Calls Per Language      Languages for       Translations Per Familes Impacted
        Interpretation           Per Language           Afar                                          3
Albanian                                2                                                                               Translation            Language       per Language
                                                        Albanian                                      7
                                                                                                                    Amharic                      210              1,164
Amharic                               299               Amharic                                     140
                                                        Arabic                                      563             Arabic                       207               626
Arabic                                206
                                                        BAHDINI                                       1             Bengali                      179               376
Bengali                                63               Bengali                                      98             Burmese                      220               785
Burmese                               258               Burmese                                     499             Chin                           1               120
Chin                                    8               Cambodian                                     2             Chinese (Simplified)           2               101
Chinese (Simplified)                    8               Cantonese                                     3             Dari                         233               796
                                                        Chin                                          2
Dari                                  201                                                                           Dinka                          1                52
                                                        Chin Hakha                                    6
Dinka                                   1                                                                           Farsi                          4                81
                                                        Chin Tedim                                    1
English (USA)                           1                                                                           French                       174               287
                                                        Chinese                                       1
Ewe                                     1               Creole                                        2             Hindi                        168               241
                                                        Dari                                        648             Karen                        190               423
Farsi                                   6
                                                        Dinka                                        17             Kinyarwanda                    5               175
French                                 61
                                                        Ewe                                           1             Kunama                         4                78
French Creole                           3               Farsi                                        97             Mam                            5                59
Fulani                                  1               French                                       89             Nepali                       178               357
Gujarati                                7               French Creole                                 1             Oromo                          6               104
Haitian Creole                          7               Fulani                                        1
                                                                                                                    Persian, Farsi                 1                96
                                                        Gujarati                                      1
Hebrew                                  1                                                                           Pushto                       193               485
                                                        Haitian Creole                               10
Hindi                                   9               Hakka                                         2
                                                                                                                    Rohingya                      13               281
Japanese                                1               Hakka Chin                                    2             Russian                        2                42
Karen                                 166               Hindi                                         9             Sango                          7                60
                                                        Indonesian                                    6             Somali                       180               251
Karenni                                 5
                                                        Japanese                                      2             Spanish (US)                 327             17,187
Kinyarwanda                            27               Kaba                                          1             Swahili                      207               992
Kirundi                                 8               Karen                                       156             Thai                           1                12
Korean                                  2               Karenne                                       1             Tigrinya                     181               236
Kunama                                 22               Karenni                                      10
                                                                                                                    Urdu                           3                82
                                                        Kinyarwanda                                 115
Kurdish                                 1               Kirundi                                       7
                                                                                                                    Vietnamese                   170               232
Lingala                                 1               Kirundu                                       1             Zo                             1                64
Malay                                   1               Korean                                        3             Grand Total                 3,119            25,845
Mam                                    11               Koren                                         1
                                                        Kunama                                       29
Nepali                                108
                                                        Kurmanji                                      1
Oromo                                  25               Kurdish                                      10
Persian, Farsi                          2               Lao                                           1
Portuguese (Brazil)                     2               Lingala                                       5
Portuguese (Portugal)                   1               Lion                                          1
                                                        Maay                                          1
Pushto                                 53               Malay                                        37
Rohingya                               37               Man                                           3
Russian                                 4               Mandarin                                      8
Sango                                   4               Mandingo                                      1
                                                        NA                                            9
Somali                                 47
                                                        Nepali                                      165
Spanish (US)                         4,385              Oromo                                        14
Sundanese                               1               Pashto                                      294
Swahili                               274               Persian                                      20
Tamil                                   2               Portuguese                                   14
                                                        Punjabi                                       4
Telugu                                  5
                                                        Quiche                                        1
Tigrinya                               57               Rohingya                                    255
Urdu                                    5               Romanian                                      9
Vietnamese                             30               Rundi                                         2
Yoruba                                  3               Russian                                       7
                                                        Sango                                         7
Zo                                      1               Sierra Leone                                  2
Zomi                                    6               Somali                                      130
Grand Total                          6,440              Sorani                                        2
                                                        Spanish                                    4,353
                                                        Sudanese Arabic                               4
                                                        Sudanese                                      2
                                                        Swahili                                     571
                                                        Tamil                                         4
                                                        Thai                                          1
                                                        Tiginrya                                     64
                                                        Turkish                                      14
                                                        Ukranian                                      1
                                                        Urdu                                          8
                                                        Uzbek                                         2
                                                        Vietnamese                                   35
                                                        Zo                                            2
                                                        Zomi                                          2
                                                        Grand Total                                8,604
These tables show what percentage each Area accounts for of total services provided for the three service categories.

