Denver Public School District Uses ILA:

A Case Study in Language Technology for Education

Denver Public Schools Enhances Multicultural Engagement with Instant Language Assistant (ILA), a Leading Language Technology for Education

Denver Public Schools (DPS) is Colorado’s largest and most diverse school district. With a growing multicultural population, DPS embraced innovation to address communication challenges with families.

85K-90K
Students

207
Schools

160-200
Languages

3,500+
Newcomers

Case Study

The Challenge

With over 180 languages spoken, Denver Public Schools needed to break down language barriers to ensure all families could engage equally in their children’s education. Since improving communication with parents was and is a top priority, the District sought out an innovative language technology for education.

The Solution

ILA (Instant Language Assistant)

ILA PRO

ILA PRO

The Results

• Enhanced family engagement empowering parents to participate in their children’s education
• Increased efficiency
• Building confidence among staff and families
• Support for social services

We want people to walk into our classrooms and community hubs knowing this is a space that’s accessible to them

Trevon Brandhorst, Denver Public Schools

The Case

Breaking Down Language Barriers

Denver Public Schools serves a richly diverse community of families speaking nearly 200 languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Swahili, and Amharic. The District faced the following challenges because this remarkable diversity highlighted an urgent need for a language access solution.

• Increasing Demand for Multilingual Support: DPS experienced a surge in newcomer families, resulting in significant demand for language access support.

• Growing Engagement Gaps: Non-English-speaking families struggled to participate in essential school-related activities and meetings.

• Maximizing Resources: DPS’ robust translation and interpretation services team worked tirelessly to meet the needs of their newcomers, underscoring the need for more tools.

• Improving Communication Tools: DPS used a variety of language resources and tools to bridge communication gaps, but these had limitations.

A Deeper Look at the Challenge

Denver Public Schools faced challenges in ensuring effective communication with its families. “At any given time, we speak between 160 and 200 different languages,” shared Trevon Brandhorst, Director of Community Engagement and Outreach. This language diversity and influx of over 3,500 newcomer families, primarily Spanish-speaking, stretched DPS’ ability to provide immediate support.

What’s more, these language barriers limited families’ ability to participate fully in essential school activities like parent-teacher conferences and enrollment. Also, it prevented them from accessing much-needed community resources. “We want every family to feel welcomed and included,” Brandhorst emphasized, “but without the right tools, it was difficult to engage effectively.” Often, these barriers left parents disconnected from their children’s education, further emphasizing the need for additional translation tools to bridge the gap.

Even though DPS’ robust translation and interpretation services team worked tirelessly to address the community’s needs, the scale of demand required innovative solutions to increase their capacity. “Our team does an incredible job,” said Brandhorst, “but with growing multilingual needs, we had to explore new tools to support our mission.”

Of course, DPS staff used a variety of approaches to bridge language gaps, such as Google Translate and assistance from bilingual individuals or professional interpreters. While these methods worked well, their limitations underscored the need for a complementary tool. They needed a solution to help staff and non-English-speaking families have real-time, accurate, and simultaneously translated conversations on demand

“Nothing feels safer or more welcoming than your preferred home language.”

Trevon Brandhorst, Director of Community Engagement and Outreach, Denver Public Schools

The Solution

Instant Language Assistant (ILA)

To address these challenges, Denver Public Schools implemented ILA from TranslateLive. ILA, a leading language technology for education, has been deployed across DPS’ community hubs, district events, and social work teams, enabling real-time multilingual communication.

How ILA Supports DPS:

• Real-Time Translation: Instantly translates conversations into multiple languages, including less commonly supported ones. This enables DPS staff to communicate with families who might otherwise face language barriers, fostering inclusion and engagement.

• User-Friendly Interface: Simple tap-to-start functionality ensures accessibility for non-technical users, allowing DPS staff to quickly deploy the ILA without extensive training. The device’s two-sided design allows staff and families to use it simultaneously, facilitating natural, real-time conversations. This intuitive setup ensures a seamless and welcoming experience for everyone involved during events, meetings, or day-to-day interactions.

