Language Access in Action in the IEP Process

How can schools ensure multilingual families are truly included in the IEP decision‑making process? In this episode of Language Access in Action, Maria Ronneburger explores the top three mistakes schools make when working with spoken language interpreters during IEP meetings — and, more importantly, how to fix them. While these missteps may seem small, they can significantly affect trust, accuracy, family engagement, and outcomes for students from multilingual, multicultural families. In this video, you’ll learn: - Why an IEP is a process before, during, and after the meeting — and how interpreters play a critical role at every stage - How language and culture are deeply connected, and why effective interpretation requires more than word‑for‑word translation - Why staff training is essential for successful collaboration with interpreters during IEP meetings By making a few intentional shifts, schools can move beyond compliance and build authentic partnerships with families—ensuring every voice is heard.