  Scheduled Interpretations              Unscheduled Interpretations                       Translations
Area 1 ES            20.4%              Area 1 ES           12.2%                 Area 1 ES               10.8%
Area 2 ES            18.6%              Area 2 ES           27.0%                 Area 2 ES               11.5%
Area 3 ES             2.6%              Area 3 ES            2.9%                 Area 3 ES                4.6%
Area MS              15.6%              Area MS             12.5%                 Area MS                  9.4%
Area HS              11.5%              Area HS              8.6%                 Area HS                 16.7%
Area Horizon         27.0%              Area Horizon        28.5%                 Area Horizon            36.5%
Area Specialty        4.4%              Area Specialty       8.1%                 Area Specialty          10.6%


                                       District Level Scheduled Interpretations
                 Access and Opportunity                                                      0.03%
                 Area Horizon Schools                                                        0.1%
                 Choice Programs & Student Assignment                                        0.4%
                 Community Engagement and Innovative Partnerships                            3.9%
                 Curriculum & Instruction                                                    0.2%
                 DCSD Board of Education                                                     0.6%
                 DeKalb International Student Center                                         1.6%
                 Department of Communications                                                0.03%
                 Department of Facilities & Operations                                       0.1%
                 Department of Family and Community Empowerment                              2.1%
                 Department of Student Relations                                             0.03%
                 Division of Human Resources                                                 0.3%
                 Division of Information and Instructional Technology                        0.0%
                 Division of Student Services                                                0.1%
                 Early Childhood Education Department                                        0.1%
                 English Learners Department                                                 0.8%
                 Gifted and Talented Department                                              0.4%
                 Innovation/Governance                                                       0.1%
                 Mentoring and Support                                                       0.03%
                 MTSS Department                                                             13.9%
                 Office of Continuous Improvement, Research, Data and Evaluation             0.4%
                 Office of Federal Programs                                                  0.5%
                 Special Education Department                                                74.3%
                 Student Advancement Department                                              0.1%


                                     District Level Unscheduled Interpretations
                 Area 1 Elementary                                                         0.1%
                 Department of Student Relations                                           0.5%
                 Family Engagement                                                         0.9%
                 International Student Screening Center                                    43.9%
                 Social Worker Services                                                    46.0%
                 Special Education Department                                              8.6%
                                                    District Level Translations
                       504 Section-Hospital Homebound                                                                 1.12%
                       Assessment Administration                                                                      19.51%
                       Athletics Department                                                                           0.03%
                       Choice Programs & Student Assignment                                                           1.43%
                       Community Engagement and Innovative Partnerships                                               1.57%
                       Curriculum & Instruction                                                                       3.15%
                       DeKalb International Student Center                                                            3.11%
                       Department of Communications                                                                   26.12%
                       Department of Educational Media                                                                0.03%
                       Department of Facilities & Operations                                                          0.17%
                       Department of Family and Community Empowerment                                                 0.07%
                       Department of Student Relations                                                                4.58%
                       Division of Human Resources                                                                    0.56%
                       Division of Information and Instructional Technology                                           2.66%
                       Early Childhood Education Department                                                           2.27%
                       English Learners Department                                                                    10.35%
                       Equity and Student Empowerment                                                                 0.52%
                       Gifted and Talented Department                                                                 2.27%
                       Innovation/Governance                                                                          1.61%
                       MTSS Department                                                                                1.61%
                       Nutrition Department                                                                           0.52%
                       Office of Continuous Improvement, Research, Data and Evaluation                                13.95%
                       Office of Federal Programs                                                                     0.70%
                       Social Work Department                                                                         0.10%
                       Special Education Department                                                                   1.43%
                       Wrap Around Support & Intervention                                                             0.52%




     The graph above shows the number and percentage of Scheduled             The graph above shows the number and percentage of Unscheduled
Interpretations (Face to Face or Over the Phone) handled by each provider   Interpretations (ELSA App & landline, DCSD Help Line and Language Line)
                    during the 2024 - 2025 school year                            handled by each provider during the 2024 - 2025 school year
This table shows the number of interpretations completed per language for each of our service providers.

