For easy reference, the questions and answers have been grouped into five sections:
Section 1 (Questions 1.1 through 1.10)
What the CMD is, why it exists, and how it works
Section 2 (Questions 2.1 through 2.2)
How local educational agencies may register to use the CMD
Section 3 (Questions 3.1. through 3.4)
About the CMD database
Section 4 (Questions 4.1 through 4.12)
About translations, contributors, formats, and languages
Section 5 (Questions 5.1 through 5.3)
History, location, and contact information
SECTION 1
What the CMD is, why it exists, and how it works
1.1 What exactly is the Clearinghouse for Multilingual Documents, or “CMD” as you call it?
The CMD is an online resource that helps local educational agencies (LEAs) to locate, access, and share parental notification documents that have been translated into non-English languages. (LEAs include districts, county offices, and charter schools.)
Through the CMD, LEAs voluntarily provide information for translations that they are willing to make available to other LEAs. The information includes:
- The links for translations provided by LEA contributors
- The language in which each translation is available
- The programs served by a translation
- Contact information in the event of questions
Through the CMD, registered LEA users may locate a translation, access and review it, download it, and adapt or revise it to suit local needs.
1.2 Why does the California Department of Education (CDE) provide this service to LEAs?
State and federal laws require schools to notify parents regarding a wide range of issues, such as testing, health, attendance, suspension and expulsion, English learner programs, the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and other matters.
Some laws dictate that when schools send parental notifications to homes, they must do so in languages that parents or guardians can understand.
Because some parental notifications contain much information in common, districts throughout the state find themselves translating some of the same information. The result is a multiplication of effort.
The CMD can help schools reduce redundancy in translation and reduce local costs and workload.
Through the CMD database, registered LEAs may access translations and then revise them to suit local needs.
1.3 How does an LEA register for the CMD?
Registration is a very simple process. For specific registration information, please scroll down to Section 2 and see the response to Question 2.1.
1.4 Does it cost anything to register or to use the CMD database?
The service is free of charge.
1.5 You mention LEAs, but what about the general public? Is the CMD intended for them, too?
From the outset, the CMD has been intended as a resource for LEAs. These agencies are the primary users. Only registered LEAs can access all the information in the database or enter, edit, update, or delete information about their translations.
However, in the interest of public awareness, the CMD system allows members of the general public to search the CMD database and access some of the information. A link, “For public access to the search page,” is provided on the CMD home page (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/pf/cm).
1.6 If I were a parent, would I search the CMD database in order to find the notifications that my child’s school is supposed to send me? That is, should I bypass the school and go right to the CMD?
As indicated above, the CMD is intended primarily for LEAs. It is not a posting site for parental notifications or a replacement for school-to-parent communications.
A good rule of thumb: A parent’s questions regarding a school’s notifications should be directed to local school personnel.
1.7 You mention that state and federal laws require the translation of parental notifications. What laws are you referring to? And how do they affect school notifications to parents?
The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act specifies that certain parental notifications be sent “in an understandable and uniform format, and to the extent practicable, in a language that parents can understand.” Other federal laws, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), also spur translation efforts by schools.
State law, however, offers perhaps the best-known and most specific legal requirement for translations: California Education Code Section 48985, which first went into effect in 1977 and was amended in 1981.
According to this law, if 15 percent or more of the students enrolled in a public school speak a single primary language other than English, a school is required to send home parental notifications in both English and the non-English language.
For a fictional example, if 20 percent of the student enrollment at Glade Arbor Elementary School speak Vietnamese, the school is required by Section 48985 to send parental notifications in both English and Vietnamese to the parents/guardians of the Vietnamese-speaking students. But if two percent of Glade Arbor’s student enrollment speak Samoan, the school may send— but is not required by state law to send— parental notifications in that language as well.
Each school’s enrollment figures are unique. This explains why Glade Arbor Elementary, in complying with state law, might send out translations in Vietnamese solely, while a sister school across town might send out translations in Spanish— or possibly in two or three additional languages, depending on the percentages in the enrollment data.
As a school’s enrollment percentages change from year to year, so might the languages in which the school provides translated parental materials.
The paragraph in Education Code Section 48985 regarding the school translation requirement is as follows:
If 15 percent or more of the pupils enrolled in a public school that provides instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, speak a single primary language other than English, as determined from the census data submitted to the department pursuant to Section 52164 in the preceding year, all notices, reports, statements, or records sent to the parent or guardian of any such pupil by the school or school district shall, in addition to being written in English, be written in the primary language, and may be responded to either in English or the primary language.
