FILE:  JBCBC

FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS

International foreign exchange students may be accepted for enrollment in the Vermilion Parish School System subject to the following conditions.  The sponsoring agency must be approved by and be in good standing with the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVIS), the Council for Standards on International Educational Travel (CSIET), and be a United States Information Agency (USIA) designated organization.  Students in a foreign exchange program shall be subject to the following:

1. Student must possess a J-1 visa.
   
   

2. All applications and supporting documentation must be submitted to the principal by July 25^th prior to the school year of attendance.
   
   

3. In order to receive grades, all high school students shall be in attendance a minimum of eighty-one (81) days per semester.
   
   

4. Foreign exchange students must arrive in time for attendance on the first day of school.
   
   

5.   a.  English is a primary instructional language of Vermilion Parish; therefore students must have a working knowledge of the English language.  Thus, foreign exchange students must make a score of forty-five (45) or above on the SLEP (Test of Secondary Level English Proficiency) test.  The testing results should be sent with the student’s transcript of grades from the student’s country of origin to the high school the student anticipates attending.

b.  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.

c.  Vermilion Parish shall not provide students with admission into such programs as Special Education for handicapped pupils, English as a second language, nor shall it pay for students to attend other schools or institutions of higher education.

6. A transcript of credits earned, translated in English, shall be provided when the student enrolls in school.  The sponsoring organization shall provide a translation of the course descriptions in order for credit to be determined by school authorities.  An official transcript should also be sent from the last school attended by the exchange student.
   
   

7. Foreign exchange students shall not be allowed to graduate and will be restricted to entering their junior year.
   
   

8. Foreign exchange students in any given school may make up one percent (any fraction would be rounded to the next whole number) of the total student population (maximum of two (2) in any one school) in grades 9-12.
   
   

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

10. Any extenuating circumstances shall require the approval of the building principal.
    
    

11. The Vermilion Parish School Board shall have no obligation to the student beyond normal educational responsibilities.

Adopted:  September 15, 2016

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:81

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

Board minutes, 12-9-04, 6-8-06, 9-15-16

Vermilion Parish School Board