                                      2024-2025 Scheduled Interpretations
                                                               Translation   DCSD - In
      Language                ALTA             Seso, Inc.        Station      House      Grand Total
      Afar                                                          1                          1
      Amharic                   7                                  158          82           247
      Arabic                    8                  2               66           71           147
      Bengali                                                      72                         72
      Bosnian                                                       1                          1
      Burmese                  11                 24               217           2           254
      Chin                                                          5                          5
      Chinese (Simplified)                                         14                         14
      Dari                                                         90           42           132
      Dinka                                                         2                          2
      English (USA)             1                                   2                          3
      Ewe                                                           5                          5
      Farsi                                                        18                         18
      French                    4                  1               29            7            41
      Fulani                                                        6                          6
      Haitian Creole                                                5                          5
      Hindi                     1                                  16                         17
      Igbo                                                          1                          1
      Indonesian                                                    1                          1
      Japanese                                     3                8                         11
      Karen                                        1               62           90           153
      Karenni                                                       1                          1
      Kinyarwanda                                                  12            7            19
      Kirundi                                                       1            3             4
      Kunama                                                        8                          8
      Kurdish                                                       2                          2
      Lao                                                           1                          1
      Mabaan                                                        2                          2
      Mam                                                                        2             2
      Mandingo                                                      1                          1
      Nepali                                                       55           73           128
      Oromo                                                        34                         34
      Portuguese (Brazil)                          1               13                         14
      Pushto                                                       48                         48
      Rohingya                                                      6                          6
      Russian                                                       2                          2
      Somali                                                       41                         41
      Spanish (US)            1,511               77             1,081         1,181        3,850
      Sundanese                                                     2                          2
      Swahili                                                      73          100           173
      Tagalog                                                       1                          1
      Tamil                                                         2                          2
      Telugu                                                        1                          1
      Thai                                                          1                          1
      Tigrinya                                                     31           10            41
      Urdu                                                          1                          1
      Vietnamese                                   2               18                         20
      Yoruba                                                        2                          2
      Zo                                                            6                          6
      Grand Total             1,543               111            2,225        1,670         5,549
These tables show the number of interpretation calls per language performed by each of our service providers
                          and the total duration in minutes used per language.
                   2024-2025 Unscheduled Interpretations Calls                       2024-2025 Unscheduled Interpretations
              (DCSD Help Line, ELSA Landline, ELSA App, Language Line)                ELSA Landline, ELSA App and Language Line
   Language          DCSD Help Line        ELSA       Language Line Total Calls   Languages Assigned for   Total Minutes used per
   Afar                                       3                          3             Interpretation             Language
   Albanian                                   5              2           7        Afar                                26
   Amharic                   10              79             51          140
                                                                                  Albanian                            95
   Arabic                     7             441            115          563       Amharic                           1,838
   BAHDINI                                                   1           1        Arabic                            7,253
   Bengali                                   80             18           98       BAHDINI                             29
   Burmese                  167             191            141          499       Bengali                           1,166
   Cambodian                                  2                          2        Burmese                           3,861
   Cantonese                                  3                          3        Cambodian                           49
   Chin                                       2                          2        Cantonese                           30
   Chin Hakha                                                6           6        Chin                                42
   Chin Tedim                                                1           1        Chin Hakha                          73
   Chinese                                    1                          1        Chin Tedim                           5
   Creole                                     2                          2        Chinese                              8
   Dari                      96             370            182          648       Creole                              15
   Dinka                                     17                          17       Dari                              7,094
   Ewe                                        1                          1        Dinka                              342
   Farsi                                     66             31           97       Ewe                                 10
   French                                    72             17           89       Farsi                             1,237
   French Creole                              1                          1        French                            1,100
   Fulani                                     1                          1        French Creole                       15
   Gujarati                                   1                          1        Fulani                              41
   Haitian Creole                             8              2           10       Gujarati                             6
   Hakka                                      2                          2        Haitian Creole                     121
   Hakka Chin                                 2                          2        Hakka                               18
   Hindi                                      8              1           9        Hakka Chin                          30
   Indonesian                                 5              1           6        Hindi                              174
   Japanese                                   2                          2        Indonesian                          98
   Kaba                                       1                          1        Japanese                            23
   Karen                     43              75             38          156       Kaba                                26
   Karenne                                    1                          1        Karen                             1,399
