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Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes, through the evaluation: Pennsylvania PDE asks for a credential evaluation, and WES, one of the agencies it accepts, takes certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Credential evaluation: AICE or NACES course-by-course with GPA
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 21, 2026
The Pennsylvania Department of Education asks educators prepared abroad for a report from an AICE or NACES credential evaluation agency covering an English translation and evaluation of all foreign credentials, the US degree equivalent, an overall GPA and course-by-course credit.
WES, a NACES member, does not translate itself and accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary for that evaluation.
We translate your diplomas, transcripts and certificates for the agency; the report and the certification decision come from the agency and PDE.
Pennsylvania PDE at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
PDE requires an evaluation by an AICE or NACES agency, or one approved by another state education department (CSPG 5); WES, a NACES member, accepts a translation by a professional translator or certified translation agency (WES translation rules), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets the agency's rule. Policy checked on October 21, 2026.
- Translation
- In the agency report (CSPG 5)
- Who may translate
- Set by the agency; WES: professional translator
- Credential evaluation
- AICE or NACES course-by-course with GPA
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Grades
- As recordedNever converted to a US GPA
Checked on October 21, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Pennsylvania PDE's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about Pennsylvania PDE
AICE or NACES
Or an agency another state education department approved.
GPA and semester hours
The report must show both, course by course.
Original or notarized copy
Of the evaluation report, with copies of the credentials.
Pennsylvania PDE requirements in detail
Translation
CSPG 5 says the agency's report must include an English translation and credit/degree evaluation of all foreign credentials (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US). PDE does not say who makes the translation; the agency's rule applies.
Who may translate
Accepted agencies
Members of AICE or NACES, or an agency approved by another US state education department for its educator credential; ask the Bureau before using any other agency. PDE endorses none (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
Report contents
US equivalent of every degree, overall GPA, course-by-course semester-hour credit and course level, and confirmation of a bachelor's or graduate degree equivalent (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
Original or copy
The original or a notarized photocopy of the evaluation report, submitted with photocopies of the foreign credentials (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
How to apply
Online through TIMS, with the evaluation report, official transcripts for any US coursework, test scores sent by the vendor, and citizenship or work authorization documents (Out-of-state educators: educated outside the US).
English proficiency
Non-US citizens educated solely where English is not the official language need an advanced-mid score on the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
An English translation inside the evaluation report
CSPG 5, PDE's staffing guideline for applicants prepared outside the US, lists what the agency's report must contain, starting with "an English translation and credit/degree evaluation of all foreign credentials" (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
In practice, AICE and NACES agencies build that English report from translations you supply: WES, for example, does not translate and asks for an exact, word-for-word translation by a professional translator (WES).
So the order is translation, then evaluation, then the report to PDE.
Translate every credential the agency will evaluate, including the transcript pages that list semester hours or class periods, since PDE wants credit and course level for each course.
We keep grades and hours exactly as recorded; the conversion is the agency's.
A notarized copy, not a certified translation, goes to PDE
The notarization PDE mentions concerns the evaluation report: you submit the original or a notarized photocopy of it, with plain photocopies of the foreign credentials (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
Since 2009 PDE no longer requires notarized copies of immigration documents such as green cards or visas (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
Pennsylvania also asks for satisfactory scores on its certification assessments (Out-of-state educators: educated outside the US) and, for many non-citizens, the ACTFL English oral test; native speakers of a foreign language must still complete a state-approved program to teach that language (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
Where PDE's pages differ
CSPG 5 requires the report to include an English translation and an overall GPA (CSPG 5); the out-of-state educators page lists the US degree equivalent, course-by-course semester-hour credit and cumulative GPA, without mentioning the translation (out-of-state page).
Ask your agency for a course-by-course report with GPA prepared for Pennsylvania teacher certification, and give it a complete translation, so the report meets both.
Need a certified translation for Pennsylvania PDE?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents applicants usually translate
- University diplomas and degree certificates
- Transcripts and mark sheets for every degree
- Teacher preparation program records
- Teaching certificate from the other country
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 Pennsylvania PDE
The translation goes to the AICE or NACES agency with your documents, under that agency's instructions (WES, for example, takes uploads in your WES account) (WES: translation requirements).
You then submit the original or a notarized photocopy of the agency's report, with photocopies of your foreign credentials, as part of your TIMS application (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US, Out-of-state educators: educated outside the US).
What we do not do
eVerbary is a translation service, not a credential evaluation service or a licensing agency: we do not issue evaluations, US equivalencies or GPA conversions, we cannot send documents on behalf of the school or authority that issued them, and we do not file the license application.
For Pennsylvania PDE that means we translate your credentials for the evaluation agency; the evaluation report, its notarized copy, the tests and the certification decision are outside what we do.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- 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
Does PDE accept my own translation?
PDE wants the English translation in the agency's report (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US); WES refuses translations by applicants and wants a professional translator (WES: translation requirements).
Which evaluation agencies does Pennsylvania accept?
AICE or NACES members, or agencies approved by another state education department (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US, NACES, AICE).
Do I need to notarize the translation?
PDE asks for the original or a notarized photocopy of the evaluation report, not of the translation (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
What must the evaluation show?
US degree equivalents, an overall GPA, course-by-course semester hours and course level, and bachelor's or graduate degree equivalency (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
Do I need an English test?
Non-US citizens educated solely in a country whose official language is not English need an ACTFL OPI score of advanced-mid (CSPG 5: evaluation of credentials for individuals prepared outside the US).
Sources
Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality's own pages, read on October 21, 2026.
Translating documents for Pennsylvania PDE?
Upload a scan of your diploma, transcript or license and see the price and delivery time before you pay.