In September 2006, new requirements were added to Section 48985 that increase the responsibilities of the California Department of Education to notify districts regarding schools enrollment data and language groups. The required notification by CDE to districts will take place by August 1 of each year. In addition, the CDE also is now required, as part of its Categorical Program Monitoring process, to monitor districts and schools for compliance with Education Code Section 48985.
1.8 What exactly are the benefits of the CMD to schools, districts, and county offices? And how do those benefits relate to parents?
As stated above, the CMD makes it possible for LEAs to share with each other translations of parental notification documents. This helps them to reduce the amount of redundant translations, as well as time and workload.
As LEAs gain access to a greater array of parental notifications and language options, they can more readily expand communications with non-English-speaking parents and guardians in their communities. This can promote broader understanding and encourage greater home participation in the education of children.
For this reason, the California Department of Education encourages LEAs to contribute information to the CMD database. By increasing the catalog— in terms of the types of notifications and the languages available— LEAs help the CMD to become a potentially more useful resource.
1.9 Are translated documents posted at the CMD site?
No. The CMD database contains links to translated materials that are posted at contributors’ Web sites.
By using the CMD database, an LEA may locate a translation provided by another LEA, review it, download it, and revise it to suit local needs.
1.10 Are districts or other agencies required by law to provide information to the CMD database?
No. Participation by districts, county offices, and charter schools is entirely voluntary.
We are grateful to the local educational agencies who contribute information to the CMD in order to share with others. Without their important contributions, the CMD might not exist.
SECTION 2
How local educational agencies may register to use the CMD
2.1 How do we register so that we can make full use of the CMD database?
A county office, district office, or charter school first selects a local staff person to serve as its CMD contact or coordinator. That person e-mails the CMD at cmd@cde.ca.gov and requests an access code on behalf of the LEA.
In reply, the CMD provides access codes and other necessary information. The local contact/coordinator then registers at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/pf/cm using one of the access codes provided by CMD staff. There is a link on the CMD home page specifically intended for registration by new users.
An LEA’s CMD coordinator/contact may share access codes with as many other staff members or superiors as the local organization requires.
After registering, a user may go to the CMD site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/pf/cm and log in. Once in the system, the user will find a “Main Menu ” offering a number of options, including links for searching the database, entering information into the database, e-mailing other users, and editing or updating information.
2.2 What if I have trouble registering? Or what if I’m not sure if anyone in my district has already requested access codes?
If you have trouble in registering, or if you would like other assistance, CMD staff will be happy to assist you. You may e-mail your questions to cmd@cde.ca.gov or you may telephone CMD staff at 916-445-6109.
If you are uncertain if someone in your agency has already registered, please go to the List of Registered Agencies on the CMD home page. By clicking on the link, you will find a list of the currently registered districts and county offices, organized by county as well as the names of persons who registered as the CMD contacts for their agencies.
SECTION 3
About the database
3.1 As a registered user, how do I search the database for translated documents?
The CMD offers registered users a powerful search engine that enables them to conduct either general searches or specific searches for translated documents.
After registered users log in to the system, they will see the “Main Menu .” In the "Select Action" field, you will see "Search/Edit/Delete Documents in the CMD.” Click on the gray "Go" button.
For a general search of the database: The general search enables users to peruse or survey all the translations in the database. To create a general search, users bypass the various search option fields and scroll down to the gray “Search” button, then click on it.
To search for documents related to specific topics or program areas: The search page provides a number of fields that enable users to refine their searches as they choose. Users may use one or more of the fields to define or refine a search, then click on the gray “Search” button near the bottom of the page.
An important tip about search results: After clicking on the “Search” button, users sometimes think that nothing has happened— that they are viewing the same page on which they just clicked, with no results in sight. In such instances, check first by scrolling down to see if any titles are listed in the lower part of the page. Sometimes the search results appear below the screen. If there are no entries in the database for the topics that a user selected, a statement to that effect will appear near the bottom of the screen.
When the search results are listed: Users click on the title to access information about the listed translation. If the translation is posted to a contributing user’s Web site, the search results also will include a link, “Link to Translated Document,” on which searchers may click to find the actual translation.
