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RCSD Translation Services
About Translation Services
Translation Services are fulfilled by a team of translators within the Department of Communications. The team provides support for Arabic, Somali, and Spanish translation requests for the Superintendent, Central Office departments, and some non-curriculum school-based communications to families.
Requests and Requirements
Document translation requests can be submitted via CommsTranslations@rcsdk12.org. Same-day priority translations require approval by the Chief of Communications.
Department and Client Service Expectations
- The accepted formats for submissions are Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google docs, and Publisher. No PDFs or images of text (including AI-generated images) will be accepted.
- Draft documents will not be accepted.
- Requests will be translated according to priority (see multi-level priority schedule below) and the order in which they are received. Please be advised that other priority projects may delay the completion of translations.
- Documents must be submitted at least 3-5 working days in advance. Projects over 5000 words require a minimum of two weeks’ notice.
- If revisions are needed for a previously translated document, those must be clearly marked on the original document.
- Copyrighted materials should not be submitted for translation, unless accompanied by written permission from the publisher or author and cleared through the RCSD Legal Department.
- Translations usually take more space on a page. It is a good idea to fit the communications in both languages on one page (front and back). Arabic translations may require a change in the layout due to formatting.
Translation Completion Expectations
Completion times for translation depend on several factors: the amount of text to be translated, technical vocabulary, the complexity of highly formatted files, and the team’s current workload. Requests will be translated according to priority and the order in which they are received. Please be advised that other priority projects may delay the completion of translations.
Word Count and Estimated Time to Completion
500 words or less: 3-5 Business Days
501-1000 words: 5-7 Business Days
1001-3,000 words: 7-10 Business Days
1001-3,000 words: 7-10 Business Days
3001-5,000 words: 10-15 Business Days
5001-10,000 words: Requires approval of the Chief of Communications
Priority Levels
Requests are processed in the order received, according to the following priority levels:
- Level I: Emergency safety/health notices and Communications Dept. priorities.
- Level II: Superintendent, Executive Cabinet, and Board of Education communications.
- Level III: District Department notices (Math, Arts, etc.) and Principal-to-parent communications.
- Level IV: Individual student notices, school events, and report card comments.
Other Interpretation and Translation Requests
Live or remote interpretation services and support for schools and families are often seen as interchangeable with a translation service. In the Rochester City School District, school-level interpretation and curriculum-related requests are processed by the Department of Bilingual Education and World Languages (BEWL) and ASL related requests are handled by the Department of Special Education.
For more information, please visit https://bewl.rcsdk12.org/translation-interpretation/request-for-translation-services.