Language Access Required for Parents to Participate in Children’s Education

Under civil rights law, all parents have the right to information about their child’s education in a language they understand.

Review a fact sheet (https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-factsheet-lep-parents-201501.pdf) about the rights of parents and guardians who do not speak, listen, read, or write English proficiently because it is not their primary language.

When a child enrolls in school, the school will ask the parents about the language they would like to use when communicating with the school. This helps the school identify language needs so they can provide an interpreter or translated documents, free of charge. Language access includes translated documents and an interpreter for meetings and conversations. Parents have the right to these services even if they speak some English. These rights are unchanged if the student can speak or read English.