3.2 Last year I entered into the CMD database the information for a translated notification provided by our district. That notification is now out of date and obsolete. How can I delete the entry that we made for that translation?
Deleting an entry is simple. After you have logged into the CMD system and view the “Main Menu ,” click on the "Go" button for, “Search/Edit/Delete Documents in the CMD.” You will be taken to the search page.
At the search page, scroll down until you come to the heading, “Search My Agency.” Using the so-called “radio buttons” provided there, select either "Only my agency,” which lets you search for records contributed by all users within your agency, or "Only my documents,” which lets you search for records contributed by you personally. Then click on the blue “search” button.
The search results will list the documents you specified. Click on the title of the one you want to delete. When the Document Information page appears, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the blue button labeled “Delete this document.” Mission accomplished!
Note: An LEA’s official CMD contact (the “Level One” user) has the capacity to delete or edit any entries made by any registered users in that agency.
3.3 In the CMD database, how many entries are there for translated documents?
As of September 2007, the total number has increased to 500 entries. The total number of entries is not fixed; it changes as contributing agencies add entries in the CMD database.
Because the CMD system allows contributors to delete old entries or URLs that are no longer valid or current, conceivably the total number of entries could decrease on certain days, too.
3.4 Are any schools actually using the database?
As of September 2007, documents had been accessed through the CMD nearly 3,000 times. This number continues to grow as the number of registered users and the number of entries increase.
SECTION 4
About translations, contributors, formats, and languages
4.1 On the CMD home page I noticed a link titled "Translation References." I clicked on the link and discovered that CDE provides translation glossaries of educational terms. Is there any plan to add terms to the CDE glossaries? And will you be providing glossaries for other languages?
The glossaries developed by CDE are intended for use by CDE translators, but the glossaries are posted at the CMD site so that LEAs and their translators can refer to them as they choose.
The CDE Plans to add terms to the glossaries on an ongoing basis as well as provide glossaries for other languages. These will be posted as they become available.
Suggestions regarding the CDE's translation glossaries may be relayed to the CMD by e-mail at cmd@cde.ca.gov.
4.2 What can our district do to improve the quality of our translations? And what is the CDE doing to improve its translations?
You may be interested in a new publication from CDE Press, Quality Indicators for Translations and Interpretation in Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Educational Settings: Guidelines and Resources (PDF; 1,262KB; 49pp.). This book offers valuable, practical information for improving the quality of local translations. It provides useful information regarding translation and interpretation, guidelines for translators and interpreters, and valuable local, state, and national resources.
Hard copies of the publication are available for purchase from CDE Press Sales Office at 800-995-4099, but interested districts may also download the publication, free of charge, from the Free Downloads page.
The CDE has begun to establish and implement quality controls for the translations it will make available through the CMD. For example, the CDE currently is working toward the establishment of such controls as:
- The development and use of translations glossaries, for the purposes of achieving greater consistency in the translation of educational terms and reducing some of the potential disagreements among different translators
- The use of qualified translators, proofreaders, and independent reviewers to help ensure that translations are accurate and of good quality
- The use of translators and reviewers who have acquired certification from a language professional organization or (in the case of languages for which certification is not currently available) who possess experience in the translation of education-related communications
- The use of translators and reviewers who are native-level language speakers and who are specialized (i.e., understand cultural context) in the target language
The CDE realizes that by improving the quality of its own translations, the number of quality translations in the Clearinghouse will increase. We encourage districts to make a similar commitment. Only when LEAs share good quality translations through the CMD will the usefulness of the Clearinghouse be expanded and improved.
The CMD database does provide some information that users may take into account when selecting a translation. For example, the database requires contributors to provide information about the source of their translations (for example, if the translation was done by a professional translation service, a certified translator on staff, and so forth). In addition, the data entry template allows contributors to provide quality-related information under “Comments” for users’ consideration.
A level of quality may be ensured if, after downloading a translation of interest, users have it reviewed by their own qualified translator. The translation can be modified as necessary to suit local expectations or needs. This can reduce the time and workload ordinarily required for translation.
4.3 For translating parental notifications, our district uses an online, computer-assisted translation site. We only need to select the language, and a computerized translation is immediately available to us. This is a ‘least cost’ solution. Why doesn’t the CMD do more to recommend computerized translations?
You have touched upon an area that is not as simple as it might first seem.
