Foreign Exchange Students

• J-1 visa students must reside within the District’s boundaries as a participant in an exchange program sponsored by an organization screened by administration. 
   
• Exchange students on a J-1 Visa are enrolled provided they qualify for admission. The host family sponsoring an exchange student on a J-1 visa must verify residency, guardianship, and meet all registration requirements.
   
• Guardianship and residency records will be reviewed by the District’s registrars and/or building administration to determine eligibility for admission.
   
• At their discretion, the District may assign exchange students to one school or the other regardless of the attendance center in which they reside.

Foreign Exchange Students must be sponsored by a program that has received “Full Certification” from the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET). These programs were found to be in compliance with CSIET Standards based on the information available to CSIET and/or through a compliance audit process conducted by independent certified public accountants.

• J-1 Visa students must present proof of J-1 Nonimmigrant Visa Status and/or participation in a designated sponsor exchange program.
   
• The sponsoring organization/exchange program shall provide proof of J-1 Visa status as they facilitate obtaining the J-1 Visa. 
   
• District 86 does not issue student visas nor provide guidance on how to obtain a student visa.

J-1 Visa students must present proof of compliance with District immunization requirements. Medical forms and immunization records will be reviewed by the District’s nurses to determine eligibility for admission.

For more information please see Policy 7:100 Health, Eye, and Dental Examinations; Immunizations; and Exclusion of Students and the appropriate building Health Services site: 

• Hinsdale Central Physical Examination/Immunization Requirements Webpage
• Hinsdale South Physical Examination/Immunization Requirements Webpage

District 86 has established that a foreign exchange student must possess a high level of English proficiency to be able to perform the tasks of a general education student at Hinsdale Central or Hinsdale South. J-1 Visa students must demonstrate English proficiency with the goal of ensuring a productive, positive experience for the visiting student. 

Foreign Exchange Students who experience language challenges during their attendance in District 86 will not be allowed to participate in the District’s Multilingual (ML) program, which is supported by state and federal grant funding to provide services to District 86 residents only.

English proficiency scores will be reviewed by the district’s ML Department Chair to determine eligibility for admission.

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. The test is accepted by more than 11,000 universities and other institutions in over 190 countries and territories.  District 86 will require proof of TOEFL Cut Scores between 90 and 120. These scores align with the requirements of the district’s most common post-secondary schools of matriculation. 
   
• WIDA ACCESS is a language proficiency assessment used to determine if a student is an English Language Learner and to help place them in appropriate educational programs. These tests measure English skills in four domains: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. The results help educators identify which students need language support and what level of support they require. Any student desiring to attend District 86 schools as a Foreign Exchange Student must meet an English proficiency level of a 4.5 or higher on the W-APT (WIDA- ACCESS Placement Test) scale from the WIDA testing system or another WIDA aligned proficiency exam.
   
• ElTiS is a standardized test designed to measure listening and reading skills of high school age English language learners. ElTiS is intended to evaluate students' ability to manage English language requirements of secondary school classes where English is the language of instruction. 
  
  District 86 requires a Level 5 ElTiS score. Students at this level understand the meaning of complex academic words and expressions and complex sentence structures in a wide variety of contexts. They understand classroom discussions and presentations on a wide range of topics expressed with varying linguistic complexity. They can easily understand detailed instructions, and their comprehension is precise and detailed in that they can often understand nuances of meaning in grade-level appropriate presentations and instructional dialogue. In reading, they understand the content of grade-level appropriate literary and informational texts, including many implicit meanings.

• Student information required for registration including a certified copy of the student's birth certificate
• Parent/Legal Guardian information
• Host family guardianship information
• Host family information required for registration 
• D86 student information release form
• D86 Foreign Exchange Student acknowledgement form
• Verification of English proficiency
• Transcripts 
• Vaccination and Medical Exam Records

* District 86 requires all materials be submitted in English