• Flexibility: Adaptable for events, parent meetings, and community outreach, allowing DPS to use the ILA in diverse settings to meet families wherever they are.

• Broadcast Mode: Allows simultaneous communication with multilingual audiences, enabling DPS to address large, diverse groups accurately and simultaneously, such as during school-wide and district events. ILA can display translations on a screen in multiple languages at once, making communicating with everyone in the room possible. Additionally, it can broadcast translations to multiple individual devices, ensuring accessibility for people both in the same room and remotely. Users simply scan a QR code or enter a link to join the conversation from anywhere in the world, enabling real-time engagement regardless of location. Parents can even join certain events from home.

Having this device allows us to have something in our back pocket where we can say, ‘Hey, we can still communicate with you.

Trevon Brandhorst, Denver Public Schools

The Impact of ILA: Strengthening Accessibility and Inclusion

Implementing ILA significantly supports Denver Public Schools and augments its robust language translation and interpretation team. ILA has enhanced the district’s ability to engage with its linguistically diverse community by complementing its efforts with innovative language technology for education.

Key outcomes include:

1. Enhanced Family Engagement

ILA has made parents feel welcomed and empowered to participate in their children’s education. Families can now engage in meaningful conversations in their preferred languages, fostering trust and stronger relationships.

2. Increased Efficiency

The staff spends less valuable time coordinating interpreters for every interaction. The ILA enables on-the-spot translation, allocating resources more effectively to certified interpreters for critical needs like IEP meetings.

3. Building Confidence Among Staff and Families

ILA has fostered a welcoming environment where parents feel comfortable engaging with school staff and community resources by removing language barriers.

4. Support for Social Services

Social workers in DPS use the ILA to engage with families facing housing instability and other challenges. This flexibility ensures families can access the support they need without delays.

When we use our ILA, it makes our families and parents smile. Just getting to hear someone talk to them in a language they truly understand is empowering.

Trevon Brandhorst, Denver Public Schools

Looking Ahead

Denver Public Schools plans to expand the use of the ILA across more schools and events, increasing awareness and training to ensure even broader adoption. The district’s ultimate goal is to create a culture where every family feels included and valued, regardless of language.

We want people to walk into our classrooms and community hubs, knowing this is a space that’s accessible to them.

Trevon Brandhorst, Denver Public Schools

Conclusion

The Instant Language Assistant has positively impacted Denver Public Schools, helping the district break down communication barriers and build stronger connections with its multicultural community. By investing in innovative tools like ILA, DPS continues to lead by example by creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all families.

Want a free demo of ILA?

See how ILA can help your schools communicate with ANYONE and improve multilingual student and family engagement. Contact us to schedule a demo or to learn more.

Contact Us

Not Ready for a Demo? Watch this video to see how ILA Works

https://youtu.be/kZjFaO-iT28

Need to hear more? Watch Trevon describe his experience with ILA himself.

https://youtu.be/p0r6UGlqOcs

The post Denver Schools Use ILA: Language Technology for Education appeared first on TranslateLive.

Township of Ocean School District NJ

Ocean Schools Handles Communication with Surging ESL Population with the Instant Language Assistant (ILA)

Overcomes Language Barriers to Improve Engagement and Integrate Students

3,000
Students

18
Schools

32
Languages

7%
Multilingual
Learners

Case Study

The Problem

An influx of foreign language-speaking students challenged the capabilities of the school district for effective communication with them and with multilingual student and family engagement.

The Solution

ILA, Instant Language Assistant

ILA PRO

ILA PRO

The Results

• More efficient communications
• Improved engagement with ESL families
• Smooth assimilations of multilingual students
• Time and resources savings
• More accurate translations

Our multilingual families feel more comfortable, more empowered and more engaged because they know they will be understood at school meetings and events.