It is true that some professional translators use computer-assisted translation software to create a rough draft, which they then revise or rewrite. However, the use of computer-assisted services as the sole means for translation can present problems. Essential considerations— word connotation, context, translating for meaning rather than translating word for word, for example— are among the skills and knowledge that qualified translators provide.
Some machine-output translations can be inarticulate or inaccurate. At times they can lead to confusion, embarrassment, or miscommunication. That’s why some translators prefer to translate a source document from the original text rather than try to work from a computerized translation.
The CDE refers districts to the publication, Quality Indicators for Translation and Interpretation in Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Educational Settings. Please see the information provided for Question 4.2, above.
4.4 May we send our translations to the CMD in order to have them evaluated and revised, if necessary?
The CMD is a clearinghouse—a channel for the sharing of information and assistance. It does not provide translation evaluation services.
4.5 Parental notifications contain a lot of local information that isn’t applicable to other schools or districts. How is it that another district will be able to use our translations?
While it is true that a district will not be able to use verbatim other districts’ translations, districts can reduce their workload by revising a CMD contributor’s completed translation rather than translating an entire source document from scratch.
4.6 How do LEAs find the original English-language document— the one that was the basis for the translation?
Through the CMD database, users may locate both the source document and its translation. Contributors provide information about the English-language source document and the translated version. If the documents are located on the Web, contributors also provide links both to the original English document and to the translation.
4.7 What if a district has a copyrighted translation or has a contract with a translation service that prohibits sharing the translation with others? Should the district go ahead and enter the translation into the CMD database?
One of the conditions of CMD registration and use involves a commitment by LEAs regarding copyrighted materials. In accepting the CMD “User Agreement,” LEAs agree to “comply with any proprietary, intellectual property, or copyright restrictions imposed by the owner or copyright holder of all translated documents.”
In some cases, LEAs have contracted with businesses or independent translators who, by terms of their agreement, may own or reserve the posting rights or sharing rights for translations provided to the LEA.
In all such instances, LEAs should secure permission from translators, contractors, or copyright holders prior to entering the specific translations into the CMD database.
Often, however, translations are provided to LEAs under a “work for hire” agreement, in which case the LEA may own all rights.
4.8 You’ve mentioned the efforts of LEA contributors. What is the California Department of Education (CDE) doing to increase the number of translations and languages available through the CMD?
The CDE has begun an effort to identify priority parental notification documents and to have them translated into various languages. The CDE is working with contracted translators to provide translations of many of the identified titles.
As a part of this process, each translation will be reviewed by at least two qualified translators in order to increase the likelihood of accuracy and appropriateness.
As translations are completed, they will be posted to the CDE Web site and entered into the CMD database. This will help to expand the range of notifications and languages available to CMD users.
4.9 Our district has identified a couple of parental notifications for which no translations seem to be available anywhere. Can we come to you for help?
The CDE actively welcomes suggestions from LEAs about specific parental notifications required by law but not readily available in certain languages. While the CMD may not be able to provide the translations on the spot, users’ suggestions will aid the CDE in identifying priorities for translation.
LEAs are invited to e-mail their suggestions to cmd@cde.ca.gov. Please provide as an attachment an electronic copy of the English-language version of the notification in question.
Please note that as a registered user of the CMD, you are entitled to use the e-mail feature on the CMD site. This capacity enables you to send a message to other registered users, inquiring if they happen to have (or know of) a particular notification in a specific language.
The e-mail feature on the CMD site helps to foster a “community of registered users” who can contact each other regarding matters related to translated parental notifications.
4.10 I need to find out what language groups are represented in school districts in my vicinity. I also would like to know what schools should be translating into specific languages, according to the “15 percent and above” statistics. How can I find that information?
The CDE makes available two data reports that can assist you in finding the information your need.
The first report is available from DataQuest, the CDE’s online resource for statistical information about California districts and schools. DataQuest is located on the CDE Web site at. After going to DataQuest, follow these simple steps to access reports for the district in which you are interested:
- Begin by selecting “District” from the pull-down menu for “Select Level.” NOTE: If you are interested in schools overseen by a county office, you still should select “District” for the purposes of this report.
- From the “Subject” pull-down menu, below the heading “Student Demographics,” find and select “English Learners.” Then click “Submit.”
- On the resulting page, enter the first four letters of the name of your district or county office. Click “Submit.”
