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Eanes ISD

Foreign Exchange Students

The Eanes ISD foreign exchange program provides students from other countries the opportunity to learn about the history of the United States, the working of our government, and to become more fluent in both the written and spoken English language. Students are encouraged to take an active part in the academic experience and to explore the social and cultural opportunities in EISD.

The District has applied for a waiver from the Texas Education Agency to limit the number of foreign exchange students at Westlake High School to a maximum of five (5) students per year.  Participation is on a first-come/first-serve basis after all the requirements have been met. Waiting lists will not be maintained to hold an agency’s or student’s request for enrollment. 

The following guidelines have been developed to assist foreign exchange organizations, the foreign exchange students, and the host family in understanding the requirements for application, acceptance and participation in this program:

  1. All foreign exchange organizations shall meet the requirements of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel.
     
  2. Application forms and all required documentation must be received by the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Department no later than July 15 prior to the academic year for which acceptance is being requested. This includes an official transcript for the student that has been translated into English.  Please submit all necessary documentation to whsenrollment@eanesisd.net 
     
  3. Any cost for student records required by the foreign exchange program or home country is the responsibility of the foreign exchange student.
     
  4. The host family must reside in the Eanes ISD attendance zone. Since falsification of a student record is now a felony in the state of Texas, a foreign exchange student will be withdrawn immediately if the host family falsifies information regarding their home address.
     
  5. If a foreign exchange student is returned to his/her country or is moved to another district, no new foreign exchange student will replace the student withdrawn.
     
  6. Foreign exchange students are accepted for one school year and will not be approved for a single semester.
     
  7. The foreign exchange organization is responsible for providing a copy of the student’s high school transcript. The transcript must be in English.
     
  8. The foreign exchange student is responsible for providing the month/date/year of all immunizations. Immunization records must be in English.
     
  9. The foreign exchange student’s host family must be an Eanes ISD resident, and the host family must enroll the foreign exchange student. The area representative may not handle this procedure.
     
  10. In order to be considered a full-time student, a foreign exchange student must be enrolled in at least six class periods, four of which must be academic classes including English 3 and US History. 
     
  11. Foreign exchange students are subject to Eanes attendance and discipline policies and are expected to participate fully in their classes, including taking of tests.
     
  12. Foreign exchange students will be classified as 11th grade students. These students will not be included in a high school’s class rankings or graduation.
     
  13. The foreign exchange student’s transcript prior to registering in EISD will be evaluated to determine student grade level and courses. The transcript will not be transcribed to reflect courses taken outside of EISD.
     
  14. Foreign exchange students are required to take STAAR End of Course exams for designated classes. 
     
  15. Foreign exchange students will be at a distinct disadvantage if they do not have adequate skills in written and spoken English.
     
  16. Foreign exchange students are not eligible to receive free or reduced meals as part of the foreign exchange program.
     
  17. Coaches and sponsors of extracurricular activities will be responsible for obtaining and evaluating proper credentials to determine a foreign exchange student’s eligibility for participation in an UIL activity for which the student expresses interest.

For questions concerning the enrollment of foreign exchange students in Eanes ISD, please contact the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Department at (512)732-9020. For additional information, please see the Foreign Exchange Students FAQ document on the Texas Education Agency’s website.