7:050-AP2 – Foreign Exchange Students

The district is interested in furthering international learning and understanding through international education and exchange programs. Such programs provide unique opportunities for all students to grow in global awareness and cross cultural understanding at a personal level of experience. The district admits foreign students to the high school through recognized and approved exchange programs that operate on a nonprofit basis.

Application Process

Organizations desiring to place a student at Batavia High School will submit a letter of intent with the school principal. The letter must include information about the approved host family and must be submitted by March 30th before the school year the student will attend. Four placements will be approved per school year.

Once approved for a placement, the organization must provide the student name and host family residency information by July 1st. The organization must verify:

1. The student is at least sixteen (16) years of age and not more than 18 years of age and is able to understand and orally communicate in English.
2. The student is in compliance with all public school immunization requirements.
3. The student is not a graduate (post high school) of his/her resident/national school system.
4. The host family accepts full responsibility for the student and provides the district with a written statement attesting to this fact.

Sponsoring Program

Sponsoring Program Approval

1. The sponsoring program must be included in the Advisory List of International Educational and Exchange Programs published by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel.
2. The program must be sponsored by a nonprofit organization.
3. Enrollment of students from any program, in a given school year, shall be limited to no more than two students per organization.
4. The exchange program shall have an orientation program in the home and in the receiving country.
5. The exchange organization must have a representative in the local area (within 25 miles of Batavia High School) who can provide assistance to the host family, the school or the students should problems arise.
6. The sponsoring program shall ensure that the school is provided with family and school records to assist in proper placement in academic classes.
7. The organization shall have outbound as well as inbound programs.
8. The organization must provide or require health insurance for their students.
9. The organization will provide all counseling and language tutoring to exchange students when the district deems necessary.

Program of Study

1. Foreign exchange students are expected to participate in classes as regular high school students. They are required to take the examinations and do the work required by the teachers of the classes for which they are enrolled. This includes compliance with the Batavia High School’s attendance and discipline policies. Students are expected to follow all rules, regulations and to pay all fees as required by resident students.
2. After a five-week adjustment period, the school principal or designee will notify the local sponsor if a foreign exchange student is not achieving and has not reached acceptable proficiency in English.
3. Foreign exchange students may not be enrolled in the school’s English as a Language Learners (E.L.L.) program. It will be the responsibility of the sponsoring organization to provide tutors and/or whatever necessary assistance is required to help the foreign exchange student meet acceptable standards. If this cannot be accomplished the foreign exchange student will need to be relocated.
4. Foreign exchange students are not eligible for a Batavia High School regular diploma. Foreign exchange students in good standing will receive an honorary Batavia High School Diploma and will be permitted to participate in graduation exercises.
5. Exchange students will be encouraged to participate in all students activities and will be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics, provided academic requirements and Illinois High School Association criteria are met.
6. The district reserves the right to terminate attendance if the student does not comply with the academic and behavioral standards of the district.

Exchange Student Fees

The district will waive school registration and extracurricular participation fees as well as entrance fees to sports, music, and drama events (except tournaments or IHSA events). The student or host family will be responsible for fees/costs associated with courses, PE uniforms, yearbook, field trips, excursions, school lunches, school dances, school portrait packages, and other incidental expenses.

Date Adopted: 11/11/2009