Cecilia Vila, Township of Ocean School District

The Case

New Student Stress Capabilities

“Over the years, one of the biggest changes in our district has been an increase in multilingual learner enrollment,” said Cecilia Vila, PK-12 Supervisor of ESL and Bilingual Programs for the Township of Ocean School District. “Our schools needed to quickly adapt to the newcomers because they often have a lot of needs beyond just academics. It’s important to help parents who aren’t native English speakers register their kids for school, engage them in our community, make sure families have everything for their kids to be successful and feel welcome to come, ask questions, and share information.”

Located minutes from The Jersey Shore in Oakhurst, the Township of Ocean School District is a vibrant learning hub, serving 3,000 PK-12 students at six schools. Thiry-two native tongues are spoken at home and 7% of students and their families are multilingual. The most prevalent foreign languages spoken in the district are Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Arabic.

Geopolitical, economic and other factors have led immigrants to flock to Ocean Township from countries such as Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia and Haiti. “We are a popular destination because we have a very successful school district and supportive community,” said Vila. “But also, because we’re conveniently located near major transportation systems and the Garden City Parkway.

Many Tongues = Many Challenges

Ocean Schools wanted to improve communication, accessibility and multilingual student and family engagement to make the newcomers feel comfortable and welcome.

“Language barriers with students and families who aren’t yet proficient in English during discussions of a student’s performance, evaluations or special education meetings, were problematic,” said Vila. “As a result, these families were not necessarily able to fully understand or actively participate in important conversations about areas of need or challenges for their student.”

A key factor in lower levels of involvement is often that a family or student doesn’t yet speak English. “If they aren’t comfortable coming to meetings or events because they assume they won’t be understood or able to understand the information, then they naturally shy away from participating,” explained Vila. But frustration with communication wasn’t just one-sided. “A lot of times our front office staff became frustrated because they weren’t able to communicate over the phone, or with immigrant parents who came to school in-person,” added Vila. 

Sensitive and Written Communication Hurdles

Other areas of inefficiency and burden for the schools stem from handling time-sensitive situations and translating written material for non-native speakers. “We’ve had situations in which there were incidents between two students, or statements a student made, that required us to conduct a risk evaluation,” said Vila. “In both cases, we need to clearly explain to a parent that they need to come to school right away and ensure they understand the situation.”

In such scenarios, when time and comprehension is of the essence, schools may not have time to find and schedule a live interpreter, or to reach out to on-site staff that speak the language needed. “Going online to quickly type in critical information and hope for an accurate translation in these circumstances, or wasting time trying to find an adult to interpret, is a real hindrance.” The time and effort required to translate new and/or constantly update print and digital communications into multiple languages, including some that are relatively uncommon, also taxed school resources.

Solutions Helpful but Lacking

Like many schools, Ocean Schools relied on a hodgepodge of free legacy tools such as Google Translate, translation software and hiring live interpreters, to communicate with multilingual families – with limited results. Each resource Ocean Schools employs is helpful but comes with drawbacks. “Google Translate is nice but isn’t always accurate enough or can’t translate a specific dialect reliably,” said Vila. “We also have teachers, staff members or students that are multilingual to whom we can turn, but they don’t necessarily always have the academic vocabulary, specific language knowledge, or grasp of a dialect, to effectively interpret. There was always a whole constellation of different things that we would have to try to tap to communicate.”

Ocean Schools sought other options for multilingual student and family engagement. “We realized very quickly that we needed to add additional measures to engage and support the rapidly changing demographics of our families,” explained Vila.

Trying ILA

Ocean Schools heard about the Instant Language Assistant (ILA) from TranslateLive and reacted with natural, guarded optimism. “There are currently very few devices, software or programs that can deliver accurate, authentic translations and are also user friendly, so I was skeptical initially,” admitted Vila. “And there’s a limit to how much you can understand in advance about whether the product really works or not without testing it first.”