- On the next resulting page, select the name of your district or county office from the pull-down menu. Then, under “Select a Report,” select the very last report in the list, “Language Groups by School Determined to Meet 15 Percent and Above Translation Need.” Click “Submit.”
- The resulting report will show a table that lists schools and the “15 percent and above” language groups. For more complete information about the language groups at a particular school, you may click on the name of the school. In cases where a district has no schools with language groups in the “15 percent and above” range, according to 2006-07 statistics, the report will so indicate, in place of any data.
The DataQuest statistics are based upon information provided to the CDE by the districts themselves: the annual California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) report and the annual Spring Language Census or R-30. The CBEDS enrollment data are used as a denominator in calculating percentages for language groups at each school.
Each summer, the CDE’s Data Management Division will update the “15 percent and above” statistics. Each update will reflect the statistics provided by the district for the previous school year. Questions about the DataQuest reports should be directed to Eric Vu, Education Demographics Unit, at (916) 327-0214 or evu@cde.ca.gov.
A second report, provided on the CMD site, enables users to determine which schools are required to translate notifications into specific languages. This report, found under the sub-heading Language Data for Districts and Schools, is simply a different way of presenting the same information found in the DataQuest reports.
4.11 When our district posts translations on our Web site, is there a particular format that we should use? And when we enter the translation in the CMD database, are we prohibited from contributing documents in certain kinds of formats?
The CMD does not impose on contributors any prohibition regarding formats. In fact, the data-entry template allows contributors to indicate if a translation is available in a particular electronic format (for example, Microsoft Word, .PDF, text, Rich Text, or other format) or in “paper form only.”
During the summer of 2006, the CMD informally surveyed CMD users about the formats in which they prefer to access translations on the Web. The survey was not intended to be definitive, and the number of responses was not exhaustive. But the information gleaned from the survey provides a bit of insight into the format preferences of CMD users.
Effectively all the respondents stated that they prefer using Word documents as the primary file type for accessing translated documents. This was due to the ease of modifying files by using Microsoft Word. Forty percent of the respondents indicated that .PDF files also would be acceptable as document types, while a very small margin of users responded that .HTML formatting would be acceptable.
Despite the limitations of the survey, the responses may prove helpful when districts consider format options. Text file formats have an advantage of allowing other CMD users to more easily customize translations to suit local needs. Formats such as .PDF can be less useful due to the relative difficulty in modifying the document quickly. Contributors to the CMD are encouraged to consider the advantages of various format options when making parental notifications and translations accessible to local communities and to CMD users.
(If a specific translation is available only in paper format, CMD contributors should provide contact information so that users who want to obtain a copy may fax or e-mail their requests. For this purpose, the “Comments” box in the CMD’s data-entry template may be used by contributors when entering a translation into the CMD database.)
4.12 Our district would like to contribute translations to the CMD, but we are a very small district and do not have any translations to offer. May we still use the CMD to find translations, even though we can’t contribute any at this time?
Indeed you may. That is consistent with the CMD’s purpose.
Appreciation is extended to all LEAs who, by their willingness to make translated parental notifications available through the CMD, make it easier for schools to meet legal requirements and to improve effective communication with the communities they serve.
4.13 Our district just paid a good price to obtain a translation from a translator, so why would we want to share it with somebody else through the CMD?
Participation in the CMD is entirely voluntary. Please see the second paragraph of the response to Question 4.11, above.
SECTION 5
History, location, and contact information
5.1 How long has the CMD been in existence? And whose idea was it?
The CMD officially began in mid-September 2005. The creation of the CMD was a direct result of interest by the State Legislature, state agencies, and community organizations. Drawing upon suggestions from local educational agencies and community groups, staff in the California Department of Education’s Technology Services Division designed the present online structure.
5.2 If I’m at the California Department of Education home page on the Web, is there any way to get to the CMD without having to “drill down” so much?
When you are at the California Department of Education’s home page (http://www.cde.ca.gov), look in the lower right-hand corner under “Resources.” The words “Multilingual Documents” are listed there. Click on those words and you will be taken directly to the CMD home page.
5.3 Where may I find additional information about the CMD? And whom do I contact if I have questions?
Additional information is available elsewhere on this CMD site. For example, an audiovisual tutorial for new LEA users is available as well as a presentation that reviews the features of the CMD.
Questions may be e-mailed to the CMD at cmd@cde.ca.gov.
