Language Access Plan

BPS is Cape Cod’s oldest, largest, and most culturally diverse school district, with more than 43 languages spoken. As a result, effective communication is essential to ensure school staff, families, and students have access to all information equally.

It is the inherent right of every parent and guardian to be fully informed and actively involved in their child's education. BPS recognizes and upholds this fundamental right by providing essential interpretation and translation services when needed.

Parents and guardians have the right to access comprehensive information about their children's education in a language they fully comprehend. This includes the right to receive translated documents, ensuring they can understand important school communications, policies, and their child's academic progress. Furthermore, they have the right to a qualified spoken-language interpreter to facilitate meaningful participation in meetings, conferences, and discussions with school staff.

Regardless of their English language proficiency, parents and guardians are entitled to these services. This ensures that every family can effectively support their child's learning journey and advocate for their educational needs. BPS's commitment to providing these services is not merely a courtesy, but a recognition of the legal rights afforded to parents and guardians under federal and state legislation, such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act. These laws guarantee that no individual shall be discriminated against based on national origin, including language barriers, ensuring equal access to educational opportunities and resources for all students and their families.

By actively providing interpretation and translation services, BPS empowers parents and guardians to exercise their rights and become true partners in their children's educational success.

Addressing concerns and complaints regarding the provision of language services  

BPS prohibits any form of retaliation against parents, guardians, or their children for raising concerns or filing a complaint regarding language services. Every voice is valued, and BPS is dedicated to ensuring every parent and guardian can actively and fully participate in their child's educational journey.

Should parents or guardians have any concerns regarding the quality or provision of the school's interpretation or translation services—or in the event that interpreter or translation services are not offered when needed—several avenues are available to address these issues:

To effectively serve the BPS diverse community of students and families, it is essential to identify and address their language access needs. This section focuses on identifying these needs through various means, including surveys, assessments, and family communication. By understanding the languages spoken within the BPS school community, BPS can better tailor language access resources and services to ensure equitable access to education for all students and families.

To ensure that all families can communicate effectively with school staff and engage meaningfully in their children’s education. The district aims to break down language barriers, ensuring that non-English speaking families receive the same quality of information and support as their English-speaking counterparts.

BPS had adopted various supports and services. These include:

Bilingual Staff at the Family and Community Engagement Center (FCEC) All new families come through the FCEC as the first point of contact with the district for student registration. At this time, families receive the contact information for the liaisons assigned to their children’s schools.

Interpretation (oral or signed) During Meetings and School Events  Interpretation during Special Education meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and welcome meetings for new students whose language is other than English (only provided in some schools).

Written Translations of Required Documents registration and enrollment in school and school programs language assistance programs report cards student discipline policies and procedures special education and related services and meetings to discuss special education parent-teacher conferences grievance procedures and notices of nondiscrimination parent handbooks, gifted and talented programs magnet and charter schools requests for parent permission for student participation in school activities

Bilingual Family and Community Liaisons for Portuguese and Spanish  To facilitate, support, and transition culturally and linguistically diverse students and families into the school through intake, parent and community collaboration, and translation and interpretation.

Language Line Services for Interpretation and Translation  To support all families at BPS, we have partnered with Language Line to provide written and oral translation.

Signs and Displays  An "I Speak" sign is displayed at the front desk of each school's main office, helping families, students, and staff facilitate communication through either an interpreter or needed translation services.

Parent-Teacher Communication Tools To ensure accessible communication for all families, teachers leverage tools like TalkingPoints for direct interaction in multiple languages. ClassDojo and Remind offer integrated translation, and DeepL aids in translating content for visually engaging platforms, as well as Smore.

Adult ESL  Barnstable Public Schools provide free adult English language classes to support their students' families.

Barnstable Public Schools' Community Mentors Program  The program provides valuable support to students, and includes bilingual staff to connect effectively with diverse families.

WhatsApp group BPS has a Portuguese and Spanish community WhatsApp group shared with our multilingual families. The FCEC has a community WhatsApp group where information is shared in Portuguese, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.

To ensure that language access is effectively implemented throughout BPS, it is essential to extend awareness to all staff, families, and community members. Each year in the Fall, BPS surveys all stakeholders in the school community to gather and extend information regarding language access. Additionally, BPS’s language access document is posted on our website and available in multiple languages. During school events, announcements are made to notify families of interpretation and written translation provided, such as the technology necessary to access simultaneous interpretation. Finally, information regarding the Language Access Plan will be shared during English Learner Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC) meetings for families of Multilingual Learner students.

Staff members must receive training and education on best practices for language access. By providing staff with the necessary tools and resources, BPS can better meet the needs of the diverse student population and effectively communicate with families who may require language assistance. This section outlines the training and educational initiatives that will be implemented to enhance BPS’s ability to provide effective services to all school community members

• Workshops at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and NAETSIL for Family and Community Liaisons 
• All Family and Community Liaisons have the Tier 2 and Tier 3 interpreter training
• The Language Ambassador training offered by DESE to all staff members working directly with families
• Targeted professional development sessions for school staff led by Family and Community Liaisons
• Portuguese and Spanish classes for staff members

This section outlines strategies for monitoring the provision of language access services to ensure they are effectively implemented and meet the needs of students and families. BPS aims to create an inclusive and supportive environment where all community members can thrive by continuously evaluating and improving language access services. Gathering feedback from multilingual families through surveys or focus groups can help identify challenges and improve the language access plan.

BPS distributes a survey to every participant after a meeting with an interpreter to collect data feedback on the overall quality and effectiveness of the language access services provided during that specific meeting. This feedback covers aspects such as:

	Interpreter Performance Clarity, accuracy, professionalism, and cultural sensitivity of the interpreter.
	Communication Effectiveness How well the interpretation facilitated understanding between parties.
	Logistical Aspects Punctuality, preparedness, and any technical issues.
	Overall Satisfaction The participant's general experience with the interpretation service for that particular meeting.

Additionally, we will distribute a survey at the beginning of each school year to identify if families are aware of the Language Access Plan and to provide feedback to improve it. 

BPS uses this direct feedback to monitor and improve the quality of our language access, ensuring meaningful communication with families and stakeholders. The Family Liaisons meet weekly to review the feedback and discuss any improvements needed for the language access.