FILE:  JBCBC

 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM

 

 

The Lafayette Parish School Board welcomes the participation in international student exchange programs.  Prior to approval of an exchange program by the School Board, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall review the program's qualifications to assure compliance with all state, federal, and School Board requirements.  Participation in any foreign exchange program shall be subject to the following.

 

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

 

  1. The sponsoring agency must be approved by and be in good standing with the Council for Standards on International Educational Travel (CSIET) and be a United States Information Agency (USIA) designated organization.

  2. The sponsoring agency must have a local representative who resides within fifty (50) miles of Lafayette Parish and who is available to meet with the school personnel, the student and the host family on a regular basis.

  3. The sponsoring agency must submit an annual application for approval to the Superintendent or his/her designee.  Applications shall be due by June 1st for consideration for the following school year.

  4. As part of the application process, the local representative of the sponsoring agency shall sign a written agreement to abide by all policies and procedures of the Lafayette Parish School Board.

 

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

 

  1. The student must reside with a legal adult resident of Lafayette Parish as stated in the Federal Court Order and must comply with the zoning attendance policy.

  2. The student must possess a J-1 visa.

  3. As of September 30th of the program year, the student must be between the ages of fifteen (15) and eighteen and one-half (18½).

  4. The student must not have graduated from high school or its equivalent in his/her native/home country.

  5. The student must not have spent previous time in the United States as part of a Foreign Exchange Program.

  6. The student must have average or above average grades in his/her home school and must not be receiving special professional assistance to function in the regular academic program.

  7. The student must have sufficient knowledge of the English language to produce effective oral and written communication, to use instructional materials and textbooks printed in English, and to function in the regular educational program without special professional assistance.

  8. The student must submit the following documents to request admission.

 

  1. Proof of English language proficiency; evidence he/she has successfully completed a minimum of three (3) years of English language instruction which includes speaking and listening as well as reading and writing

  2. Evidence of English proficiency as documented by either the Secondary Level English Proficiency Test (SLEPT) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL); a letter of recommendation from an English language teacher documenting the nature of the course and the student’s level of proficiency

  3. Official transcript and/or record of prior education from the student’s home school and an English translation of the same documents; the records should reflect the number of hours per week the student spent in class, the courses taken and the grades/credits earned.  The transcript must be received no later than June 1st of the year the student is applying for acceptance.

  4. A written application from the prospective student must be submitted to the Superintendent or his/her designee.  The application/letter should provide pertinent information about the student and his/her reasons for wanting to attend school in Lafayette Parish for the academic year.

  5. A copy of his/her health immunization records, translated into English

  6. Evidence of health, accident and athletic insurance covering the duration of his/her student visa

  7. The name, address and phone number(s) of the student’s own parents/guardians, the host family and the local international exchange program representative

  8. Two (2) character references, one of which must be from a professional staff member in the student’s home school

  9. A notarized temporary custody agreement between the international exchange student’s parents/guardians and the host family and/or exchange organization; this may be obtained after the student is in the country and before enrollment.

 

ADMISSION OF INTERNATION EXCHANGE STUDENTS

 

  1. All applications will be screened by the Superintendent or his/her designee before they are forwarded for review and approval by the principal of the school where admission is being requested.  The Superintendent or his/her designee shall inform the applicant’s sponsoring agency in writing of acceptance or rejection by June 30th of the program year.  Copies of this notification shall be sent to the principal of the receiving school and to the Instructional Division.

  2. International exchange students must arrive in time for attendance on the first day of school.

 

PLACEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE STUDENTS

 

Since J-1 international exchange students are educated tuition free at the expense of Lafayette Parish and Louisiana taxpayers, only twenty-five (25) students shall be afforded this opportunity each year.

 

  1. So that all high schools may have the opportunity to share in the experience of hosting international exchange students, exchange organizations shall be requested to disperse students they are sponsoring throughout the parish’s high schools.

  2. A total of five (5) international exchange students shall be enrolled in each school year.

  3. Prior to the start of school, the host family shall accompany the exchange student to the School Board office to obtain a permit to register at the prospective school.

  4. Upon obtaining a permit to register, the host family shall accompany the exchange student to the assigned school to begin the registration process.

  5. Student records shall be forwarded to the assigned school to facilitate academic placement.

 

EXCHANGE STUDENT STATUS

 

  1. Students shall be treated as regular full-time students.  Students shall be responsible for complying with all School Board policies and any regulations regarding attendance, academic standards, responsibilities and rights, discipline and graduation requirements.

  2. Students must enroll in one English class and one United States history or civics class.

  3. Students must meet all LHSAA requirements to be eligible for athletics.

  4. Students must pay all fees and school incurred expenses that are required of other students enrolled in Lafayette Parish public schools.

  5. The Lafayette Parish School Board shall not provide students with admission into such programs as Special Education for handicapped students or English as a second language, nor will it pay for students to attend other schools or institutions of higher education.

  6. At the time of registration, the exchange student and his/her host family shall be required to sign a form indicating compliance with all the conditions heretofore outlined.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF EXCHANGE ORGANIZATIONS AND HOST FAMILIES

 

The School Board expects exchange organizations and host families to provide proper and responsible supervision of international exchange students.  The following are specific responsibilities which the School Board expects these adults to assume.

 

  1. Host family and the local coordinator for the exchange organization must maintain personal contact with the school and must be available and willing to meet with school personnel when problems or situations require it.

  2. If an international exchange student’s English proficiency is found to be insufficient to function in the regular instructional program without special professional assistance, the exchange organization and the host family must provide a tutor or make other educational arrangements for the student at their expense.

  3. The exchange organization and the host family must assume the final responsibility for resolving problems including, if necessary, the early return home of the international exchange student because of personal, family or school difficulties which cannot be resolved.

 

SUSPENSION, REVOCATION OR DISMISSAL

 

Exchange organizations, host families, and/or international exchange students found to be in violation of any policies of the Lafayette Parish School Board are subject to having their relationship with the School District terminated.  Any change in the immigration status of an exchange student shall be reported to the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

 

Adopted:  April 3, 1996

Revised:  December 16, 1998

Revised:  October 7, 2015

Revised:  January 3, 2024

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:81

Standards for International Educational Travel Programs, Council on Standards for International Educational Travel

Board minutes, 4-3-96, 12-16-98, 10-7-15, 1-3-24

 

Lafayette Parish School Board