   Karenni                                    8              2           10       Karenne                              7
   Kinyarwanda                              101             14          115       Karenni                            143
   Kirundi                                    7                          7        Kinyarwanda                       1,848
   Kirundu                                    1                          1        Kirundi                            102
   Korean                                     3                          3        Kirundu                             11
   Koren                                      1                          1        Korean                              39
   Kunama                                    29                          29       Koren                                6
   Kurmanji                                                  1           1        Kunama                             347
   Kurdish                                   10                          10       Kurmanji                           127
   Lao                                        1                          1        Kurdish                              5
   Lingala                                    3              2           5        Lao                                  5
   Lion                                       1                          1        Lingala                             31
   Maay                                                      1           1        Lion                                11
   Malay                                      9             28           37       Maay                                 5
   Man                        3                                          3        Malay                              486
   Mandarin                                   5              3           8        Mandarin                            74
   Mandingo                                   1                          1        Mandingo                             4
   NA                                         9                          9        NA                                 138
   Nepali                    78              50             37          165       Nepali                            1,009
   Oromo                                     11              3           14       Oromo                              339
   Pashto                                   238             56          294       Pashto                            3600
   Persian                                   20                          20       Persian                            253
   Portuguese                                14                          14       Portuguese                         166
   Punjabi                                    3              1           4        Punjabi                             62
   Quiche                                     1                          1        Quiche                              27
   Rohingya                                 241             14          255       Rohingya                          3,999
   Romanian                                   7              2           9        Romanian                           120
   Rundi                                                     2           2        Rundi                               19
   Russian                                    6              1           7        Russian                             96
   Sango                                      7                          7        Sango                               95
   Sierra Leone                               2                          2        Sierra Leone                        55
   Somali                                   107             23          130       Somali                            1,624
   Sorani                                                    2           2        Sorani                              17
   Spanish                 1,346           2,206           801         4,353      Spanish                          35,610
   Sudanese Arabic                                           4           4        Sudanese Arabic                     51
   Sudanese                                   2                          2        Sudanese                            24
   Swahili                                  385            186          571       Swahili                           6,977
   Tamil                                      3              1           4        Tamil                               48
   Thai                                                      1           1        Thai                                 6
   Tiginrya                   1              45             18           64       Tiginrya                           809
   Turkish                                   11              3           14       Turkish                            114
   Ukranian                                   1                          1        Ukranian                            19
   Urdu                                       7              1           8        Urdu                                60
   Uzbek                                      2                          2        Uzbek                               14
   Vietnamese                                28              7           35       Vietnamese                         460
   Zo                                                        2           2        Zo                                  37
   Zomi                                       2                          2        Zomi                                26
   Grand Total             1,751           5,030          1,823        8,604      Grand Total                      85,349
This table shows the number of translations completed per language by each of our service providers.
                                               2024-2025 Translations
              Languages for                                                                  Total
               Translation        DCSD - In House Translation Station   Zab Translation   Translations
           Amharic                      11                 1                 198              210
           Arabic                       12                                   194              206
           Arabic (Egypt)                                                     1                 1
           Bengali                                                           179              179
           Burmese                       8                                   212              220
           Chin                                                               1                 1
           Chinese (Simplified)                                               2                 2
           Dari                         15                 2                 216              233
           Dinka                                                              1                 1
           English (USA)                 1                 1                  44               46
           Farsi                                                              4                 4
           French                        6                                   168              174
           Hindi                                                             168              168
           Karen                         8                 1                 181              190
           Kinyarwanda                   1                                    4                 5
           Kunama                                                             4                 4
           Mam                                                                5                 5
           Nepali                        5                                   173              178
           Oromo                                                              6                 6
           Persian, Farsi                1                                                      1
           Pushto                        1                 1                  191             193
           Rohingya                                                            13              13
           Russian                                                             2                2
           Sango                                                               7                7
           Somali                                                             180             180
           Spanish (US)                 322                                    5              327
           Swahili                      13                                    194             207
           Thai                                                                1                1
           Tigrinya                      8                                    173             181
           Urdu                                                                3                3
           Vietnamese                                                         170             170
           Zo                                                                  1                1
           Grand Total                  412                6                 2,701           3,119




                 The graph above shows the number and percentage of translation requests
                        handled by each provider during the 2024 - 2025 school year