Ocean Schools ordered an ILA unit for staff at its main office and secretarial team to try out. “They loved it and instantly became like internal sales partners for the product with all the schools,” said Vila. The dual-sided ILA Pro device allows users to have natural back-and-forth conversations in 250 different languages and dialects, spell out loud, type or use American Sign Language (ASL) or Braille, and the entire conversation is immediately communicated to the other party in their chosen language. It is the only accessible communication solution that combines Artificial Intelligence (AI), Organization-specific Intelligence (OI), and the ability to patch in Human Interpreters (HI) when needed on-demand. It is also available as an app or software for schools or individuals to install on their own devices, and easily integrates with existing technologies. 

“By using ILA, we enabled two-way real-time communication in which we are not only able to provide information to multilingual families and students in their language of choice, but we’re also able to receive information,” said Vila. “Now, when parents and guardians come to school to meet with teachers, each party can not only disseminate information but also gather more data too. This makes our processes and efforts more effective and helps our school district bridge cultures and be more inclusive.”

The ILA also enhances inclusion and reduces stereotypes. “Being culturally and linguistically inclusive means that I don’t assume that someone doesn’t speak English or would rather speak to me in English than in their native language, so just having that choice that ILA offers has been incredibly validating for our families,” said Vila. “It has been very well received by the ESL community and improved engagement because they realize they have an option that can facilitate their ability to communicate and understand information,” said Vila. “I think the ILA is one of the best solutions out there.”

Ocean Schools is using ILA’s broadcast features, which allow every participant to listen to a meeting or presentation translated in real-time into their chosen language on their own mobile device. “I have used ILA’s presentation and broadcast mode and found it tremendously helpful for required meetings with groups of families in which we have to provide updates and overviews on our program and their parental rights,” said Vila.

Better Communication Saves Resources

More efficient communication. More productive meetings. More accurate translations. More multilingual student and family engagement with the ESL community. Saving time and money by not having to redirect multilingual staff to help translate or invest money in other products are all benefits relayed by the Township of Ocean School District. 

Importantly, when every taxpayer dollar must be justified, Ocean Schools reports the Instant Language Assistant is earning its keep. “We’re limited on resources, so the fact the ILA saves time by not having to try to utilize another human means we don’t have to invest as much in people or other products to translate documents and written communications, for example,” said Vila. “Also, when you break down the time involved each time you have to pull another employee away from, say, teaching a class, to translate, and how much of their yearly salary those recurring hours cost, it really adds up. Whereas ILA is an investment that you make once and then you have it forever.”

More efficient communication has enabled Ocean Schools to get more out of the information it produces. “A lot of information was not being utilized or accessed by multilingual learners and their families prior to the ILA,” said Vila. “In the future, we also plan to explore using ILA’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) functions for things like preloading translated questions and questionnaires.”

ILA’s Impact

According to Vila, ILA provided the Township of Ocean School District with the communication tool it needed to handle the influx of immigrant families entering the school system and made them feel heard and supported.

“ILA really met a major need very quickly and was a tremendous help in our ability to adjust to the change,” said Vila. “Now, as we continue to receive and welcome more multilingual learners, rather than viewing it as a challenge or unsurmountable, having ILA will really, really help make the process smooth.”

“ILA has helped me, and my team, bridge gaps in communication and engagement with multilingual families that traditional methods of translation cannot. Families know how to use the device and look for it at every school meeting or district event. In a sense, it has become another member of our team.”

Cecilia Vila, Township of Ocean School District

Want a free demo of ILA?

See how ILA can help your schools communicate with ANYONE and improve multilingual student and family engagement. Contact us to schedule a demo or to learn more.

Contact Us

Not Ready for a Demo? Watch this video to see how ILA Works

https://youtu.be/kZjFaO-iT28

Need to hear more? Watch Cecilia describe her experience with ILA herself.

https://youtu.be/eWD8XQzQDR4

The post Ocean Schools Uses ILA for Multilingual Student and Family Engagement appeared first on TranslateLive.