Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, Teacher Certification Office: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

Worth knowing about Alaska DEED

Alaska DEED requirements in detail

The evaluation does the work of three documents

Alaska's FAQ says a foreign evaluation can stand in for both the transcripts and the institutional recommendation that US-trained applicants submit (Teacher certification FAQ).

That is why the report has to be detailed: a degree equivalency summary, every course with its level and grade, a GPA on a 4.0 scale and any practice teaching, so the Department can decide eligibility from the report alone (Requirements for evaluation of programs completed outside the US).

If the report cannot show a bachelor's-level program in education or one leading to licensure, the application stalls.

For the translation, that means the agency needs every page that proves those points: the full transcript, the diploma, the practicum or student teaching record and any annex that lists subjects.

We translate them all, stamps included, and keep grades and hours exactly as recorded; the conversion to a 4.0 scale is the agency's job.

Which listed agency, and its translation rule

Alaska lists fourteen agencies and does not rank them (Requirements for evaluation of programs completed outside the US). Their translation rules differ.

WES wants an exact, word-for-word translation by a professional translator and does not translate itself (WES).

Educational Perspectives accepts a reputable translation agency or a certified professional translator (EP); IEE refuses translations by the applicant or a notary public but accepts certified translators (IEE).

The Evaluation Company accepts outside translations only from ATA-certified translators (TEC), and Global Credential Evaluators accepts the issuing university, the Ministry of Education or an ATA-certified translator (GCE).

If you pick one of those two, see the ATA section below. Tell the agency the report is for Alaska teacher certification so it prepares the course-by-course version.

Where Alaska's pages differ

The current web page asks for the evaluation only (Requirements for evaluation of programs completed outside the US).

An older PDF on the Department's site also requires a letter from the Ministry of Education of the country where you trained, on letterhead, confirming the institution's recognition and your good standing, and lists fewer agencies (PDF).

We treat the web page as current. If your Ministry letter is not in English, it is translated like any other document; ask the Teacher Certification Office whether it still wants one before you order.

Documents applicants usually translate

• University diploma or degree certificate
• University transcripts and mark sheets, all years
• Records of practice teaching or the teaching practicum
• Teaching certificate or license from the other country
• Ministry of Education letter, if the Department asks for it

What an eVerbary translation includes

• A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
• Grades, hours and credits exactly as recorded, with the grading scale the document prints. We never convert marks to a US GPA or equivalency.
• A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
• $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
• Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.

Submitting the translation to Alaska DEED

• The translation goes to the evaluation agency with your documents, under that agency's instructions (WES, for example, takes uploads in your WES account). The completed, original evaluation then goes with your Alaska application (Requirements for evaluation of programs completed outside the US).

• You apply through TEACH-AK, the Department's online system, after the evaluation is complete (Teacher certification FAQ).

If you need a translator certified by ATA

Some offices accept only a translator who is personally certified by the American Translators Association (ATA). eVerbary assigns one on request, for the languages ATA certifies into English:

To order it, ask for a free quote and write in the notes that the translation is for Alaska DEED, what it is for, and that you need a translator individually certified by ATA, plus anything else the office asks for (notarization, delivery by email to the office).

We confirm the price and the translator before you pay. ATA does not certify other languages into English, so no translator anywhere holds ATA certification for them.

For those languages we provide a notarized certified translation instead, at $44.95 per page plus notarization ($34.90 per order); ask the office to confirm it accepts that, and write its answer in the quote notes.

How to order

1. Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
2. Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
3. Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.

Frequently asked questions